HARBOR FREIGHT HORIZONTAL BAND SAW

[davek181]

I have had mine a couple years now. Dont know how I could live without one now. I improved my fences and clamp with replacements I made. Added an adjustable stop on the clamps so I can adjust to keep the jaws parallel if needed. Also built a small table that I can leave on permanently for vertical operation.

A machinist friend of mine gave me a tip on the blade angle adjustment. Clamp lightly with small vice grips two six inch metal rules on the blade standing straight up a distance apart. With a 90 degree triangle off the bed you can much more easily see if the blade is adjusted true. Such a simple tip that made an huge difference in my saw after I dialed it in. I had been trying to get it to cut straight with little luck before, and in less than 10 minutes it was better than it ever was. A better blade is helpful too. he recommended a 10-14 name brand.

 

[TheGreyGoose]

Davek181, I've recently seen a mod where a guy made a removable / modular vertical table attachment that just clamps into the main jaws. It's made of ~ 10" of 2x2 square tube with another 12" or so T-welded to the first peice and then the table surface set on top. As I recall it's got a miter slot too. If I can find it I'll post an image. I like what you did with the aluminum plate but personally speaking I would have concerns with bumping into that edge a lot, even if dulled and rounded. I've also felt that bolting a table (the stock table included) to the roller assembly just increases the change of the blade getting out of square a lot easier.

 

[davek181]

I don't use it vertically often, mainly just quick cuts. I got tired of having to bolt the table on then remove it again to go horizontal so I shaped a table to clear everything in horizontal mode and still give me a small table in vertical mode. I have not bumped into it even in my normal clumsy inattentive mode. It pops off with only two screws in a sec if it gets in the way.

 

[TheGreyGoose]

That's the main detractor for me, ...those two little screws. It's kind of "afterthought engineering" for how it works... but it does work. I've just not used it much because I also have a regular vertical bandsaw which is much more stable and wider. The stock vertical attachment for the 4x6 just isn't up to task for larger stuff but that mod I mentioned seems to work a lot better for heavier use. When I saw it, it's one of those "why didn't I think of that" mods.