The Cylinder Mill is a new contraption that allows you shape and cut cylindrical shapes with your table saw. To use the Cylinder Mill, you set a piece of lumber between its two centers, and then rotate the lumber via crank handle as you push the contraption over your table saw’s spinning blade.
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Tapers, tenons, cylinders, oh my.
It’s really something you have to watch in action to better understand:
There are two versions available – with tracks ($160), and without tracks ($139).
More Info(via Cylinder Mill)
While more of a specialty tool, the Cylinder Mill is much more affordable than the size of lathe that would be needed to work on larger logs and workpieces. For that matter, it is also priced lower than larger-sized tenon cutters as well.
LORDDiESEL (GJ Forum)
That’s pretty cool! I don’t think i’d ever use one, but it does work well.
JCC
Oh!
My Dad would like this…
Jerry
I want one!
Is there a size requirement for the saw table, in order for it to work properly?
Stuart
I’m not sure, but I probably wouldn’t use this jig on anything other than a full-size stationary table saw. Portable table saws have small table surfaces and might cause balance or stability issues.
Acaz
OMG that’s so funny and awesome, I made a plywood jig when I was in my 20’s that would glide across my table saw and cut round logs for some furniture I was designing. The only difference was it would only make one cut per pass. Then I would tun it and cut the next pass. This one is a lot better. Nice, very nice.
Steven B
hmm, isnt’ this begging to destroy your blade? You’re spinning a workpiece into a blade 90 degrees from where it is supposed to cut.
Presumably those folks would know more than I do, but that makes me really nervous that something could go really wrong or it would put unnecessary wear and tear on the saw’s motor/arbor.
LORDDiESEL (GJ Forum)
I’m not worried about the blade, but the torque on the blade arbor is going to kill it. If i was going to use this post rotisserie, i would find a 10 dollar table saw on craigslist. Then who cares if you torque the arbor on that.
fred
Another trick is to use the curvature of the table saw blade to “carve out” large profile cove moldings. Rockler sells a jig for this:
http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=17468
I’ve no idea how well this works as I’m used to a more conventional approach – as we had a Williams & Hussey molding machine in our cabinet shop
AndrewC
I’ve seen some similar DIY jigs where a router is used instead of a tablesaw. The one I saw was more intended for rounding large diameter things like barrels or drums made with wooden staves.
denny
Do they still make that box design or only the all thread design on there site.
Stuart
You would have to check with the company, but it looks to me like the new threaded adjustment version has replaced the one shown above.
Maybe they still have older stock, or can specially make the previous design for you.
It looks like the changes were made to increase the height adjustability.
John Robertson
To avoid stress on the blade, could you use this at 90 degrees to the way it is shown?