Portable Bandsaw

[Richard Wolf]

I'm thinking I could really use a portable bandsaw to take to the job site with me. Any suggestions?

Richard

[tod evans]

how portable richard? my mm16 is on a job now....even the lil` 14 inchers take two folks to move. or are you asking about the milwaukee "portaband" like plumbers use? tod

[Richard Wolf]

tod
That 16" is not portable!
I already have the Milwaukee for cutting wrought iron balusters.
I was looking for something I could use to cut curved parts for my stairs instead of using a jigsaw.

Richard

[Paul B. Cresti]

Richard,
How rough do you need your parts to be? Will you be shaping them with your Hoffman router afterwards?

I think the only "portable" bandsaw of any real value is a 14" pick you color. I would guess you would want a 1/4" blade or do you think 1/2" will make your cuts with reliefing them. I guess the other part of the puzzle is how thick are these parts? are you talking handrail parts, I assume? Did you eve try using that PC OSS it is handheld for job site use and can be mounted in a router table as a regular OSS. That is what I use in my shop as I do not have enough room for a dedicated unit.

[Walt Pater]

Works for me when I need to scribe pieces too narrow to clamp

[tod evans]

tod
That 16" is not portable!

Richard

well other than talking with a slightly higher pitch and walking funny i move it around some:)

i think as long as there`s two of you on a job the 14" units aren`t real bad and would offer you the ability to do most curves on sight. personally i think the 12" units wouldn`t hold up very well to jobsight abuse. an open stand unit is usually lighter than the closed stand variety, the one i used to drag to jobs had studs welded to the stand so it could quickly be dissasembled and reassembled using wingnuts, i rigged the motor on a hinge attached to the stand so the motors weight tensioned the belt but was easy to pop the belt off, that way the weight of the motor was with the stand. makes for 2 pieces around 100# each....02 tod