Show us your 4x6 Bandsaw Modifications!

[HMF]

These HF bandsaws are like kits, with a little fine-tuning, and a few modifications, they serve us well for years. This is the place to document some of your favorite modifications.


http://www.mini-lathe.com/bandsaw/bandsaw.htm#mods
http://www.mini-lathe.com/bandsaw/Gearbox/4x6%20bandsaw.htm
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/4x6bandsaw/
http://www.craftkb.com/Uwe/Forum.aspx/metalworking/18934/4-x-6-Bandsaws
http://weldingweb.com/showthread.php?t=32250
http://www.craftkb.com/Uwe/Forum.aspx/metalworking/14447/4x6-bandsaw-mods
http://www.millerwelds.com/resources/communities/mboard/archive/index.php/t-6049.html
http://www.tinyisland.com/4x6bsFAQ.html
http://www.mini-lathe.com/bandsaw/Gearbox/4x6%20bandsaw.htm
http://www.mytractorforum.com/showthread.php?t=72808
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/sawking/

Please add YOUR modifications! Thanks.


Best,


Nelson

 

[HMF]

These are courtesy of Mike's Workshop:

http://mikesworkshop.weebly.com/bandsaw-modifications.html

Bandsaw stand


The 6 x 4 bandsaw seems to be used by many hobby engineers. It is a sturdy, robust machine and the main problem reported on the Yahoo 6x 4 bandsaw Group seems to be the stand. Many dislike the stand because it is too flimsy. I have not found this a problem at all. Provide the bolts are done up tight then the stand seems to be quite rigid.

My main dislike about the basic stand is more to do with controlling the swarf. This gets everywhere and within a short space of time the shelf becomes covered with it. The header photo shows some of the changes I have made to get round this. Firstly, a plywood panel has been added to the cutting side of the machine to stop swarf falling onto the shelf. This keeps the shelf clean but just means more ends up on the floor. To control this I have added an inclined gutter that directs the swarf to a small plastic container. The gutter was made by slitting some square PVC rainwater down pipe down the middle using a circular saw. This is the screwed to the plywood panel, as shown.

My second dislike is that when the saw arm is in the vertical position any attempt to move the saw by lifting the front and dragging it on the wheels can lead to the whole saw tipping backwards. ( I know the saw is better moved with the arm lowered but sometimes you just don't think). The problem arises because the arm is so heavy and the wheels are so close to the stand that the centre of gravity is behind the wheels if the front of the saw is lifted by more than about 10-15 mm. To overcome this I moved the wheels about 100 mm behind the stand. To do this two 25 x 25 x 3 mm steel angle pieces were attached to the stand close to the floor and these extend behind the stand. The wheels then run on an axle between the two pieces of angle, as shown in the header photo.

Having added the steel angle pieces along both sides of the stand it was a simple job to add another shelf below the existing shelf, thereby increasing the storage space and this also provides a place to stand the collection vessel at the end of the gutter.

Also shown in the header photo is a lamp that was added. This was attached directly to the swinging arm and it has a flexible neck so that light can be directed to either side of the saw blade. The lamp is a low voltage halogen lamp. The switch for the light is mounted on the plywood panel beneath the stop/start buttons.

Standing up directly to the right of the lamp is a new saw table to replace the flimsy version supplied with the lathe. This will be described on a separate page.

This shows the other side of the bandsaw. The middle shelf has been inverted and the edges stiffened with 25 x 25 x 3 mm steel angle. Used in this way it forms a tray so that tools do not fall off the edge. The tray is very useful for storing bandsaw accessories. On the tray is a clamp for holding short workpieces and a fence for the saw table. Both of these accessories will be described on other pages. The galvanised box fixed to the plywood panel houses the back of the light switch and the transformer for the light.


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[HMF]

Bandsaw vice modification.

The standard bandsaw vice works well for cutting long stock. For short stock it cannot clamp the workpiece. To solve this my first solution was to add an M8 jack screw to the movable vice jaw, as many others have done. This worked well but it was very slow to reset the vice for a new thickness of stock. Even with the jack screw it is still impossible to hold very short pieces. Angular adjustment of the standard vice is a real pain because in order to lock the fixed jaw after adjusting the angle it is necessary to grovel under the vice table to put a spanner on the lock nut. The angular scale on the side of the saw used to set the angle was a joke. It was very inaccurate and being only made of adhesive metal foil it started to peel off after a short space of time.

