Saw Options

[C-Bag]

If you made up a table for a reciprocating saw and used a metal cutting blade, that may be your best option for closed interior cuts. https://www.mcmaster.com/saw-blades

I have a HF 4x6 that I've had for 30yrs. It's great in horizontal mode and can get by in vertical mode if you have it nailed down to something. If not and you really need to push on it, it's not stable. First thing I did was got one of the HF furniture dollys and mounted the saw to that. The legs are sheet metal. When I got tired of wrestling the 4x6 in vert mode I found a used 14" HF vert bandsaw and modded it to cut metal. When I need a metal cutting scroll saw I made a mount for my jig saw. It's actually easier for me to see what's going on because the blade sticks up through the work and I can see right where it's cutting. I also use a intermittent HF foot-switch for safety so I can have both hands on the work.

 

[neodem]

I love this idea.. I'm totally going to do this instead of spending $1000 on a scroll saw!

 

[C-Bag]

I guess there is a commercial version of this idea but it's a lot bigger table and for me that's not a good thing. I can't get my mits around the work and it's at least 4-5x's larger so takes up a lot of space I don't have. I don't use it as often as the vert bandsaw which has become my main saw now. So just take the clamps loose and it stores almost as small the the jig saw. After doing this I also decided to mount my big electric die grinder and this has proved to be totally handy for die grinding. I don't freehand anymore.

 

[acourtjester]

Here is a set of portable band saws I converted for both horizontal and vertical use. I gave my daughter one and I have the other. These go on sale for about $100. a few bolts and the saw comes off for normal use too. Image shows spring assist for horizontal cutting action.

 

[ThinWoodsman]

SWAG makes tables for hand-held bandsaws. They're a bit pricey: when you add in the cost of a good hand bandsaw, you're hitting the cost of those HF horizontal/vertical units.

I picked one up for the basement shop a few years back, put a DeWalt in there and mounted it to some MDF with a panic button kill-switch. A spring clamp holds the bandsaw trigger down permanently. Bought a Kreg bandsaw fence (again, far too pricey), and mounted it via the ol' drill-n-tap. I keep a couple jars of unjacketed bullets underneath so I don't need to clamp it down.

Sounds dodgy as all get-out, I know, but it's a nice setup. I keep putting off upgrading to a proper bandsaw because it works quite well - though you do have to tram the blade with a square whenever you remove the bandsaw (e.g. to change blades).