Mounting a HF Portable Band Saw - how to?

Col Defender · Apr 5, 2015

I should have my HF version of a Porta Band on Tuesday. I plan to use it almost only for cutting out knife blanks. It's time to ditch the angle grinder.

Can any of you help me please with instructions, pics, plans etc for how you mounted it vertically to make it into a bench mounted band saw? I've seen pics of the finished product but am unsure of the best way to build a wooden stand for it.

Thanks so much!

tump · Apr 5, 2015

I just took off the top handle and fashioned an L bracket to hold it to a pine board backer and made a small shelf to support the bottom, leaving about 2 inches to clamp in a workmate type table.

Justin Presson · Apr 5, 2015

Here is how I did mine. These are all the pics I have on my phone, but could take more if needed. It's pretty redneck scrape stuff I had laying around. Hope it helps.
JP

zooker89 · Apr 5, 2015

I just picked up my HF saw this morning and plan to build a stand from 1" square tubing. I will take photos during and when finished. I hope it will be by Wednesday but will depend on the availability of the tubing tomorrow.

Renorattler · Apr 6, 2015

I would like to upgrade mine to something a little more sturdy, and add a table but this is what i did. Its functional, and can be clamped to my bench and moved easily.

phorizt · Apr 6, 2015

sorry no step by step photos but here is mine. It was super easy to do

zooker89 · Apr 7, 2015

Here is my metal one so far. It is 1" square tubing. I should be able to get the saw mounted later today.

navman · Apr 7, 2015

For the past several months I just put it in the vice and off we go.....

Not the best, but works for now until I can fabricate a table.

Atlas Knife Company · Apr 7, 2015

I went with a heavy metal base and a couple welded uprights. Rock solid. Ph, and I rigged up a light switch for power and a bigger table just bolted onto the factory table.

zooker89 · Apr 7, 2015

Here is mine mounted and set on the cart that has my homemade 2x72 belt grinder on it. I took it apart and greased everything that needed it and put a Starret blade on it and it cut smooth and quiet. Oh yeah, that is my son's 1954 Chevy Belair behind it. It is a work in progress, but it is always parked next to my 1961 Ford F-100 pick up.

Col Defender · Apr 9, 2015

Thanks everyone - here's how I did mine - very similar to some of yours. I will make a little plywood work surface like some of you did, but I just could not stand to wait to try it out. the blade in the foreground is my first cut - THIS IS SO MUCH BETTER THAN THE WHOLE ANGLE GRINDER THING!!!!

Thanks for all your ideas!!!

Busto · Apr 9, 2015

You should invest in a Foot Switch also sold by HF....They offer two models one is ON/OFF only and the other is Variable so you can adjust your speed with pedal foot pressure as you cut and no need to lock the trigger switch on the saw....Very handy addition to these saws!!! Oh Yeah way better than a Grinder...:thumbup:

Atlas Knife Company · Apr 9, 2015

zooker89 said:
Here is mine mounted and set on the cart that has my homemade 2x72 belt grinder on it. I took it apart and greased everything that needed it and put a Starret blade on it and it cut smooth and quiet. Oh yeah, that is my son's 1954 Chevy Belair behind it. It is a work in progress, but it is always parked next to my 1961 Ford F-100 pick up.

Quiet? Mines the loudest machine in my shop. If they replaced the older HF model with a quieter one, I want to know.

viral · Apr 9, 2015

You guys are doing it all wrong... open the jaws of your vise up as wide as it goes and put the portaband in there. then tape the trigger so its always on and the only way to turn it off is to unplug it. This way uou can be like me and be ghetto.

Justin Presson · Apr 9, 2015

Atlas Knife Company said:
Quiet? Mines the loudest machine in my shop. If they replaced the older HF model with a quieter one, I want to know.

Yeah ear plugs are a must with mine....louder than s!#*

zooker89 · Apr 9, 2015

Justin Presson said:
Yeah ear plugs are a must with mine....louder than s!#*

Quieter than out of the box I should have said. After all it is a HF tool. It just doesn't sound like a bag of gravel anymore.

Jesse Smith · Apr 9, 2015

Today's project...

I wanted to keep the ability to just pick it up and go, so I didn't go the route of removing the handles and bolting it in place. I'm not entirely happy with it yet. It's plenty stable for using, but I might still add a couple clamps just to make it a little more secure.

The bar running across the power switch has a slot so you can push it down and back to lock it on, or pull it forward to turn it off.

Atlas Knife Company · Apr 10, 2015

You know the new table is backwards, right? The slit needs to face the other way so you can change belts without removing the table. Also, you might consider a leg on the table as the extra size puts a lot of torque on the two screws holding the original table to the saw.

Tankerwolf · Apr 10, 2015

This may be a dumb question but why do you all have the portable one instead of the little table top one? I'm looking to pick up a band saw pretty soon so am a little curious. Is it more powerful?

phorizt · Apr 10, 2015

I think the table top ones are high speed for cutting wood mainly and wouldn't work on steel. The portable ones are slower speed designed for cutting metals.