Author Topic: 6x4 Bandsaw upgrade!  (Read 9826 times)

Offline Steamer5

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6x4 Bandsaw upgrade!
« on: August 26, 2016, 07:12:41 AM »
Hi guys & girls,
 Well I've finally upgraded my metal cutting bandsaw! Like many of you  will have found these are a great tool to have in the home shop! And as you are all aware they have a bunch of short comings, but with a bit of fluffing around they are a real useful addition!

I've had mine since 2003, first change was to add a longer cable, turned out to be a good choice as my sparky happily informed me at the time that the wiring was s@@t....a technical term you are no doubt familiar with! Next was to do away with the screws that held the blade guard on, I happened to acquire some nice stainless finger screws that fitted. I also made & fitted the usual 2 wheels & handle as the saw didn't come with them. An adjustable work piece end stop was added
 Fast forward a number of years, like most I wasn't ever happy with the table, either the little "blade table" or the bigger one. Time to troll the net for inspiration! I found a neat design for a hydraulic piston to slow the blade decent...still got to make that, but also a larger " blade table" a quick change bigger table, & a nice design for a bigger table! After a bit of thinking a figured away to combine all 3.
Like most I have limited shop space moving the saw about started the ball rolling. The 2 wheels were removed, a 4 wheel all steer, 2 locking, trolley was built, with a ply base for more off cut storage. The saw is bolted to this. A swarf tray was also added.....reduces the swarf on the shop floor by heaps!
Photo 1 shows an over all view
I joined the Yahoo saw group. Somebody had posted up a " tune up" guide, so that was worked thru & one of the guys posted up a very nice addition for a way better work piece end stop plus a back stop to stop the work piece jamming & possibly snapping the blade, next addition coming up! These two items are probably the best that you can add to the saw.
Photo 2 shows the fixed jaw extension & the work end stop, using a 6x 1 mm thread & 10 division makes for close enuff cutting! Also a changed the moving jaw hold down bolt, & rounded the moving nut so it opens the jaws another 10 to 15 mm
Ok onto the tables. First the blade table. Being a bit lazy I had used this numerous times to cut bits, the fingers are not far away from the blade, one slip & a another finger would get a saw scar....did the first on with a hand saw....don't recommend it! So this one is about twice the size of the old one, it also acts as the base for the bigger table.
Photo 3 shows this & the shape to fit around the saw base
After eventually finding a supplier of Ali plate a suitable sized piece was purchased & a 300 x 300 mm table cut out, 2 &1/2 times bigger than the old one. On the back is an other piece of plate with a recess cut in it that slips over the blade table, a slide in cover plate with the locking plate & a second locking screw holds it all in place, takes about 20 seconds to install, & no screw drivers needed! Then a fence was added to use for parallel cuts. I am also going to add a miter fence for angle cuts. I have one but would like a slightly narrower one.
Photo 4 shows the finished table & fence, photo 5 the increase in size & 6 showing the cover piece & its attachment method, along with the fence & how it fits

Now to start using the mods in anger! Hope somebody finds the ideas useful, happy to answer any questions

Cheers Kerrin
Get excited and make something!

Offline philjoe5

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Re: 6x4 Bandsaw upgrade!
« Reply #1 on: August 26, 2016, 01:21:08 PM »
Wow Steamer5, that's the nicest 4x6 I've ever seen.  :praise2:

Cheers,
Phil
If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous, he will not bite you. This is the principal difference between a dog and a man.  - Mark Twain

Offline sshire

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Re: 6x4 Bandsaw upgrade!
« Reply #2 on: August 26, 2016, 02:05:24 PM »
That is an exceptional table!
Many nice mods. When I had mine, I did the hydraulic downfeed mechanism. Big improvement.
Also did much of what's done here
http://www.mini-lathe.com/Bandsaw/Bandsaw.htm#mods

The down feed was like this one
http://www.homemadetools.net/forum/4x6-bandsaw-stand-down-feed-8155#post9742

Best,
Stan

Offline Steamer5

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Re: 6x4 Bandsaw upgrade!
« Reply #3 on: August 27, 2016, 12:50:48 AM »
Hi Phil,
 Thanks for the kind comment!
I've been thinking of doing something like this for awhile, up coming project moved it up the list!

Stan,
 Thanks to you too! Hopefully it will work ok, being Ali I can see dings in the table but a file should fix that. Thanks also for the links, I had seen the first one, but not the second.

Cheers Kerrin
Get excited and make something!

Offline Steamer5

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Re: 6x4 Bandsaw upgrade!
« Reply #4 on: June 05, 2017, 02:16:06 AM »
Hi Everybody,
Well I've finally got my act together & completed the drawings for the table. Hopefully they make sense!
The sub table replacement is pretty straight forward, just need to check your saw for mounting hole centers & the size of the cut out on the let side.
The table itself is 13.5 mm thick, why well that was the thickness of the plate....it was listed as 12 or 12.5 mm cant remember which. Anyway it shouldn't make a difference, just watch how deep the holes are for the table mounting block. The knobs are all ali with steel threaded inserts as I had the ali rod & not steel!
The clamp plate need to bea neat fit when the tounge is push in, had thought of making it with a sloping face on the 3mm rebate but so far it seems to hold pretty well.
Any questions just ask!

