Shaker Sconce - Templates/Band Saw Troubles

The Templates

I intended to devote this entire entry to a description of the masonite templates I made for the pieces of my sconce. At least I was able to accomplish that much before my equipment broke down. My thought in making templates was that they would allow me to more easily make multiples of the sconce should the design prove satisfactory.

Using the scale drawing John Shea's Making Authentic Shaker Furniture as my model, I first made full size drawings of the back and side pieces of the project on paper. After refining the curves a bit, I transferred the outlines to 1/4" masonite and cut them out using a narrow blade on the band saw. It was while I was cutting out the templates that I first noticed an ominous wobble in the band saw table.

The Trunnions

Looking under the saw table I could see that there was a problem with the rear trunnion, that is, the part that allows the table to be tilted for bevel cuts. After unscrewing the two locking knobs, I removed the table from the saw and placed it upside down on my bench for inspection. The damage can be seen in the photo at right.

The intact front trunnion can be seen just to the left of the hole in the center of the table. It is semicircular in shape and has a central slot that retains the hold-down bolt, while allowing the table to pivot. The rear trunnion is on the right and has more or less shattered, probably while I was doing the resawing operation I described in my earlier post.

Reading comments about my saw online leads me to believe that I may be one of the last ones on the block to find out that this is a well-known weakness in my machine. I confess that I am disappointed that the manufacturer would employ such a flimsy casting in one of their signature designs. Surely cast iron or steel would have been a better choice than thin cast aluminum in this application. Fortunately, replacement parts are inexpensive and readily available from the manufacturer. I have ordered replacements for both trunnions on the theory that the front one may also be on the verge of breaking and in hopes that the manufacturer will have improved the design of these critical parts.

Before the breakdown, I had entertained thoughts of upgrading the saw to increase its resawing capacity. A riser block is available that would enable me to handle 12" boards rather than the 6" maximum I can now resaw. I also had considered installing a more powerful motor on the saw, but now question whether this machine is really sturdy enough to withstand the strain of either modification. I will defer final judgement on these points until I have installed the replacement parts. In any case, I will be returning to my discussion of safety matters until the new parts arrive.