I bought a bunch of multicolored 1/4" dowel rods. I need to cut them all in to 1 1/2" - 2" lengths. When I cut them on my chopsaw they have a tendency to go flying. I know I could cut them with my pull saw, but I’d be cutting a while. Any suggestions on what I should use or jig I should build?
One way:
Drill a 1/4" hole through the middle of a wood block, say 4" long. Align the block to cut square to the hole. Set the saw stop to cut only partway through the block, but through the hole. Clamp the block to leave the intended final length on one side. Insert the rod into the hole flush with the far side and cut to the stop. “Rinse and repeat” and the cut lengths just push out the far side as you feed in for the next cut.
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That’s a great solution thanks.
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Do you have access to a band saw? Band saws have a gentler, downward action towards the table, and you can use a mitre gauge or jig (like the one that @mcdanlj so that all your cuts are square and equal in length. They also have the advantage that the blade is much thinner, so you are not losing so much rod per cut… and if you are cutting a lot of them… the wasted length quickly adds up when the blade is 2mm or more.
Also just occurred to me. Why not tape several rods together into say 1 in x 1 in square or trapezoidal arrangements (ie 16 rods taped together at several places along the length of the rod)? Every cut will produce several 2" lengths of dowel and makes using your pull saw and mitre box a really good option.
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Taping them all together makes a lot of sense I’ll try that thanks. I don’t have access to a band saw. But if the off cuts are taped together they shouldn’t go flying.
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So I finally got around to taping the rods and cutting them. It worked perfectly. I just need to buy 2 or 3 more packages of them off Amazon and cut them the same way. They are for the dry erase / chalk board / light bright wall hanger I built for my daughter. I wanted to line the back of the pegboard with thin sheet rubber. There would be cuts in the rubber for the pegs to push through. It didn’t work out so I ripped it off.
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I’ll take more pictures when the sun goes down.
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