4x6 Bandsaw Cart

[tom37]

I stumbled across this a few days ago at HF. It was set by the door with
a tag saying open box item ($100.00). I looked at it and thought about it
and looked at it again. Right now new is $185.00 I belive. So I dropped $100.00 and loaded it up. Aside from having all the bolts only hand tight,
the only problems I could see was that the motor mount plate was destroyed.

I spent a short time making a new motor mount plate and adjusting the
motor to get the two pulleys allinged proper. I spent an hour or two adjusting the fence and roller guides along with the blade tracking. Its now cutting
to within 1/32" of square on a 2"x 2"x 1/4" tube. I also snached an idea
from another site and made a 45 degree fence, so that the main fence can stay locked down at 90 degrees.

Today I built a stand/cart for the saw. I choose to leave it on a cart rather then a fixed mount at the end of my
bench. I guess now I have to hunt up some pipe to build stands out of. Thats another day tho. My cart is probally
not the neatest or fanciest but it seems to get the job done.

Material is 2x2x1/4 and 1 1/4 channel. The only reason I went so heavy on the wall is because I had it and it was in the way.

I'm only posting two pics so I don't have a never ending post. The rest of the build pics are at this addy.

http://picasaweb.google.com/keesfrie...eat=directlink

My welds arn't perfect but there getting better.

[Kamikaze]

I like what you did and especially the height you set it at!

How stable is the single post?
The welds look great IMO...

I've got a similar band saw and was thinking about redoing the base since it is so low and not the most stable. It is also a P-I-A when moving and loading into a truck with ramps so I am studying your pics closely.

[tom37]

Kamikaze,

Thank You for the kind words.

I to was worried about how stable it would be, but it turned out to be rock solid. The base is 15" of 2 inch tube, then I capped the tube and welded on a bolt for the axle. The front is also 15" wide, but in the front I used a piece of 2"x3" angle. My thought was, if I decided to go with a slightly larger wheel in the rear, then I could use a large nut and full threaded bolt for level adjustment in the front. (Which it needs) I already for a dip in the garage floor, so it wobbled a little bit. I think I will use two pieces of DOM and make a slide out handle off of the top center support.

I didn't want any chance of tipping to the rear. It ended up being probably 25 lbs to lift in the front. It's not that bad, but it does need a good handle.

The height was always a problem with my old saw. I'm 6'1", so I made the table surface 35" from the floor. The only trouble I see is that now I have to build a sturdy work stand that is solid at 35" tall. The last thing I want is to have to stop and set down a piece of steel so I can right the stand that fell over.

[Brazos]

[billybee60]

Tom;
Nice job on the cart and great deal on the saw!
I had been looking at a Delta bandsaw and they wanted over $400 for it about five years ago. Then I looked at the ones in tractor supply for $175 and it was hard to see the difference. Anyway I bought the cheap one and it has been a work horse in the shop ever since. It is nice to be able to set it and walk away to do other things. Mine came with sheet metal legs and I built an angle iron frame with wheels on to roll it around. It has become one of those things that I don't want to be without.

[monte55]

Raising the saw to a more convenient height can be good for some things. I've had one of these saws since 1988 and it's still working. The only thing I did was make a roller base for it that raises it about 4 inches. I use the saw
in a vertical mode quite a bit. In that position it is top heavy and when pushing material against the blade it may try to tip. Leaving it low allows one to sit on the saw preventing this and being able to apply more pressure to the work being cut. Many who buy this may have no others for vertical use.
If my saw was 36" high, no way could I straddle it. The taller height is fine if one is cutting small parts. When I drag a 20 foot piece of stock to be cut on this saw, I don't have to lift the material as high and have such tall roller stands that get a little unstable unless they have a wide footprint. I have other saws also but this one gets used a lot for quick cuts. I use my 7x12 for heavier material. Just my thoughts.
Nick

[tom37]

Thank You Gentlemen.

Monte, I thought about it for some time. I ended my thoughts with the fact that I can only think of one time that I used the old saw in the upright position. So with that in mind and the fact that I am not getting any younger I decided to go ahead and set it a little on the high side.

I do greatly appreciate the advice, to be honest I had never thought about sitting on the table. One would defiantly want the saftey pin of course .

I looked around quite a bit for ideas on this project, I even tried to register over at yahoo 4x6 site at the latter part of last week since I had seen several references to there site on this forum. But I am still waiting for approval. So I went with it.

I know I need paint, but the weather is a good excuse, also I still need a handle and adjusters on the front legs. Oh yes did I mention the wife really dislikes the smell of paint. One has to keep the wife happy. So paint will have to wait until warm weather.

Thanks again for the comments, I would love to hear the good and bad about my welds. All joints were welded in the flat or horizontal position with a MM211 and a C25 mix. The whole mess of pics is loaded to my pic hosting site in my signature, the saw folder should be toward the bottom of the page.

[tom37]

Well I made it out to the garage long enough to make and attach my new handle. It is made out of a piece of DOM about 7/8 od and
1/2 id. It has a slot cut in one side for a roll pin to act as a stopper on the 1/2 rod that slides in and out. I wish now that I had incorporated this handle into the upper 2x2 support, maybe capped it and drilled the end to allow the handle to slide in a bushing inside of the square tube. It would have been a much cleaner design.

I did a little testing and found that as Monte stated....36" is to tall for vertical saw use unless you are 6'6" or more,
at least for any length of time. As far as tipping front to back during a cut, I just don't think its going to happen, if anything it will slide or roll. The side to side possibility of tipping, I am going to have to vote that unless you were
to take a full front header and tumble into the saw, that its not tipping over from just getting bumped into.

Anyone that may build a stand like this.

PLEASE... remember that I used 1/4" wall tubing. I think the weight is a definite asset in the stability area.

You may not have been able to see in the other pics but the top support that the saw bolts to is 19" long. being mounted with 12" to the front of the upright post and only 5" to the rear.

[GaryV]

I have the same type saw from tractor supply with the sheet metal legs and small wheels , but I want to make a better stand and add a cutting fluid pan under it , I get tired of setting near it squirting cutting fluid on it .Also I did have a starett blade made for it , and cuts square after a few hours of adjusting trial and error..needs a better blade tracking adjustment. you have to loosen the bolts a touch then tap with a small hammer to adjust..
Has anyone around here put a cutting fluid pan and pump on theirs yet?
Gary

[kmomaha]

Tom37

I like your stand. I have the factory supplied sheet metal stand and welded casters to the bottom of the legs. I find that it is really unstable for anything even just moving it and as Monte stated it is the worst in the vertical position. I wish I had widened the stance on the factor stand. Your stand is giving me ideas to make a custom one that is a little wider. The horizontal lower pieces are nice as one could slide it under some of the other items I have along the wall lessening the storage foot print.

One could tack some storage boxes or tubes for the piece "stop", allen wrench etc. on the vertical support. If the motor end tubes were just a little further past the vertical position center of gravity it would lessen tipover length wise.

I straddle and sit on the end when cutting in vertical position but almost always my thigh will flip the shut-off switch *(&^$(#$(# .

Your welds are real "purty" compared to what I do. Once in a while I'll get a real "purty" one. No patience when doing big welds. My specialty is tacking small wires etc. together in my artwork. Have a good one.....weld on!