Harbor Freight portaband mod

[Storm Crow]

Here's a cheap new addition to my shop that has made life easier. I took a Harbor Freight portaband and converted it to serve as a bench bandsaw for cutting out handle profiles and trimming blade profiles. Works a lot faster and with more control than an abrasive cutoff wheel in an angle grinder.

I built it to clamp in my vice. I took off the carrying handle and laid out the holes on a piece of angle iron, ground some clearance for the handle, and bolted it back together. Clamp it up in the vice and it's at a nice working height.

Since it's built to be hand held, it didn't come with a cutting table, just a little stop to butt up against the piece you're cutting. I took a small piece of plate and used the saw itself to cut out a square. I then detached the stop, laid out the holes on a piece of angle iron, welded it on the plate, and cut the notch for the blade with my chop saw.

Nothing is modified on the saw itself and everything can be taken off easily to take the saw back if it burns out (yes, I got the warranty). It works well and was darn cheap. I run it at full speed ever since trying low speed and letting some of the smoke that motors run on leak out.

An example of its work:

 

[BallewBlade]

Right on, I've seen these set ups before and can't wait to outfit my shop with one. Thanks for sharing:thumbup:

 

[Storm Crow]

You're welcome.

 

[hig789]

This is a very sweet setup. I have been wanting to buy a Porta Band but they are out of my budget right now. I didn't know HF sold one. I'll have to check it out.

 

[Storm Crow]

Yeah, the real ones are $300 plus, this one was something like $84 prior to taxes and warranty. Cheap enough for me to at least test out the concept.

 

[Brian.Evans]

I have one of these too. It works GREAT. I can take pictures of mine later, if the OP doesn't mind. I used mine to cut several pieces of 4"x4" 5/16" angle last year, worked fine. Get good blades. It makes a world of difference. Lennox or Milwaukee are what I've used and they work well.

OP, can I see a better detail of the underneath side of your "table". I like that set up.

 

[Storm Crow]

Feel free to post any variations on the theme you may have.

I'll have to get a picture of the bottom of the table, but I'll see what I can do.

 

[Mudbug007]

Those are great little bandsaws. Thanks for posting that table set up. I've been meaning to try something like that with mine, but have never gotten around to it. This gives me inspiration!

 

[Storm Crow]

Here you go:

Bolts right where the stop was. It might make sense to change the bolts out to an Allen head just to make it easier to get them in and out at that depth, but not critical.