Band saws

[BaronJ]

Hi Guys,

I have a Taiwanese 6X4 bandsaw that I bought from an engineering company quite cheaply. It had been repaired, quite badly, it had suffered been tipped up and fallen on its back, smashing the original motor and breaking the left hand pivot arm. Some one had tried to fix it with a new 1HP brooks motor and a metal plate screwed on to join the two half's of the pivot arm.

I did a complete refurbishment on the saw and made a new stand, getting rid of the crappy tin one with the wheels on the back. The failure with the original stand, is if the arm is lifted vertical and the saw is lifted to move it, the weight overbalances it and it goes crashing to the floor. Which is what happened to the one I bought.

This is a picture of the broken hinge bracket.

One of the mods that I did was to mill the sides of the slot under the blade square. I then made a steel piece to fit and super glued it in place.

This is a picture after machining the sides of the slot square.

This picture is the new stand that I made. It is constructed from 1" inch square 1.6 mm wall steel tube. I put plates on the bottom for castors.

This is how it looks today ! You can see some of the modifications that I did in this picture as well.

Yes I wish I had bought one years ago ! It is probably the most used machine in the workshop.

 

[Mike Henry]

I have 3 band saws, a 20-yo Jet 4x6, a 50/60's era Craftsman 12-in vertical with dual WW/MW speeds and a Roll-in EF1459. The Jet gets used for round stock and small rectangular stock, the Craftsman for sheet metal and the Roll-in for plate mostly and a bit of larger diameter round stock. The Jet has been a work horse but needs a tune up as it cuts at a vertical slant; the Craftsman lacks power or needs adjustment to the belt. The Roll-in is a joy to use but can't cut more than 8" into the material without some futzing. If I could have only one I'd go with the Jet, but maybe move up to the Jet 7x12 or possibly the Tormach offering, which is semi-automatic and will self feed stock. That would usually be overkill in my mostly hobby shop.

 

[mawpawk]

Hi guys, I'm in new zealand and am a regular reader of these posts. This is probably a well known trick, but to catch all or 99.85% of swarf, I took a strong magnet from a micro wave and placed it under the blade on the frame. Then put a metal dish/tray on top to collect all the swarf. (it will even pull some of the stream o fillings into the flow ) Then when you want to mt the tray you simply lift the tray leaving the magnet behind and most of the area is clean.

 

[animal12]

I might add to this thread , If you buy or even someone gives you one of the 4 x 6 bandsaws . Do your self a favor & remove rthe cover over the worm gear & check for fluid . I bought my second one of these
used a few years back it was only @ 6 months old when I bought it . These saws are notorious for not having fluid in the gear box & mine was empty though it did have 4 seals instead of the required 2 but all of them were installed incorrectly . These are great saws & if you take care of them they will last you a lifetime . The reason I bought a second was that I had stored my saw & a few things at a buds place while selling my house & I decided to give him teh saw for storage fee's . My original one when I checked the gear box was only @ 25 % full . You need to use gear oil that is ok with the brass/bronze gears . Some guys jkust make a new gear cover out of lexan or Plexi-glass & that way they see the oil level each time they use the saw . There is also a group.oi group for these saws 4x6bandsaw groups.io Group . One member there just posted a week or so back that he was tossing his saw in the trash cause the worm
gear was trash . He never checked his oil .
YMMV
animal

 

[Tom 1948]

My shop is small, So i bought a WEN table to model #3975. Like all Chinese machines it took a bit of tweeking to get things going good but for $269.00 I am pleased with it, Damn sure easier than a hacksaw on 2 or 3 inch stock. Its variable speed and i keep it on a shelf out of the way till I need it. It had the best reviews and capacity of most table tops on the market

 

[nautilus29]

Honestly your mention of cutting things off in the lathe has made me reconsider. That would be really nice, and it's also easier to store\ less floor space being used.

I have quite a collection of band saws, I started out with a home made upright, channel iron and 1/4" plate frame, 10" wheels all made from scratch. I then purchased 2 Harbor Freight 4x6 saws (one for my son in law. I then purchased a Bauer hand held corded from H/F. My next purchase was a hand held cordless from Canadian tire. Both of the hand held are used a lot for cutoffs in the lathe when the parting gets questionable. Deciding there was a need for a good wood saw, so I have a wooden framed Mattias Wendell saw being built right now. I have had a modicum of success with silver soldering blades, but still some bugs to work out of the grinding.

