Table saw is best for cutting down the shell. Just set the fence away from the blade at whatever depth you need, and use a thin fine-tooth cutting blade. Raise the blade just high enough to cut through the shell. Turn the shell as the blade cuts holding it snug up against the fence. You'll get a nice clean cut. I don't think it matters if you leave the wrap on for cutting, you're using a thin/fine tooth cutting blade. PM Bill (billnvick) he cuts down parade shells all the time. I'm sure he'll have some excellent tips for you.

Careful around the power tools if you're not experienced with them. Ask your uncle for help, or at least ask him to 'spot you' while you do the cutting. Wear safety goggles/eye protection and always be aware of where your hands are when using any saw or cutting tool. Safety... numero uno!

I look forward to seeing how this all comes out.

John

I would first run a couple strips of painters masking tape around the shell to protect it from being scratched up while turning it. In fact it would be best to have the tape where the cuts are to be made as well to aid in chipping the wrap.

Now, here is what I thought right away. You have a 14" shell and need to yeild four-1/2" inlays and one 6.5 shell. So I would set the fence at 6-5/8 and cut out the snare shell, leaving 1/8 for trimming. Now set the fence at 6.5 and carefully make the final cut. It is easier to keep just one piece steady and not have to worry about the other piece.

So, you have a 3-3/8" piece of shell left over. Remove the tape and inspect the cut, if it is a little shaky then put the tape back on and and take 1/16" off to clean it up. If it still looks bad then remove the wrap and cut it with a utility knife. But if the edge looks good then try cutting one 1/2" slice on the table saw, but dont set the fence at 1/2" set it so that the off fall piece will end up 1/2". Anytime I run boards through the saw and they bind up a little, it is the fence side that suffers with burns and rough cut. The off fall piece is always much cleaner.

You should have enough shell to try this once, if it dont go good then go the other way. The hardest part in cutting a shell on the table saw is holding it steady. I have often thought about making some kind of jig to help support the shell. When I do it, I kind of roll the shell into the blade, cut a few inches then pull it back and roll again. But if you make a jig then you could roll it into the blade and just spin it, or set it in the jig and raise the saw blade ito the shell while it is running (plung cut) . I think you could make a sub fence with a board in front and a board behind the blade to steady the shell.

I will experiment a little with that today and post a pic of what I'm talking about.

Sorry, I never had a chance to experiment on making a jig. Today will be even more hectic. But I will get to it eventually for my own use if nothing else.

Basically, be careful when cutting free hand on a table saw, one slight twist of the piece and it can end up in your face.

If you are able to cut nice straight slices of shell at 1/2" wide then you have to remove the wrap from the slice. I think that should be easier than removing a wide piece of wrap except the 1/2" wide wrap will be a lot more delicate than a 4" wide piece. I would not use a heat gun on the 1/2" slice of shell, I would get a razor blade behind it try to cut it off since its so small in width. But then again its all experimental. If you had a junk shell to try this then go for it. Hope some of this helps.