Cutting stock

[Kaleb]

Used to belong to the "Hand hacksaw only" club, but I now have a home made reciprocating power hacksaw with a hefty 1/4 HP Busch motor driving it. I got it at a garage sale for $50. It's not very accurate, but it's great for rough cutting thick stuff(imagine having to cut a piece of 60mm steel round bar by hand! :rant I also used to put a cutting disk in the angle grinder to do this sort of job, using aluminium-spec disks for non-ferrous metals, but that was quite dangerous, so I'm glad I've got my trusty power hacksaw.

 

[Mainer]

I've cut aluminum plate with a "normal" carbide wood-cutting blade on a table saw, but recently I had to trim some aluminum stair treads and used one of these:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0012YKRYW/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

It worked very well.

 

[rake60]

Enco has their version of the small bandsaw on sale this month.

Their web price is $10 less than that, but shipping to my area would be $73 making it $293.


Rick

 

[jct842]

a couple hours ago I went to the local orschelands farm supply to look for parts to build my homemade power hacksaw. They had a $350 DeWalt portable bandsaw on sale for $150/ a display model with no box or papers. it is now on display on my bench and will be building a mount for vertical use. I don't have much room there and this sure fit the bill and could sell it after I use it for more than I paid. John

 

[steamer]

A suggestion from a horizontal/vertical owner of some ten years.

The stands are garbage!....they wobble and sway and they come apart and your forever tightening up the bolts ect...and their made of thin sheet metal which makes the whole thing noisy.

Make a cart for your bandsaw. Mine is about a foot off the floor and has 4 casters.

It can then go right under the bench until you need it, it can carry at least 300 pounds in addition to the saw, and I can wheel it outside when required to cut really long stuff......It works slicker than snot on a doorknob.

As you can see mine hardly ever gets used : ...or cleaned! :big:

Dave