OK i will give my 2 cents worth I have 4 band saws and for a first saw I would recommend a porta band i have a milwaukee brand I find that i use it quite frequently and its ability to cut things that will not easily clamp in the other saws is an asset also if i did not have the other saws i would conider it a bit pricey i think it would be useful..https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PA5srmUZDkg


Full disclosure I also have a Marvel 8 auto feed bandsaw , a walker turner with a lo and high gearbox and a doall machine (a laydown cutoff saw
I am continually amazed how well the porta band cuts

 

[goldstar31]

Honestly your mention of cutting things off in the lathe has made me reconsider. That would be really nice, and it's also easier to store\ less floor space being used.

Yes, but now we are back- yet again- to parting off in in the lathe correspondence.
In practical terms, cutting off 2" round is quite possible. I have the rear mounted tool post to the design of Geo Thomas in his Model Engineers Workshop manual book.
Perfectly practical and he includes a design for a very much smaller version.
It has only one fault- it's English.

The overall fault with ALL of these designs is that ---- tool and cutter grinder is lost art. Trying not to be parochial, I DO like the Eccentric Engineering grinder. Whether one buys the made up version, uses the kit or works from the cheap but excellent plans, it is perfectly adequate for most workshop applications.
Will it do- All things for All People? Certainly not.
The only thing that I would suggest is- if you are going that way- is to start a discussion on the sensible grades of abrasives.

Me? Yea, Yea Yea. Done it--- zillions of years ago


Best wishes

Norman

 

[AndrewW]

I've just purchased some 10/14tpi bi-metal blades for my Warco Universal Bandsaw (4x6) from Mr Bandsaw (eBay UK). They cut through mild steel like butter! OK - it might be a slight exaggeration, but they perform very well.

 

[nautilus29]

Yes, but now we are back- yet again- to parting off in in the lathe correspondence.
In practical terms, cutting off 2" round is quite possible. I have the rear mounted tool post to the design of Geo Thomas in his Model Engineers Workshop manual book.
Perfectly practical and he includes a design for a very much smaller version.
It has only one fault- it's English.

The overall fault with ALL of these designs is that ---- tool and cutter grinder is lost art. Trying not to be parochial, I DO like the Eccentric Engineering grinder. Whether one buys the made up version, uses the kit or works from the cheap but excellent plans, it is perfectly adequate for most workshop applications.
Will it do- All things for All People? Certainly not.
The only thing that I would suggest is- if you are going that way- is to start a discussion on the sensible grades of abrasives.

Me? Yea, Yea Yea. Done it--- zillions of years ago


Best wishes

Norman

I don't want to replace the cutoff tool with the porta saw. I was just thinking it would add an extra option that I wouldn't otherwise have. Especially on my baby taig lathe where slow rpms are umm... hard to come by... therefore making parting larger stock a night to remember.

At work I've already welded a scrap rod to the back of a part so it would fit in a band saw, so having an option to take the band saw to the lathe in certain circumstances seems appealing. The questions are, what will be lost by going the porta route, and will I use those things more than what I'd gain from the porta route.

I should mention that I have another barn, and a house that the portability may be of use in.

 

[goldstar31]

I've just purchased some 10/14tpi bi-metal blades for my Warco Universal Bandsaw (4x6) from Mr Bandsaw (eBay UK). They cut through mild steel like butter! OK - it might be a slight exaggeration, but they perform very well.

Mine came from the Bandsaw Shop in Leeds. Again prompt and good quality

Is that a category for the Old Geysers who have been there, seen it all and mumble into there raggy beards.

It's only about cutting metal in two bits. What is ALL the fuss?
Wake me up- I'm bored with it


Norman

 

[toolingjim]

I have a 4 x 6 bandsaw that had to be made in Taiwan because it predates the industrialization of mainland China. It is badged as a Cummins, but the only connection to Cummins Diesel is the letters in the name. I made a new table about 8 x 10 from a 1/4" crs drop I found behind the shear at work. I do have to pull it to use the horizontal cut, but the original 2" square 'table' was a joke. The original chipmunk motor was replaced with a Dayton motor before I got it. Makes the sawing balance a little odd, so I hope to put a hydraulic downfeed on it soon. One suggestion: If you are going to tune up one of these saws, use a new blade. The blades sometimes lose the set on one side, and will then cut an eighth inch out of square per inch of depth. I think the set is often damaged when the saw is used as a vertical by people who try to cut small circles with a half inch wide blade, not that I would ever do that.

ps I use the saw as much as any other tool in my shop. It is where many parts start.