Inevitably, one day I had to cut a piece that was too wide to fit in the vice. This day came when I was making my tee slot faceplate.

In order to overcome these problems I have made a number of changes to the vice. these are:

1. On the moving jaw the slot in the jaw that allows the jaw to be positioned laterally has been eliminated.
2. Doing this means that a plate can be bolted to the vice jaw to extend it right over to the saw blade. Nothing is lost in this process since the ability to move the vice jaw is more than compensated by the extra length of the jaw.
3. A jack rod has been added. This is not screwed but slides in a clamp block. It can be released with 1/2 turn of the clamping screw. This is much quicker and easier than a jack screw.
4. Nuts and screws on the moving jaw that have to be tightened or untightened often have been replaced by screws with tommy bars.
5. On the fixed jaw I have moved the pivot point about 15 mm closer to the bandsaw arm hinge. This gains extra working space enabling wider work to be cut.
6. Moving the pivot point means that the circular slot is no longer a radius to the pivot point. To compensate for this the fixed jaw has been slotted so that the lock nut can follow the curved slot.
7. The lock nut for the angular adjustment of the fixed arm has been replaced by a tee nut that runs in the curved slot of the vice table. This enable the vice to be locked from above rather than having to grovel under the vice table.
8. A new, more accurate, angular scale was engraved in a strip of aluminium that is screwed to the side of the bandsaw


This shows the base of the moving jaw. A piece of 5 mm plate has been screw to the base with a single hole in it. This effectively eliminates the slot in the base of the moving jaw. On the vertical part of the jaw a piece of 6 x 75 mm plate has been screwed on so that extends right up to the saw blade. On the left hand side is the block in which the jack bar slides. The 10 mm diameter jack bar can be seen disappearing off the top of the photo and the locking nut off to the left hand side.

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This photo shows the clamp block. It was made from a piece of 18 mm square bar and bolted to the plate by two 6 mm socket head screws.The vertical hole is for the jack bar and the horizontal hole is for the clamp pin.

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Here is the clamp pin. It is 10 mm diameter and the end is threaded M6. When the pin was originally made it had an additional thread extending from the left hand side. The two threads were used to lock the pin in the clamp pin hole before the 10 mm hole was drilled for the jack bar. This ensures that the crescent cut out aligns perfectly with the jack bar. The left hand threaded section was then turned off.

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The header photo shows the nut for the clamp pin. This is a piece of 19 mm round bar which was drilled and tapped M6 that screws on the end of clamp pin. The other end is cross drilled with a 6 mm hole for a tommy bar. The tommy bar was made from a 6mm x 150 mm round wire nail. The head end of the nail was cleaned up on the lathe and the other end threaded for the ball.

The screw for clamping the vice jaw to the vice table is also a piece of 19 mm round bar. This has an M8 theaded male end that screws into the nut on the vice feedscrew. It is tall enough to clear the top of the vice jaw to allow easy use of the tommy bar. Again the tommy bar was made from a round wire nail.

This photo shows the top of the vice table with the fixed jaw removed. Note the two closely spaced holes on the left hand side of the photo. These are the pivot holes for the fixed jaw. The one on the right is the original hole and that on the left is a new hole approximately 15 mm away. The holes are threaded M8.

Also note in this photo the two holes on the right hand side, either side of the blade slot. These are tapped 8 mm and can be used to mount faceplate clamps to hold objects for cutting.

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The new hole is not at the centre of the curved slot radius. The hole for the locking bolt has been slotted as shown in this picture so that the locking bolt can track the curve slot when the fixed jaw is moved. The casting was very rough at this point and it has been cleaned up roughly with a file and a small plate added for the clamp bolt to act on.

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This is the clamp bolt with the tee nut that runs in the curved slot. The nut was produced by sawing and filing as no great accuracy is required.

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The photo shows the new aluminium engraved scale attached to the side of the bandsaw.

