Recommendations for bandsaw

B

bunghole

Joined
Jul 6, 2005
Messages
206
I'd like to get a small bandsaw for cutting blade blanks. I don't have a lot of space and I'm no professional. Just making knives for a hobby right now. I can get by with a hacksaw and files, but that is obviously quite a bit slower.

Are there any decent quality small bandsaws that would work for me? Heck, if someone tells me I can use a metal coping saw and get good cuts, I would go that route too.

Thanks!
 
Almost every knifemaker has a harbour Freight (or equivalent) 4 x 6 vertical/horizontal metal cutting bandsaw that takes a 64 x 1/2" blade. They are dirt cheap - easy to tune - easy to repair if necessary and they do the job. It's OK to cheap out on these saws and they go on sale so often that most would be embarassed to pay full retail price. When you get it, set aside the junk blade that comes with it and buy a good quality bi-metal M42 blade.

Rob!
 
Thanks! I was actually thinking about that one today. I assume it has a table that can be used in the vertical position, but I didn't see one in the picture on their site. Any mods (other than the blade) that should be done to it?
 
Yes, yes and yes. :) They all come out of the same factory in China, so it doesn't matter where you buy it. It does have a smallish table - maybe 8 x 8 which is all we need for knifemaking. Some have modded a larger table - easy to do. You can use it for wood, but the metal blade will be painfully slow! You may want to invest in a coarser blade for that task - maybe 6tpi. For the metal blade, you want something much finer - in the 18-24tpi range. You could start out using the stock blade for wood.

If you have used wood bandasws before, be aware that metal cuts MUCH slower. Be patient, or you'll kill even the best blades quickly.

Rob!
 
The one thing thayt is tough to do with the Harbor Freight saw, whihc I have, is make the kind of proicise cuts you can with a mega-dollar vertical saw. With that said, it will do most of what you need. Some guys have built sturdier tables for vertical cutting and fitted a seat to the saw. I have never used mine in the horizontal mode. The blade that comes with it will last the average hobbyist a couple of weeks tops before it goes dull. A good bi-metal blade will last you a year or more and it will still cut fine even with a tooth or two missing.;) Be careful cutting really thin stuff like 410 stainless. That is where I have knocked teeth off of my saw blade. Another saw that you will eventually want to get is an abrasive cut off saw.
 
Great info from KnifeMaker.Ca. A friend of mine has this exact saw in his shop that he uses to make parts for custom MCs and it is a good machine.

To answer some of your other questions, yes, you can use it vertically. Terry (the guy that owns one) made a small table that he can position in place for a horizontal surface for the pieces to rest on when using the saw in the vertical position.

Cutting scales, once again, yes you can cut scales with it, but you WILL have to flatten the insides of the scales prior to set since there are NOT many saws out there that will give you a perfect flat each time. Best way to do that is with some sandpaper on a good and KNOWN flat surface (thick glass, granite block, etc).

If all else fails, or the pocketbook is a bit too skinny, a "portaband saw" will work in a pinch as well. You WILL have to make a horizontal surface for it as well and you will have to configure something to hold it in a vertical position. I have done this with a workmate and blocks in the past.

If I get out to the shop this weekend I'll try and get a pic or 2 of how I did the portaband mod as long as dad hasn't used the parts in a woodworking project as he has done in the past! :eek::D

Charlie
 
Porter-Cable Variable speed Porta Band on a bench stand. It gets more use than any other tool in my shop except for a KMG. Pics when I get back from Blade Show.

Worth every penny.:cool:

Bill
 
Don't overlook the portable saw from HF. I made a simple stand for mine and love that it is still portable. The horizontal/vertical are a bit big if you have limited space or grind at work like I do. However, the portable is VERY loud.

bandsaw2.jpg
 
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