Phil Thien
08-04-2012, 9:36 PM
In a thread I started last weekend, I asked what I could expect to get from standard 2x4's if I wanted to square the corners up with my planer, to use for a workbench/tool stand. Here, this thread:
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?189852-2x4-tool-stands-preparing-lumber&highlight=
Got lots of good help, and that next Sunday and Monday evening, I built my "bandsaw mainframe."
LOL. Yes, another one of my over the top thread titles, that likely leads to disappointing reading.
My bandsaw mainframe is a stand that supports two Skil HD 10" bandsaws. These are real nice bandsaws that were made in Taiwan, and have some nice features: Cast aluminum body (low weight), 1/2-HP motor (and a real 1/2-HP), 7" of resaw.
Previously, I had only one of them on my workbench. It was setup for ripping/resawing. My spare saw (actually, I have two spares, I kept finding these saws for $50 to $100 on craigslist for a week or two, so I purchased three of them) was in storage. I had wanted to have a way to use one saw for ripping/resawing, and the other for curves (using the Carter stabilizer), so I figured I'd build a stand that could accommodate two saws. The bonus would be freeing up my workbench top.
I had originally intended to purchase one of the Rockler steel stands. When I got there I found that the early bird sale was over, and didn't want to spend $160. Knowing me, I'd also want a piece of BB plywood, and I'd be spending $200 for a stupid bandsaw stand.
I had some old 2x4's left from tearing out the crappy basement remodel the previous homeowner had done. So I figured, 2x4 stand.
I had intended to use a single piece of plywood for the top, and pocket hole screw it to the stand from below. But I didn't have any pieces of plywood that were large enough. So I decided to use two pieces of plywood (one for each saw), with some cleats on the bottom, that would just float in the top of the stand (thus the "mainframe").
So if I want to, I can actually lift either saw up and out of the stand without having to unbolt/unscrew anything. I don't know why I would ever do that, but like I said, I didn't have a large enough piece of plywood, so it is a feature!!!
After I decided to stick to materials on hand, I realized I needed a way to level the base. That is where I'm a bit stuck. Right now, I have a couple blocks of plywood under two legs. And that is certainly getting the job done. But it sure isn't very flexible (in the event I need to relocate the unit, I'd probably have to screw around with different thickness blocks of wood because my basement floor slopes towards a floor drain at different rates). Also, the two blocks of wood don't seem to do the bandsaw mainframe justice, LOL.
Truth be told, I'm not that big a fan of the way I've seen most levelling feet screw into wood legs. They basically pound a tee nut into the leg, and screw the foot into that. A year or two later, when you lift the stand, at least one foot and tee nut fall right out on the floor.
Rockler and McMaster have screw-in tee nuts:
http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=1641&site=ROCKLER
Certainly an improvement. But the screws would be going into end-grain of soft 2x4 stock (not great) and they are expensive. And it wouldn't be in the spirit of materials on hand thing. Buying a package of those tee nuts, and four levelling feet, could run $30!
So I'm trying to figure out some sort of flexible shimming system that wouldn't require spending $20 or $30, and would be neat enough to suit something as cool as a "bandsaw mainframe."
I also have to setup DC, but I have all the stuff I need for that.
So if you have suggestions for a leveling idea, I'm all ears. Or eyes.
For those that thought they were going to see some real cool new bandsaw design or feature (sorry Van!), my apologies. I feel like I should apologize (like at the end of Car Talk): "Well, you've wasted another perfectly good ten minutes of your life."
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?189852-2x4-tool-stands-preparing-lumber&highlight=
Got lots of good help, and that next Sunday and Monday evening, I built my "bandsaw mainframe."
LOL. Yes, another one of my over the top thread titles, that likely leads to disappointing reading.
My bandsaw mainframe is a stand that supports two Skil HD 10" bandsaws. These are real nice bandsaws that were made in Taiwan, and have some nice features: Cast aluminum body (low weight), 1/2-HP motor (and a real 1/2-HP), 7" of resaw.
Previously, I had only one of them on my workbench. It was setup for ripping/resawing. My spare saw (actually, I have two spares, I kept finding these saws for $50 to $100 on craigslist for a week or two, so I purchased three of them) was in storage. I had wanted to have a way to use one saw for ripping/resawing, and the other for curves (using the Carter stabilizer), so I figured I'd build a stand that could accommodate two saws. The bonus would be freeing up my workbench top.
I had originally intended to purchase one of the Rockler steel stands. When I got there I found that the early bird sale was over, and didn't want to spend $160. Knowing me, I'd also want a piece of BB plywood, and I'd be spending $200 for a stupid bandsaw stand.
I had some old 2x4's left from tearing out the crappy basement remodel the previous homeowner had done. So I figured, 2x4 stand.
I had intended to use a single piece of plywood for the top, and pocket hole screw it to the stand from below. But I didn't have any pieces of plywood that were large enough. So I decided to use two pieces of plywood (one for each saw), with some cleats on the bottom, that would just float in the top of the stand (thus the "mainframe").
So if I want to, I can actually lift either saw up and out of the stand without having to unbolt/unscrew anything. I don't know why I would ever do that, but like I said, I didn't have a large enough piece of plywood, so it is a feature!!!
After I decided to stick to materials on hand, I realized I needed a way to level the base. That is where I'm a bit stuck. Right now, I have a couple blocks of plywood under two legs. And that is certainly getting the job done. But it sure isn't very flexible (in the event I need to relocate the unit, I'd probably have to screw around with different thickness blocks of wood because my basement floor slopes towards a floor drain at different rates). Also, the two blocks of wood don't seem to do the bandsaw mainframe justice, LOL.
Truth be told, I'm not that big a fan of the way I've seen most levelling feet screw into wood legs. They basically pound a tee nut into the leg, and screw the foot into that. A year or two later, when you lift the stand, at least one foot and tee nut fall right out on the floor.
Rockler and McMaster have screw-in tee nuts:
http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=1641&site=ROCKLER
Certainly an improvement. But the screws would be going into end-grain of soft 2x4 stock (not great) and they are expensive. And it wouldn't be in the spirit of materials on hand thing. Buying a package of those tee nuts, and four levelling feet, could run $30!
So I'm trying to figure out some sort of flexible shimming system that wouldn't require spending $20 or $30, and would be neat enough to suit something as cool as a "bandsaw mainframe."
I also have to setup DC, but I have all the stuff I need for that.
So if you have suggestions for a leveling idea, I'm all ears. Or eyes.
For those that thought they were going to see some real cool new bandsaw design or feature (sorry Van!), my apologies. I feel like I should apologize (like at the end of Car Talk): "Well, you've wasted another perfectly good ten minutes of your life."