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Here the band saw has been set up for cutting a short piece of steel. Notice the 6 mm plate on the fixed jaw. This plate is not fixed in any way to the jaw. It simply allows the fixed jaw to be extended out almost to the blade. To set this cut up the piece was first clamped somewhere near the centre of the jaws just over the vice feed screw. The jack bar was then loosened and pulled out until it hit the fixed jaw and then locked into position. The vice was loosened and the piece moved to the cutting position and the vice re-clamped

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[HMF]

Bandsaw table and fence.

The 6 x 4 bandsaw is supplied with a table for use with the bandsaw arm in the vertical position. There are two problems with this table. Firstly it is a flimsy piece of sheet steel and secondly it is fiddly to assemble onto the saw. Furthermore, once it is fitted to the saw then the saw can only be used in the vertical position. It must be removed from the saw to revert to the more normal horizontal sawing. This is not very convenient.

The table described here can be left permanently on the bandsaw. It is hinged at the attachment point so that it can be flipped out of the way for normal horizontal sawing. The table is 150 mm square and bolts onto the blade guide block in exactly the same way as the original table.

This shows the saw in the vertical position but with the table flipped back. The table is made from a piece of 6 x 150 x 150 mm steel plate. The attachment plate is a piece of 6 x 75 x 100 mm plate and the two M6 countersunk screws that secure it to the blade guide block can be clearly seen in the photo.The hinge is made by drilling 3 mm holes in the edge of the attachment plate. The two smaller blocks either side of the attachment plate are 6 x 25 x 25 mm steel with similar 3 mm holes in the edge, into which hardened steel pins are fixed with epoxy resin. The hinge edge of the attachment plate must be rounded ( a simple filing job) to permit the table to swing about the pivot point.

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This photo shows the saw in the horizontal position. The flipped up table does not interfere with the operation of the saw in the horizontal mode.

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Having the table permanently mounted means that it is available for instant use. This convenience means that it is actually used quite often whereas if I had to fix and remove the table each time it would probably be quicker to use a hacksaw. It is particularly useful for removing material prior to milling or for cutting a long strip of metal along the length.
Bandsaw table fence.

This fence is designed to clamp in the edges of the bandsaw table and provides a guide for material being cut.

This shows the working face of the guide. It is made from a length of 25 x 25 x 3 mm steel angle. The two black pillars are 12 mm square hot rolled steel. These are pivoted on the steel angle. Between the steel bars at the top is a length of 10 mm steel bar which is threaded M6 at both ends. The thread runs through a clearance hole on the left hand side and is free to rotate. There are two nuts locked together to retain the bar loosely to the pillar. On the right hand side the pillar in threaded M6. If the bar is rotated clockwise then the two pillars are forced apart at the top and at the bottom the pillar ends move closer together as the bars pivot around the two pivot points, clamping the assembly firmly to the saw table. Conversely, turning the bar anti-clockwise will relase the fence.

Actually, the threads are not formed on the 10 mm bar. The bar is bored out 5 mm at both ends and then tapped M6. On the left hand side a piece of M6 studding is screwed in with some Loctite on the thread. On the right hand side, a 6 mm hex head screw is screwed through the pillar and then screwed and Loctited into the bar. This provides the hex head on the right hand side of the bar that is used to turn the bar.


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This shows the other side of the fence. The two pivot points are the two socket head screws on each pillar.

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The clamping arrangement for the fence is crude but very effective. Once tightened onto the table it is very rigidly attached. It is very simple and quick to attach and remove from the table.

The fence increases the usefulness of the saw table since it is easy then to make long straight cuts.

 

[HMF]

Bandsaw clamp

The standard vice cannot reliably hold objects less than about 25 mm in length. Sometimes it is necessary to hold small or odd shaped objects for cutting on the bandsaw. The clamp shown in the header photo can cope with many of these difficult clamping problems. It was constructed from a piece of 6 x 75 x 100 mm steel plate. At one end is a vee block with two projecting lengths of M5 studding as shown above. Above the vee block is a clamp bar made from 10 mm square steel bar which was drilled to fit over the studs. The clamp bar was also drilled in the centre for an M5 screw.

The vee block was made by taking a piece of 25 x 25 mm square bar and cutting it at 45 degrees using the band saw.. The two pieces were then screwed to the plate from below using M4 countersunk screws.

At the other end of the plate has two more M5 studs that are Loctited into the steel plate. These are spaced to accept the clamp bar.

