Well, I ai'nt dead yet. That's a quote, if you question the spellilng. Been spending time with the guys that cut metal and decided that using an angle grinder to cut metal with, what with all the sparks and all, was too much of a PITA, so got myself a nifty HF portable bandsaw, and made a quicky stand for it. The stand want together nicely, and much faster than I'd anticipated, and now I can cut metal inside, with no sparks to set my shop on fire. Just an abundance of tiny little metal bits to sweep up later. This is not really a how to, it's how 'I' did it.
I made a 12"X12" base from two layers of 1/2" plywood - this will go on my take-apart workbench. I set the bandsaw on end on the base, to determine where I wanted it. The plywood block is for the saw to rest on, and raise it slightly so I can take the back on and off for changing blades.
What tha? This is the second photo, but it is now ahead of the first one. May have to make separate posts. Anyway, I cut an 'arm' that goes under the top handle, and for now is clamped to the piece of 4X4 that will be the column. Nothing glued yet, but it's steady enough to stand by itself.
OK, let's try it this way. The third picture is still just clamped, but turned.
I do not know how this got there, it belongs two pictures lower.
Vi
View image in galleryhttp://www.ncwoodworker.net/pp/showphoto.php?photo=38361
View 5. OK, still screwy things happening. Somehow got this one here, and above the other picture too. This is the arm that goes under the top handle and will be bolted to the column.
OK. Let's see if I can only get one copy of picture 6. Ah. This is the back of the column, I had to add a spacer because the bolts were a bit long.
Picture 7. And the view from the other side. I had one wingnut, but all the store had were nylon. If you look very closely at the base of the saw you can just barely see where I glued a block atop the base it sits on, because it had a tendency to shift just about 1/4" every once in awhile. The block will cure that.
And finally, the table for it. Actually this is what the table will look like. I'll trace the pattern onto plywood, cut it out, glue that on to more plywood, rout that out. I'll be drilling 3-4 holes in the blade guide, just visible in the slot in the pattern, then screw that to the table, and screw the guide back on the saw. But I figure if you can't figure out how to do that part on your own without more pictures, you're beyond help.
The stand is very steady, and I should be able to use the whole thing as a standalone, not just affixed to the top of my take-apart bench. The saw is variable speed, has a small wheel on the trigger to change speed. And, yes, it can be used for cutting wood, not just metal. It's got a trigger lock, and I found out you can change speed while the trigger is locked on. I'll be leaving it locked on because I got a foot control switch from HF for around $10, and it works like a charm.
If I hadn't refound that chunk of 4X4 I would have either laminated a column from bent plywood, sort of artsy, or made a hollow column same as I did with the bench. I had to buy bolts, because all I had on hand were just a tad too short. And the wingnut of course, had washers.
Ah yes, almost forgot, it's just right for sitting at the take-apart bench and working with it. That's more accident than on purpose, but still nice.
I made a 12"X12" base from two layers of 1/2" plywood - this will go on my take-apart workbench. I set the bandsaw on end on the base, to determine where I wanted it. The plywood block is for the saw to rest on, and raise it slightly so I can take the back on and off for changing blades.
What tha? This is the second photo, but it is now ahead of the first one. May have to make separate posts. Anyway, I cut an 'arm' that goes under the top handle, and for now is clamped to the piece of 4X4 that will be the column. Nothing glued yet, but it's steady enough to stand by itself.
OK, let's try it this way. The third picture is still just clamped, but turned.
I do not know how this got there, it belongs two pictures lower.
Vi
View image in galleryhttp://www.ncwoodworker.net/pp/showphoto.php?photo=38361
ew image in gallery
Much better. This is the column glued where I want it, and another block, further over for the saw to sit on.View 5. OK, still screwy things happening. Somehow got this one here, and above the other picture too. This is the arm that goes under the top handle and will be bolted to the column.
OK. Let's see if I can only get one copy of picture 6. Ah. This is the back of the column, I had to add a spacer because the bolts were a bit long.
Picture 7. And the view from the other side. I had one wingnut, but all the store had were nylon. If you look very closely at the base of the saw you can just barely see where I glued a block atop the base it sits on, because it had a tendency to shift just about 1/4" every once in awhile. The block will cure that.
And finally, the table for it. Actually this is what the table will look like. I'll trace the pattern onto plywood, cut it out, glue that on to more plywood, rout that out. I'll be drilling 3-4 holes in the blade guide, just visible in the slot in the pattern, then screw that to the table, and screw the guide back on the saw. But I figure if you can't figure out how to do that part on your own without more pictures, you're beyond help.
The stand is very steady, and I should be able to use the whole thing as a standalone, not just affixed to the top of my take-apart bench. The saw is variable speed, has a small wheel on the trigger to change speed. And, yes, it can be used for cutting wood, not just metal. It's got a trigger lock, and I found out you can change speed while the trigger is locked on. I'll be leaving it locked on because I got a foot control switch from HF for around $10, and it works like a charm.
If I hadn't refound that chunk of 4X4 I would have either laminated a column from bent plywood, sort of artsy, or made a hollow column same as I did with the bench. I had to buy bolts, because all I had on hand were just a tad too short. And the wingnut of course, had washers.
Ah yes, almost forgot, it's just right for sitting at the take-apart bench and working with it. That's more accident than on purpose, but still nice.
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