cut a circle on a tablesaw?

[RayV]

Don't try this at home...

[Andy]

same sort of thing on a bandsaw. Just my thoughts... Andy

[Norvin]

This method worked for me about 15 years ago when I made a 4' dia table out of red oak.

[joeljcarver]

It actually leaves a much cleaner edge than the bandsaw.

Joel

[B A R R Y]

Why?

That's a very old method that's been in many books and magazines.

[Norvin]

Whoops, after finally looking at this video, this is not the same method that I used. My method involved a jig for positioning the top with the proper radius from blade to pivot point. The blade is only raised to about 1/8" and the top rotated for a full circle, then the blade is raised another 1/8 or so and sooner or later you will obtain a nicely cut circle that needs very little sanding, depending on your TS blade. I believe I saw this method on a very early show of "The New Yankee WS".

[Doug Miller]

Yep, that was basically it. Kinda fascinating in a morbid sort of way, watching it wobble up and down on his cobbled-together pivot while he rotated it past the spinning blade. I kept expecting one of the offcuts to fly back and hit him...

[Leuf]

Like this:

if those old saws in the schools could talk, they'd say please some fellow come take me to a nice quiet garage, put a sharp blade on me and let me enjoy my golden years in peace.

I couldn't get the other video to play all the way, I got as far as him making an octagon. I'll assume he just kept knocking the corners off until it was almost a circle.

-Leuf

[Jim]

For all we know, one of them did hit him. Yes, I remember seeing the show. Jim

[Norvin]

Can you imagine a 4' square of red oak and you get a bind, WOW.......

[Jim]

As I recall, he cut it down to rough size before using that jig. I would not want to get hit with a board that big... Jim

[GROVER]

This technique was probably used by Sister Tabatha, the Shaker who is credited with the first table saw. Joe G

[Father Haskell]

I'd take it to within 1/8" with a saber saw first. I'd also use a larger pivot, maybe a #10 round head screw driven through the circle blank.

[DanG]

Why not. Very normal method.