This photo shows the clamp holding a piece of 50 mm diameter steel bar

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Here it is holding a piece of 10 mm bar. Note that the centre screw of the clamp bar is used to hold the piece in the vee groove.

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In this photo the clamp bar has been moved to the other end of the clamp and it is holding a piece of 1/2" square bar.

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Here it is clamping a short piece of 6 mm steel.

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This shows the clamp mounted in the bandsaw vice ready to cut a small piece of steel.

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This photo shows some small pieces that have been cut from short stock. The scale can be judged from the matchbox.

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I have used this little clamp often. Apart from the ability to cut small pieces of stock it is also useful when an angled cut is needed on a piece of flat plate. The angle can be accurately set up with the clamp on the bench and then the set up is simply tranferred to the bandsaw for cutting.

 

[HMF]

Bandsaw hydraulic cylinder

The standard 6 x 4 bandsaw has a spring tensioner that controls the force exerted on the workpiece being cut. This control works fine for cutting solid workpieces. The force can be varied to provide a coarse finish on the cut with a heavy load or a very fine finish if the load is light. However, if the object being cut is thin, or a thin walled tube, then, no matter what the load the teeth of the blade are likely to snatch the material and these can break the teeth off the saw blade. Conventional wisdom says that to avoid this situation then at least three teeth must be in contact with the object being cut.

More up market bandsaws are equipped with a hydraulic damper that controls the rate of descent of the saw blade. If the rate of descent is set very slow then even on thin walled tube the saw blade just nibbles away at the material being cut rather than taking big bites and tooth breakage is eliminated.

Many users in the US have fitted hydraulic cylinders to their 6 x 4 bandsaws. In the US hydraulic cylinders seem to be available cheaply as surplus items whereas on this side of the pond cheap hydraulic cylinders seem to be as rare as honest politicians. I did investigate door closure dampers as a possible route but the specifications for these units, which relate to doors not bandsaws, makes a choice difficult.

In the end I decided to make my own hydraulic damper as shown in the header photo. It consists of a copper cylinder which is easily fabricated from standard plumbing fittings. Inside the cylinder is a steel piston sealed with a rubber o ring. The piston incorporates a non return flap valve that opens when the saw arm is lifted and provides an easy path for the hydraulic fluid. This means there is little resistance from the cylinder when lifting the arm. The flap valve closes automatically when the saw arm is lowered and the only path for the hydraulic fluid is via a needle valve. Depending on the opening of the needle valve the rate of descent of the saw arm can be controlled from very near stationary to several metres per second.

This shows the complete unit. It consists of a copper cylinder, closed at one end. The closed end is bolted to a steel pivot block made from 10 x 20 hot rolled bar with a 10 mm hole for the pivot. The upper end of the cylinder is closed by a compression fitting drilled out with a 10 mm hole for the piston rod. The end of the piston rod screws into block of 10 x 20 mm hot rolled steel. Above this block is the adjuster knob that operates the needle valve controlling the flow of hydraulic fluid. Separated by spacers is another identical block of hot rolled steel into which is screwed the push rod that connects to the upper pivot block also made from 10 x 20 mm hot rolled steel bar.

The cylinder itself is made from a piece of 22 mm copper tube 130 mm long. One end is sealed with a copper end cap ( stop end in plumbing parlance) which is soft soldered in place. The end cap is then drilled with a 6 mm hole and bolted to the bottom pivot block using a 6 mm hex head screw and washer. The copper being soft makes a good seal.

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The piston is 20 mm diameter and the seal with the cylinder is formed by an o ring that sits in a groove machined in the periphery. The two holes in the piston go right through the piston to the other side. The piston rod is 8 mm diameter and 120 mm long. It is drilled out with a 4 mm drill for the entire length. The piston rod end is threaded M8 and screws into a threaded hole in the piston. The threaded hole in the piston does not go all the way through the piston and the last 2 mm are drilled with a 1 mm drill. This small hole makes the seating for the needle valve. Note the 3 mm hole drilled in the piston rod just above the piston. This is to allow the hydraulic fluid passing through the needle valve to flow to the other side of the piston.

