Curious why people need a small bandsaw for DIY?

[MrWhoopee]

so, you decided to get back into metalworking, is this means you're working at this region? or it's just your hobby?

Just a hobby. I never actually wanted to work as a machinist, I just wanted to be able to work metal for myself.

 

[markba633csi]

Nicolas: You may just as well ask "why does one want to machine metal parts at home?" or "why does one want large industrial metal working machines at home?"
The Hobby Machinist says it all...it's a hobby. For many of us our hobbies parallel our working careers/interests
-Mark

 

[DoubleHelix]

I got my 4x6 for $75 from auction. I bought a new blade, put a new power cord on it, and put some new bearings on it and re-machined the pulleys. So all told its about $110.

I use it several times a week and its much more pleasant than doing it by hand. I cut 2-3" aluminum stock frequently which is an utter pain to do by hand.

There are plenty of places I could pay someone to cut material for me but cheapest I found was $5 per cut. So it would quickly be more expensive than purchasing a small bandsaw.

 

[JPMacG]

In the US, labor is very expensive. For the cost of two hours of commercial machine shop time I can purchase an import 4x6 band saw. I suspect the relative costs of labor versus equipment are very different in Taiwan.

 

[C-Bag]

The moniker of "hobby" is different from DIY IMHO. I guess you could say a hobby guy is somebody who just gets into something because they think it seems interesting or fun and don't have any background in it. There are a number of people who fit that definition here. But like Mr. Whoppee and others who were in the trades or associated trades we wanted to make stuff on our own so are more DIY than hobby.

Early on I realized I loved to make stuff more than repair them so I bailed on being a car mechanic and went into machinery maintenance, repair and fabrication. I made something for myself that was not commercially available and others want one too. So I had to make equipment to be able to manufacture them in ever more increasing quantity. It seems like most of my life I've been wanting something that was not commercially available so had to make it myself.

YouTube has been very interesting to contrast what my different hero's shops look like. Most of them are pretty good sized as far as the Americans go. But that's in contrast to say Stephan Gottswinter's shop that looks about half the size of my 20'x20' two car garage. There was also a tour of another young German wiz that seemed similar in size. So I would guess that seems about right. Not large, no huge machines, very compact and efficient layouts and both of them seem to do work for money. So not hobby guys by the definition.

 

[Aaron_W]

It is kind of different here than in most of Asia. 1/2 of our population lives outside of the cities where these services are not right around the corner. I'd be willing to bet that the number of hobby tools is inversely proportional to the population density of the area.

I think it has more to do with Geography. When I look at the model engineer’s workshops in England... machinery is smaller and most items are dual purposed. Such as using the Boxford lathe as a milling machine and very seldom do I see the floor model bandsaw. Workshops tend to be small. Not a lot of 2-car garages in London. Of course, when I do see the English shop fully equipped, it’s usually not in London but instead it’s in a barn in a rural setting.
Taiwan appears to me to be a more urban setting with high population density. So you guys don’t have a lot of 2 car garages.
But America is a big country with a lot of space plus decent wealth for its middle class. FWIW... most of the New York City based workshops appear to be manufacturing based “home shops” in which the guy might be owner of a large manufacturer with 15-20 employees but he also has a corner dedicated for his hobbies. Those are probably guys who inherited their business and have pretty big warehouses in which they once had 50-75 employees.
Anyway, we have a lot of space in America and by and large we’re a fortunate bunch because we do have I high standard of living. I say it all the time.... even the poor are relatively spoiled in America.

I find many people underestimate just how much open space we have in the US. Even people who live here, but haven't traveled on the ground much (flying city to city tends to encourage the idea we are tightly packed).

Population density illustrates this well

Average population density, people per square mile
Australia 9
Canada 10
US 86
UK 700
Taiwan 1680

Density of the 5 most populated US states
California 253 / sq mile
Texas 108 / sq mile
Florida 384 / sq mile
New York 416 / sq mile
Pennsylvania 284 / sq mile

Most / least dense US states
New Jersey 1218 / sq mile
Alaska 1 / sq mile (Wyoming is #2 with 6 / sq mile)

New York City 27,750 / sq mile

 

[NICOLAS LIN]

Nicolas: You may just as well ask "why does one want to machine metal parts at home?" or "why does one want large industrial metal working machines at home?"
The Hobby Machinist says it all...it's a hobby. For many of us our hobbies parallel our working careers/interests
-Mark

Yeah, i understand most of people here are machine hobby or you can say machine lover. It's very different from Asia, because people in Taiwan doesn't do this, if someone have machine at their house in Taiwan , mostly of them own a factory,normal people doesn't do so.

 

[NICOLAS LIN]

I got my 4x6 for $75 from auction. I bought a new blade, put a new power cord on it, and put some new bearings on it and re-machined the pulleys. So all told its about $110.

I use it several times a week and its much more pleasant than doing it by hand. I cut 2-3" aluminum stock frequently which is an utter pain to do by hand.

There are plenty of places I could pay someone to cut material for me but cheapest I found was $5 per cut. So it would quickly be more expensive than purchasing a small bandsaw.

In your case, to invest for a machine seems better than just spend money and ask someone's help. Own a machine earns more.

 

[NICOLAS LIN]

As a plumber a Milwaukee deep cut band saw has been an important part of my life since I started the trade in 85. Only since joining this site last year have I learned that it has even more value clamped upside down in a vise serving as an excellent hobby saw.

I've seem Milwaukee brand, it's a very good product they made.

 

[NICOLAS LIN]

Hi Nicholas, is hobby metal working or home machine shops very common in Tiawan?

Not really, like what i said, people here in Taiwan won't buy a machine and put them at house, if someone buy a machine, we will think they are running a factory. This is what my experience. But it seems many people in states are own a small saw or some mini machine at their house. i think it is very different from Taiwan.