Adjustable workpiece holder for shaft cutting

An apparatus for holding a shaft workpiece, for adjustably determining the length of a piece to be cut therefrom, and for moving the workpiece through a rotating cutting blade, comprising:

• a base, said base being generally parallel to a table or support surface;
• a rotatable support block, said support block including means to define a lateral rotational axis for said support block at a fixed distance from said base, an operating handle protruding from said support block, and a workpiece cradle, said workpiece cradle further including a cutting slot disposed perpendicular to said lateral rotational axis;
• said means to define a lateral rotational axis for said support block including rotatable attachment means to hold said lateral axis rotational means at a fixed distance from said base;
• adjustable workpiece placement stop, said placement stop being disposed within a lateral bore in said support block and having a workpiece engaging portion, said placement stop including calibration means for determining the distance between said cutting slot and said workpiece engaging portion;
• means to frictionally engage said workpiece placement stop such that unintended movement changing the distance between said cutting slot and said workpiece engaging portion of said workpiece placement stop is obviated immediately before and during the cutting process;
• and wherein said cradle includes a beveled, downwardly ramped portion disposed proximate to at least one side of said support block to facilitate descent of severed portions of workpieces to be discarded.