Craftsman vs SWAG or both

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Chopper1

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Looking for a bit of advice on my metal cutting options and pros and cons. Currently I have a DeWalt cold cut saw that I use for cutting large stock...sq and round tube and angle. I also have an older Craftsman 2 speed 1 1/8hp band saw that I have outfitted with a bi-metal blade to make more precise cuts with. However I have not yet converted this saw to slow the blade speed and that is my first option. I need advice on how to go about slowing down the blade speed to a reasonable amount for cutting metal. I will not be using it to cut wood. Is this a good saw to keep for this purpose or should I look for a true metal band saw. I have also been looking at the latest offering from SWAG Off Road that mates up to the latest Milwaukee portaband. Obviously much smaller, lighter, easier to store, etc. but I have no experience with it. I have a decent size shop, but most of what I do is automotive restoration and mechanical work. I do limited fabrication work, welding, structural support, roll cage....that said, when you need to cut some metal you don't want to take all day getting set up. Looking for others experiences. Thanks in advance
 
I could probably sell the Craftsman for $200 or so in order to fund a better saw to convert to metal
 
I have one of the SWAG tables on a Milwaukee portaband. I love it. The biggest limitation for me is the small throat depth.
 
I have the newer Harbor Freight portaband in a Swag table. I really wanted to convert a bigger saw but this little setup has performed really well. As previously stated, the small capacity is the only drawback. Guess it all depends on what size material you normally work with. I have a cold cut saw and 4x6 horizontal for the bigger stuff.
 
I use a SWAG with a Dewalt portaband, but I would trade for a full-size bandsaw in a heartbeat*.

The problems I have with the SWAG:
1. throat dept (as already mentioned)
2. lack of rigidity (really gotta bolt the thing down for it to not move when cutting heavy things)
3. changing the blade requires unmounting the portaband, so you either use the same blade for everything or do a lot of reassembly

I can live with all of these, and I'm sure the above posters can also, but if you already have a full-sized bandsaw then you may want to go for the conversion.

* originally that ended with, "if I had the space", but who am I fooling?
 
Looks like Troy's table gets lots of support. Pretty good investment though all said and done. I really like the big grunt in such a small package...what a space saver.
Does anyone have any pictures or advice for converting my inexpensive Craftsman to metal...slowing down the blade speed?
 
Chopper1 said:
Does anyone have any pictures or advice for converting my inexpensive Craftsman to metal...slowing down the blade speed?
Click to expand...

Here's one using a "Pull Gear". These are no longer made, but you might get lucky and find one on eBay. I have one on my drill press (which is what they were designed for) and it's pretty sweet.
https://www.hobby-machinist.com/threads/bandsaw-speed-reducer-build.65462/

Several years ago I saw a conversion somewhere on the Internet where they had used a transmission from a riding lawnmower. Seems like an interesting idea.
 
Chopper1 said:
I have also been looking at the latest offering from SWAG Off Road that mates up to the latest Milwaukee portaband.
Click to expand...

If you do decide to go the SWAG Table route, you might consider making a version of the Table yourself. It's very straight forward to do.

If you are interested in saving even more money, you could consider HFT's Bauer saw, which you can get for $99. It is quite well made, and works very well, though the variable speed feature is kind of a joke. It's really a 2-speed saw, in my opinion.
 
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