 

[nautilus29]

I have a 4 x 6 bandsaw that had to be made in Taiwan because it predates the industrialization of mainland China. It is badged as a Cummins, but the only connection to Cummins Diesel is the letters in the name. I made a new table about 8 x 10 from a 1/4" crs drop I found behind the shear at work. I do have to pull it to use the horizontal cut, but the original 2" square 'table' was a joke. The original chipmunk motor was replaced with a Dayton motor before I got it. Makes the sawing balance a little odd, so I hope to put a hydraulic downfeed on it soon. One suggestion: If you are going to tune up one of these saws, use a new blade. The blades sometimes lose the set on one side, and will then cut an eighth inch out of square per inch of depth. I think the set is often damaged when the saw is used as a vertical by people who try to cut small circles with a half inch wide blade, not that I would ever do that.

ps I use the saw as much as any other tool in my shop. It is where many parts start.

My drill press is a 1980 cummins

 

[toolingjim]

Not to hijack the thread, but I believe the Cummins name was used back in the 70's and early 80's before the internet or Harbor Freight or Northern (Hydraulics) They used to roll into a parking lot with a semi full of tools and have a one day or weekend sale. Some stuff was ok and some was junk, just like today.

 

[willray]

I will echo the recommendation for the ubiquitous 4x6, badged by whomever seems to be the flavor of the week.

That thing has one of the most ridiculously outsized utilities for its price, and for its generally only-barely-adequate construction, of any tool I own.

I say this in the context of having much better bandsaws in my shop, on which I could do, much faster and better, absolutely anything that the 4x6 can do, yet the 4x6 gets far more use than the rest of the saws put together.

I really really like quality tools. The 4x6 is pretty much the polar opposite of a quality tool, yet the !@$# thing does its job, and other than burning out its original motor when an a chunky bit of stock decided to pinch the blade while I was off doing something else, it does it without complaint, or any meaningful need for maintenance.

 

[Howder1951]

With regards to the H/F saw . My son in law made a new frame for his out of some nice square tube. This winter I have been toying with the idea of stiffening the original frame and practicing TIG or MIG in the process. I also have one of those bolt together welding carts that is beckoning for the same treatment. i will report my findings when it warms up a bit.

 

[BWMSBLDR1]

I have a 4 x 6 bandsaw that had to be made in Taiwan because it predates the industrialization of mainland China. It is badged as a Cummins, but the only connection to Cummins Diesel is the letters in the name. I made a new table about 8 x 10 from a 1/4" crs drop I found behind the shear at work. I do have to pull it to use the horizontal cut, but the original 2" square 'table' was a joke. The original chipmunk motor was replaced with a Dayton motor before I got it. Makes the sawing balance a little odd, so I hope to put a hydraulic downfeed on it soon. One suggestion: If you are going to tune up one of these saws, use a new blade. The blades sometimes lose the set on one side, and will then cut an eighth inch out of square per inch of depth. I think the set is often damaged when the saw is used as a vertical by people who try to cut small circles with a half inch wide blade, not that I would ever do that.

ps I use the saw as much as any other tool in my shop. It is where many parts start.

Cumins was the name of the traveling tool show and I bought a rather good 7X12 Minilathe from them. The Cummins Diesel people made them change the name and they vanished soon after. Bill in Boulder

 

[holmes_ca]

I have had my 4x6 and 1inch belt sander from when Busy Bee was in Vancouver British Columbia over 20 plus years, have served me well and never let me down,

Edmund.........Alberta

 

[RM-MN]

I have a Harbor Freight 4X6 bandsaw. Thoughts I have about it.
1. Reading in a few forums, it seems like most cheaper bandsaws are pretty much the same except for the color and the name on them.
2. Any bandsaw is better than a hacksaw. Miles ahead,
3. To me a bandsaw is to be compared to a drill bit. You use a bandsaw to cut the metal into smaller pieces. Then you true up the ends as necessary. Same with a drill bit. It makes a hole, somewhat near the size you need. Then you bore and ream to get exact.
4. My bandsaw has a crappy sheet metal base and the wheels are not good. I move it only when necessary and the sheet metal base holds it up. It doesn't improve the cut to have a better base so why bother.

 

[goldstar31]

4. My bandsaw has a crappy sheet metal base and the wheels are not good. I move it only when necessary and the sheet metal base holds it up. It doesn't improve the cut to have a better base so why bother.

Hoorah, sanity at last.

It's bit like my son whos wife;s car has had a battery to replace. The cost was £140 and the previous one had gone 8 years- or £1 every THREE weeks.

The Ides of March have gone- and today is April Fools Day

 

[harborfreight8x12]

Lol. Yes I also succumbed to Harbor Freight and bought the 4x6 bandsaw. Yes, the stand was not only cheap but also a safety hazard. After getting the saw, I was getting materials together to build a proper stand when my wife looked at me and said "I have a better idea". We went to a flea market (boot sale) and she bought a heavy duty two drawer file cabinet. That file cabinet, sitting on

a Harbor Freight furniture dolly, has been my saw stand and cabinet to this day.