Cheers Kerrin
Get excited and make something!

Offline Joco

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Re: 6x4 Bandsaw upgrade!
« Reply #5 on: June 05, 2017, 05:50:18 AM »
Drawings looking pretty good. Thanks for these Kerrin.
James
Wellington - NZ

Offline Steamer5

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Re: 6x4 Bandsaw upgrade!
« Reply #6 on: June 05, 2017, 10:07:04 PM »
Hi James,
 That's good to know! Given the caliber of some here with CAD I was a little worried that they wouldn't measure up!

Cheers Kerrin
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Offline bruedney

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Re: 6x4 Bandsaw upgrade!
« Reply #7 on: June 06, 2017, 05:10:38 AM »
Hi Kerrin
Few questions re drawings
1. There is no drawing of the locator plate that seems to be on the sub-plate pictures above or am I missing that?
2. What is the thickness of the sub-plate?
3. What material is the table?

James will probably have this made before I do but I might try to race him

Cheers

Bruce
‘Results! Why man, I have gotten a lot of results. I know several thousand things that won’t work.’ — Thomas Alva Edison

Offline Steamer5

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Re: 6x4 Bandsaw upgrade!
« Reply #8 on: June 06, 2017, 06:06:07 AM »
Hi Bruce,
 Knew I'd forget something!

1, the locator plate is fixed to the back of the main able, labeled "Table Mounting Block" bottom left of the main table drawing ( just went & had a look at the picture....the small plate is the original....it is replaced by the Sub table.....gives you some more table to use for those quick 1 off cuts.....mind you fingers!)
2, the sub table replacement is 3 mm, As that was the thickness of the original,  if yours is thicker & you wish to make the new sub table the same then adjust the rebate in the Mounting block to suit
3, dam should of read my post before hitting the post button! I used aluminum for mine, you could use steel but it would be quite a lot heavier.
« Last Edit: June 06, 2017, 06:09:09 AM by Steamer5 »
Get excited and make something!

Offline bruedney

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Re: 6x4 Bandsaw upgrade!
« Reply #9 on: June 06, 2017, 09:33:10 AM »
 :whoohoo:  :ThumbsUp:

Cheers

Bruce
‘Results! Why man, I have gotten a lot of results. I know several thousand things that won’t work.’ — Thomas Alva Edison

Offline Steamer5

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Re: 6x4 Bandsaw upgrade!
« Reply #10 on: April 22, 2018, 09:29:53 AM »
Hi Guys & Girls,
Well I’ve been at it again! Yet another upgrade to the bandsaw!
I needed to trim 1 length of bar, then cut 2 lengths the same from another.....

It dawned on me that having a bar out the left side of the saw so I could put the end stop on would be usefull. So off to the steel store as is always the way .....so a length each of 10 mm steel & stainless rod was got.
Pic 1 shows the bar to be cut with end stop to the right & the extended center drill......all 350mm of it made from the steel rod.
I pulled out the end stop bar put the drill thru & drilled thru the right side, then opened it up to 10 mm.

Pic2 job done! End stop can now be used on either side....shortened that stainless rod down a bit figured 1500 mm might be a bit excessive!

Pic3 I decided that the only bit of kit I could use to measure the gap that the bar is to go in was this internal mic I got quite a few years back....a bit of overkill for this as the bar is going to be welded in but hey why not.

With it all set up 3 lengths of bar cut to length!

Now onto the finger brake for the press!

Cheers Kerrin
Get excited and make something!

Online Kim

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Re: 6x4 Bandsaw upgrade!
« Reply #11 on: April 22, 2018, 02:59:40 PM »
Kerin, Looks like a nice upgrade to your saw.  And if I understand it right, you can now have a stop on both the front, and back side of the blade?  I can see where that would be very useful!
Kim

Offline Steamer5

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Re: 6x4 Bandsaw upgrade!
« Reply #12 on: April 22, 2018, 07:20:13 PM »
Hi Kim,
 Yes that’s rights.  By taking the adjustable end stop off, & sliding the rod thru to the left, or back of the blade & putting the end stop back on I have a stop there as well.

Cheers Kerrin
Get excited and make something!

Offline Bertie_Bassett

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Re: 6x4 Bandsaw upgrade!
« Reply #13 on: April 23, 2018, 08:43:42 AM »

nice work, the improvements look very handy

iv been deliberating getting one of those saws for a while but thought they looked a bit iffy in the vertical mode, those mods look to have solved my issues.

now just got to finish rebuilding the workshop and find some room for one!
one day ill finish a project before starting another!
suffolk - uk

Offline Steamer5

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Re: 6x4 Bandsaw upgrade!
« Reply #14 on: April 24, 2018, 10:38:08 AM »
Cheers Bertie,
 I’ve had my saw 15 years, the mods here have improved it no end! Before I got mine a friend reckoned his was the best tool he had.

Cheers Kerrin
Get excited and make something!

 

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