Sometimes a project is born purely out of some external factor. Like the weather. It’s winter, it’s cold, and I have a pile of dead apple tree and box elder logs that need processing before they go completely unusable. I didn’t feel like dragging the chainsaw out into the snow, so I decided to see if I could bring the “milling” indoors to the bandsaw.

The result? A quick-and-dirty log sled that worked surprisingly well, even if I suspect it’s a bit over-complicated for its own good. At least I used up some shelf parts I had sitting on the … shelf.

The Project Breakdown

The “Why” and the Materials

The goal was to cut the pith out of a log to prevent it from cracking to a point of being unusable as it dries out. It is a bonus to get a quite flat reference face in the process. I built the base using a piece of 3/4″ plywood with a groove routed down one edge to house some T-track. For the two ends to that hold the log I used some standard metal shelving brackets and T-track hardware I had laying around. It’s all riding on an HDPE runner I had already bought in a 5 or 6 pack, though a hardwood runner would work just as well.

Setting the Log

I used the shelf brackets to pin the log between two points. By using screws through the brackets into the log, it stays secure and resists the twisting force of the bandsaw blade. I added a third “outrigger” shelf bracket that can move horizontally to help stabilize the far side of the log

The Balancing Act

One shortcoming of a narrow sled like this is balance. Once you cut off one side and flip the log, the weight distribution gets wonky. My high-tech solution? A literal counterweight (a machine weight left by the last owners of our house) placed on the opposite side to keep things from tipping mid-cut. I have since come up with an even better way of doing this second part, so I may follow up in the future. Essentially, once I cut half the log off, I slide the fence over when I reset to cut the other side off the pith. The fence allows me to but the log up against the fence to then screw the log in a second time. This way, the only part I’m cutting off is the pith rather than most of the log.

The Verdict

It worked almost better than I expected. It’s a bit bulky for a single-purpose jig, and those usually annoy me, but for processing small logs in the comfort of a warm dry shop, it’s a winner. I’m already thinking about adding V-blocks to make it even more versatile for cross-cutting, though I have also just screwed in to the log itself with the existing brackets and that seemed to work well too.