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The other side of the piston shows the small 1 mm diameter hole in the centre. The two M3 screws secure a sheet of thin plastic over the end. This forms the flap valve. If the piston is being raised the plastic flaps open by the flow of oil passing from above the piston to below the piston. If the cylinder is being lowered then the flaps are pushed firmly back against the two holes and the only flow is then through the central hole controlled by the needle valve.

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This is the plastic disc that forms the flap valve. It was cut from a piece of blister packaging that so many items are packed in these days. It is approximately 0.2 mm thick. This piece of plastic has been in use for 4 years and does not seem to be showing any signs of wear or stress.

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The needle is machined from a piece of 4 mm steel studding. The end is turned down to 3 mm and the conical tip is 6 mm long. At the top the lower carrier block is part threaded with an M8 thread at the bottom to accept the piston rod and part threaded at the top with an M4 thread which the needle valve screws into. The knurled adjuster knob screws onto the portion of the M4 threaded rod that emerges through the lower carrier block and it is locked in place by a lock M4 lock nut. Thus turning the adjuster knob raises and lowers the needle valve,

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This is a close up of the carriers and the adjuster knob. The lock nut can be seen above the adjuster knob. The spacers either side of the adjuster are 10mm diameter and they were bored out 6mm. The two carriers are bolted together through the spacers by M6 screws. The upper carrier block is threaded centrally M8 for the push rod going to the upper pivot block.

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The upper attachment bracket is attached to the bandsaw at two points. The pivot shaft for the bandsaw arm hinge was drilled and tapped M6. This provides one fixing point. The second fixing point is the hole into which the tensioning sping normally fits.The bracket is bolted in place with M6 screws. The tension spring is attached to the bracket by a freely swinging link as shown above. At the top of the bracket is the pivot point for the hydraulic cylinder assembly.

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The lower attachment point for the hydraulic cylinder assembly is on the shelf and is immediately below the upper attachment point when the bandsaw arm is in the lowered position. The shelf edge was reinforced along the whole length with a piece of 3 x 25 x25 mm steel angle and a brace added that attaches to the bandsaw casting to make a rigid attachment point.

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This shows the actual attachment point for the upper pivot block of the hydraulic cylinder assembly. There is a shouldered axle made from 19 mm round bar turned down to 10 mm which the upper pivot block slips over. The axle is secured in place with an M6 screw and washer. The bottom attachment point is identical apart from the length of the shoulder which was adjusted so that the two pivots were one the same vertical plane.

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The cylinder is filled with oil before use. I used SAE 90 EP oil because it was available but I think almost any oil with a reasonable viscosity would do.

The unit has been in use for 4 years it has had no maintenence at all and has worked reliably throughout that time. Total expenditure on material must have come to about £2-3 (circa 3-4 USD) and for that price you cannot buy a surplus hydraulic cylinder even in the US.

Detailed drawings of the hydraulic cylinder are available in the files section of http://groups.yahoo.com/group/4x6bandsaw/

 

[HMF]

Joe,

Did you modify your vise for small or thin materials?

If so, could you post some photos of what you did please. I like the small vise idea, but would prefer to make some sort of insert that I can clamp in and remove for small materials so as to not waste a drill press vise. I often need to cut small materials, and this is difficult with the current vise.

Thanks,


Nelson

 

[sasquatch]

Great info concerning these saws,, these saws have to be the biggest bargain going.
I keep every catalog i get my hands on, (For Years,) and these saws really have not increased in price for ?? Twenty years!!
My saw is around 20? years old, i got it in a trade a few years back and repaired it,, Yup, the stand is really very flimsy, but will build a new one sometime shortly.

 

[bazzz]

Hello,

Here are simple modifications I made to my HF bandsaw. I used a simple plastic cart and mounted the saw to it using uni-strut. The uni-strut made a strong base and allows me to use it in a vertical or horizontal position easily. The tray can be used for a coolant in the future.

 

[Rbeckett]

Another reallt great source of step by step mods for the 4X6 is available in Yahoo groups under the 4X6 name. They have downfeed hydraulics, tune and true, adjustments, blade recomendations and trouble shooting as well as preventative fixes, problem cures and great stand plans from a 2 drawer file cabinet. If you have not joined, take the few minutes and read the files section. It will be time well spent. Just my .02, but I have been a member there for a good while and they helped me solve a few small and large issues when I first got mine.
Bob