Need a small or bench top band saw.

[axa88]

As usual its all relative to your available time and money, but when i see people spending so many hours measuring and fabricating for these cheap simple portabands when you can spend 30 minutes and 0 dollars i kinda roll my eyes...

 

[wachuko]

As usual its all relative to your available time and money, but when i see people spending so many hours measuring and fabricating for these cheap simple portabands when you can spend 30 minutes and 0 dollars i kinda roll my eyes...

Yes. That is the much simpler approach I was talking about... I have the same press, lol. Thanks!

 

[woodchucker]

Here is a similar approach to what Jeff did...

Many ideas if you search YouTube for it...

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=portable+bandsaw+stand

I have been looking at doing something similar... As normal for me, I was going for a more complicated solution until I saw some of the ideas here and started looking for more ways to do the same...

This is what I was thinking of doing initially... I have an old Harbor Freight (sticky plastics and all) that my father-in-law bought many, many moons ago...

But looking at some of the ideas shared... I think I will go with a much simpler approach...

I started to watch the vid of the box type. then went to the end.
there are a couple of things about that one that I want to point out as less than desireable.
The box.. it prevents you from cleaning out the swarf easily. I vacuum mine quickly, I use it a lot, and with it being open, I can take a vac and quickly suck up the swarf. #2, cutting the cord is not an option, mine removes from the stand quickly, and when I have large angles or shafting to cut I can take it off easily and cut that stuff. I don't have a battery powered portaband, so I have used an inverter and gone on site and cut stuff up. The cord on my Milwaukee is long enough to get me there, or a 12g extension is used. so having it still be portable is important.

The second vid I didn't watch, but it's a great idea to use it as a small benchtop mitering, horizontal saw. If I were to buy a horizontal saw these days it would be the type that swivels, rather than adjust the vise angle. 45s are so common, that it just pays.

 

[axa88]

I started to watch the vid of the box type. then went to the end.
there are a couple of things about that one that I want to point out as less than desireable.
The box.. it prevents you from cleaning out the swarf easily. I vacuum mine quickly, I use it a lot, and with it being open, I can take a vac and quickly suck up the swarf. #2, cutting the cord is not an option, mine removes from the stand quickly, and when I have large angles or shafting to cut I can take it off easily and cut that stuff. I don't have a battery powered portaband, so I have used an inverter and gone on site and cut stuff up. The cord on my Milwaukee is long enough to get me there, or a 12g extension is used. so having it still be portable is important.

The way he indicated his holes, and then wiggled the work around in the drill to fix his mistake... i just couldnt watch anymore.
There are so many better examples, ironically both 'cheaper and easier'

 

[woodchucker]

Any work your doing with a hack saw will certainly be better cut with a portable bandaw for a very low price.

With my main limitation being floor space as well, I found a way to make use of currently allocated floor space by converting my HF portable band saw to mount to my little used shop press
This was such a simple conversion that i thought someone might find it useful.

Basically remove the handle, move them to an new work box, then use current mounting holes (and a little scrap) to mount to the press:

View attachment 383767

I was clamping it in the vise for a while, but I feel tools, especially the band saw, needs to be ready to go.

Speaking of utilizing space, I have a 18" brake mounted on top of the press, and Im going to mount my 1x30 to the other side next.
Then the whole thing is on locking swivel casters and easily moved if need be.

No replacement for a vertical but adequate for my needs as soon as i finish the table top with miter slot.

I use my little benchtop press all the time, it's something I thought I would hardly use and therefore not want to give it much space. Sorry I didn't do a full size unit, as I use it all the time. I like your solution except for the fact that you have to re-assemble it to use it on the go. But it's a good multiple use of space. How do you get tot he brake on top? on a ladder?

 

[wachuko]

Yeah, I did not wanted to cut the cord either. Pedal switch looks like a great addition... Only 15.00 so I will get one of those.

Pedal Switch

I was just sharing several ideas of what other folks have done and posted videos on YouTube...

 

[woodchucker]

The way he indicated his holes, and then wiggled the work around in the drill to fix his mistake... i just couldnt watch anymore.
There are so many better examples, ironically both 'cheaper and easier'

I didn't see that part, but I think we have all wiggled to make a hole bigger.
It's the results, some things matter, others don't.

 

[axa88]

I use my little benchtop press all the time, it's something I thought I would hardly use and therefore not want to give it much space. Sorry I didn't do a full size unit, as I use it all the time. I like your solution except for the fact that you have to re-assemble it to use it on the go. But it's a good multiple use of space. How do you get tot he brake on top? on a ladder?

Oh, nah that 12 Ton press isn't all that tall, i suppose it sits somewhere around my neck, which makes the band saw table height nice at around my stomach. And while i dont need it much, I did think it would be a one job item, but fortunately the job was large enough that i had to get a standing press which a appreciate now. The hidden need for Z is hard to determine at first if you never used a press.

And there is no going back for band saw hand use, the electronics were moved to that box above/behind

In all seriousness I want the permanency of having a band saw always immediately ready to go, its just that important to me.
Even if i did need it portable, id still just have spent and extra 90$ on a second saw that lives in its case rather than spending all the time making a decent conversion mount. Its just that cheap.

 

[Aaron_W]

If I were to buy a horizontal saw these days it would be the type that swivels, rather than adjust the vise angle. 45s are so common, that it just pays.

Agree, after using a swivel type bandsaw I really prefer them, but since I have a way to cut metal it has gone way down the list. New they cost about 2x what a conventional horizontal does, and even used they still run more than a new non swivel type. Grizzly's little 6" costs almost $900 these days so you could get 3 of the HF 4x6 saws for the same price and never have to change blades.

 

[woodchucker]

Agree, after using a swivel type bandsaw I really prefer them, but since I have a way to cut metal it has gone way down the list. New they cost about 2x what a conventional horizontal does, and even used they still run more than a new non swivel type. Grizzly's little 6" costs almost $900 these days so you could get 3 of the HF 4x6 saws for the same price and never have to change blades.

I hear you. If I could find the right wood working compound sliding miter saw, I think it could be modified. The sliding not needed, but has the offset needed to set the blade in the correct location. that slide would be locked in.

I know the whole tilt mechanism would need to be remade , but I think doable. not needed enough for me right now, but could be a neat project if one needed it bad and didn't want to spend the $$$$.