Advice on a bandsaw...

stevekolt

stevekolt

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Jan 9, 2007
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I am looking to start trying my hand at knife making, and I'm looking for some advice regarding bandsaws. I would like to get one that can be used for steel, wood, micarta, and G10 by changing the blade. Does such a machine exist? What are some of the machines in use by the group? I already have a drill press, and am planning to order a Burr King grinder within a week or so. Any help with this would be appreciated.
 
I only change blades when they break....Many makers are using the portable bandsaw (myself included) with a table attached. The Blade for metal will work just fine on wood and even better on
the harder materials like G-10 and Micarta. Check out the portaband saws from Milwaukee or Dewalt and you can find a nice table to hold those saws at Swag Offroad. These take up very little room
and still remain portable with just one thumb screw to disassemble from the saw. I also highly recommend using a foot pedal sold by harbor freight you can vary the speed with the pedal and not have
to Zip Tie the trigger in the on position...very reasonable addition...
 
The SWAG Offroad table really works well. I mounted one of the newer Milwaukee saws on one and have been very happy. The one advantage to using one of the newer Milwaukee saws is you don't have to remove anything from the saw to mount it to the SWAG V 4.0 table, so it's easy to go from portable to table mounted, if that's important for you.
 
Jet makes great band saws. A little pricey but they are amazing. the older models aren't as "industrial" as the newer ones and are mush easier to lug around and a lot cheaper. old ones are just as good as the newer ones without all the bells and whistles. that's the horizontal band saw anyway.
 
I wish that I could purchase a 14" metal cutting band saw so that I could lower the upper guides close to my work piece and to provide a longer throat-of-cut, but I have to say that my Swag Offroad Table and variable speed Milwaukee porta-band saw leaves me little desire to spend the cash for an industrial grade metal saw at very much higher price. It cuts high carbon alloys, G-10, micarta, bone, etc. The only time that I consider changing the blade is when cutting very thin stock.

The Swag table and Variable Speed Porta-band is definitely the way to serve knife making needs, in my opinion.

Mike L.
 
Thanks for the help y'all. I ordered the SWAG 4.0 table with foot switch, and the Milwaukee 6232-20 saw today :)
 
I think you will be real happy with that combo....your steel blanks are gonna cry when they see whats in store for their future....:eek::D

When you get ready to purchase blades I suggest the Lennox Blades or even the Starrett Blades they seem to be the best for durability and you can run the saw about medium speed and let the teeth
do their job.
 
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