A lot of us here probably have the inexpensive 4x6 bandsaws that are so
readily available. As has recently been pointed out by another poster here,
one of the drawbacks of these machines is the limited utility of the vise,
especially when attempting to cut small or irregularly-shaped stock.
I subscribe to various mailing lists related to my machines, but often find
myself deleting most of the mail without looking at it. Recently I saw a
subject line from a mailing on the 4x6 bandsaw list that caught my attention.
When I read the mail, it was a real head-slapping moment (i.e. "why didn't I
think of that?"). I took what I read and ran with it, and shown here is my
take on the idea. Not a lot of words are necessary.
1/2-13 tapped holes for Bridgeport-style clamping hardware.
Both sides are usable.
In the saw's vise.
A contrived situation staged for the camera, but illustrative of the concept.
I wanted to thin down a round piece of 1144 stressproof for a crankshaft, yet
save endmill life, and save a little 1144 stock for other purposes.
Hope this helps someone,
--Tim