Cutting through the side is not a very professional looking way of doing things. I realize you do this because you have band saw, and I understand you are using what you have, but if you had equipment better suited for hobby use, like a scroll saw you would not have to cut through the side and you would be able to make more intricate cuts. Like I said before in previous post, a band saw does not rip as well as a table saw and does not do inside cuts at all nor does it do as intricate cuts as well as a scroll saw. It's all about having the right tools to do the right job. If I were cutting 3/4" thick pine and oak boards for my model airplane builds I would probably use a band saw. But since I cut 1/2" balsa, 3/8" plywood and other hobby size wood the scroll saw is IMHO is the better choice. Oh, and you can buy different sized scroll saw blades for different jobs, wider blades for better ripping and smaller width blades for better intricate cuts, and the blades are very easy to change. Yes Tom and I agree to disagree on this.