So ...... never had a band saw ....... I know/read about the SWAG combo with a porta. Mostly be used for think metal stock (patches) or motor moutns and also stuff like exhuast work. The Bauer Porta Saw swag solution is around $250. Obviously nice if you have to cut something on the truck direct ...... can be removed from the SWAG brace. But -- whats better value/more practical. https://www.homedepot.com/p/Ryobi-2...PIPHorizontal2_rr-_-206587103-_-205503634-_-N https://www.homedepot.com/p/WEN-3-5...ArAPEALw_wcB&dclid=CJrz87nUt9wCFY4ihwodIc0NQw other ? Searched craigslist - not much around.
Am leaning to getting a HF Bauer ..... and just creating a temporary stand that works Not as good as the SWAG .... but ...... $100 instead of $260
Bought me a cheap plasma cutter on eBay, wouldn't trade it for a bandsaw. Just a thought. Sent from my LG-TP450 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
I'm not a big supporter of HF but my old vertical bandsaw looks very similar to the one Harbor Freight offers, it has served me well for more than 30 years. HRP
I've had a Harbor Freight band saw for 26 years, use it weekly and never had a problem with it. I found H.F's replacement blades are not very good, but Tractor Stores blades are excellent.
Those HD saws are for wood I think. You can not cut steel on them. The one that Hotrodprimer posted is ok for a guy that cuts some mild steel in his garage. For a person with a shop a Doall saw would be much better. Look in your local Craigslist.
Thanks. Figured those smaller bandsaws (wood) would work just with a blade switch ()metal) - guess not so glad I asked.
https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https://www.ebay.com/ulk/itm/122673435439 Sent from my LG-TP450 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
I have a corded DeWalt portaband and I will cut anything I can get an angle on with it if I can. I may eventually get a SWAG Table for it but the main limitation you will find with any portaband is throat depth and cut height. The advantage with them is they have variable speed so you can dial them in to whatever works for the material you're cutting on the fly. My blade is still sharp enough to cut 1/2" thick steel plate after 3 years of use. I have two stationary band saws collecting dust. My big vintage one needs a new blade and my Delta benchtop model is too fast and loose to cut steel properly.
Lots of u tube videos on converting wood band saws for use on metal. Basically involves installing a counter shaft(speed reducer) to slow the blade speed and installing a metal cutting blade. Best to start with a belt drive model.
it could kill you. I know a fellow who was severely injured cutting wood. The piece kicked back into his face. Metal? Hell no! It happens so quick.....there's no time to hit the cut off switch. By the time you think of that......the incident is over..
I forgot to add, if you're looking for something to cut metal in the $250 price range, I would say go for a good portaband over a small, underpowered, stationary that's gotta be modified to go slow enough. You could dip your toe in with the 1.0 SWAG table for your bench vise and the HF portaband for less than that. They seem to get decent reviews and have enough power, but I think long term you'd be happier with a DeWalt, Milwaukee, or Bosch for another $100 - $150.
thanks good to know. Thanks - that was originally the idea - to be able to fabricate my own motor mounts and exhaust and so on ..... thanks Dang - glad you guys pointed it out. Not sure I would have known - would have tried to whack a metal blade in there. I generally only buy milwaukee - but sometimes for tools I only use once in a blue moon - HF is the way to go. I think a portasaw or plasma I'd use a few times for getting the engine and exhaust in .... after that - maybe not so much. Its taking me so long for this build I probably wont do another one till Im retired !! HA ! The plasma thing is really intriguing though ......... lose out on some things (wood) .... but ........
I think you'll be surprised how much you get out of a portaband once you start using one. I'm probably going to get the SWAG table and foot pedal for mine soon since I'm going to need to do some parts fabrication again soonish. I don't think you can go wrong for the money with a SWAG table and a Milwaukee deep-cut portaband. You'd need to spend a lot more on a stationary to get the functionality and for the kind of parts you're talking about it will do the job nicely. Personally, I like to have a lot of options for cutting stuff. I still need to add a plasma cutter to my kit and I've bookmarked that one mentioned above for future reference.
I did see in a video about a guy using two hooks against a wall for a support. Was neat and cheap quick. Another one made out of wood. So PROS/CONS Bandsaw Portable ============ Plug in and go Neat cuts (lines) NO other costs/consumables etc Wood and Steel Plasma ===== Neat Can cut things in positions portasaw cant get to Cut not as clean. Consumables $$ Need an AC compressor also each time (semi-portable)
I converted mine with some jack shafting to really slow it down and it works great. I bought and ancient Craftsman used and did it. There is a whole thread on here somewhere that discusses it.
This is the one I have had for about 30 years. https://www.bidspotter.com/en-us/au...0072/lot-df247b8e-cdc2-4caa-85db-a3e0012172ae
Previous posters are correct. A wood bandsaw has to be slowed down a lot to cut metal. I have seen a butchers bandsaw converted to cut steel Sent from my iPad using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Inexpensive PortaBand from Craigslist + power switch from Amazon + steel and paint, with some practice using my new MIG welder: The sewing machine light also came from Amazon. Saw needed new bearings, and a new blade from Fastenal. All in, probably $150-$200. I had the 1/8” flat for the table. Good for cutting stock and making brackets. As others have said, the PortaBand and its many clones don’t have much depth of cut. All of the current ones use the same size band, so they are cheap and easy to get. This one is an older model, needs a larger band, has to be custom ordered from Lennox. That makes the saw less desirable (cheaper), and consumables more expensive. Sent from my iPad using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Well designed, this frame/table. Makes for a compact and strong machine. Pluses are the new bearings, old design depth of throat, and modern electrics. Beats my Sears bandsaw all to heck!
I'm not a fan of Portabands…. I used them for years in my work (electrician) and while they have their place, once I bought a chop saw for home I got rid of my personal Portaband and have never looked back. Blade costs and availability, difficulty in getting a straight cut on larger pieces, shallow throat, and relatively slow cutting speeds are all disadvantages. Building a 'table' for one will help slightly with some of these issues, but not enough IMO. With a chop saw, you can quickly cut ferrous metals with abrasive blades, then switch to a 60T carbide blade and you can cut non-ferrous metals. One big advantage is a chop saw doesn't care if what you're cutting is hardened or not. The only downside is when cutting ferrous, they are noisy/dirty, you'll have to 'dress' the cuts, and do throw lots of sparks. I've got a Milwaukee chop saw (made by Makita as it turns out) and use HF blades which have proved to be a better value than the 'name brand' ones (probably the only abrasive they sell that's worth anything). If I want a 'fancy' cut, I put abrasive blades in my compound miter saw, but that's rare. If you're cutting large or intricate shapes, a plasma cutter is what you want in any case. But I use my chop saw a lot....
I was just thinking the same thing. You would have to be pretty inept to get a piece of wood thrown in your face from a bandsaw.
They make specialized saws for metal like the pipe cutter shown. There's no way I would try to modify a wood or meat band saw for metal. Never say never. Kick back was the wrong term ..... Catching.....binding and flinging would be more accurate. The guy was cutting out 18th Century pistol stocks. He was cutting the inside curve... stock got him in the face, split ( busted) him from nose to chin. His teeth were showing and his mouth was closed. He thought a bandsaw would never.....throw stuff too. He now has a helmet with a full face lexan shield for stock work.
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