Band Saw vs Abrasive Chop Saw

[oliver1555]

I took a page out of BukitCase's notebook and made myself a bracket for 45ｰ miter cuts on the bandsaw.

View attachment 514229View attachment 514230

It saves a lot of time re squaring the back vice jaw to the blade. Would much rather have an Ellis, but I find this works well for me.

Terry

Thanks for posting this! About the only thing I don't like about my little Jet bandsaw is trying to accurately set the fence to get 45 degree cuts and then get it set back accurately to 90 degrees. From you pictures, I fabbed up a jig and it works great.

 

[shadetree]

I went to work on one today. Of course I had none of the right stuff so figured that I needed a couple of goes for practice anyway I'd use what I had. Being me without explicit directions I began to think. This is becoming more and more difficult for me or at least the results are less and less reliable. So I says half 45 is 22.5 so I cut two 22.5's and I'll have the 45. Now how do I do that? Haven'd had a protractor since I left work. Come on Google - lead me to a forestry site that was suppose to have an Excel spreadsheet that you just punched in numbers - never did see that but they had a pdf of results and I did some more thinking and figured 12 inches on the big leg of a carpenters square and 4 and 15/16 down the small leg and that would be much closer to 22.5 than I could make it. So cut a cardboard templete and set my saw. Made my cuts and That don't look right. Got to fitting and twisting and figured if I pressed the 22.5 into my fence at 90 I'd be closer. What's that 112.5? I don't know but it's about right. Need one more brace and I'll have it welded up. Sorry no pictures (I'm out of electrical tape)

 

[oliver1555]

Are you making this more complicated than it really is? (Not trying to be a smart aleck) I cut two pieces of 2"x2"x1/8" angle about 8" long with 45 degree angles on both ends. Then, squared them up to make a 90 degree and cut a piece of 2"x1/8" strap to fit. Finally, a piece of strap to stiffen the middle and a little piece of 2"x1/2" channel to keep it in place against the fence. It all came out of the scrap section of my metal rack. One piece of angle had been partially cut and welded back, possibly from trying to teach my wife to weld. I need to clean that up, as it looks like chicken crap. Anyway, a little paint to finish it off and I'm done. Next, I want to make an adjustable miter gauge. These pictures show a view of the bottom and the top.

 

[shadetree]

I'm sure this is simpler than I understood. Let me explain to myself.



set 22.5 angle



cut 22.5 angle the two did not fit as I expected



turned the saw fence to 90 butted the 22.5 cut into fence clamped and cut



needed some adjustment (what did you expect?)



45 looks close not bad for practice
will use to try some test cuts soon

 

[shadetree]

oliver1555 You WIN hands down. When I get my real stuff and do this over for real I'm going to do it your way. If I ever get my beads to look as good as your chicken stuff I will tell my instructor he done good considering what he was working with.

I was trying to explain what I did to my self and did not see your post until after I had posted. Or wouldn't have. Some days are better than others.

Getting old is a lot more fun then being old.

 

[Jeepnford]

I used an abrasive chop saw for several years, hated the dust. I just bought a Fein Slugger dry cut saw. So much better. It will throw shavings out so be prepared. Easy clean up with a magnet or broom. Eventually I might get one of the gizmos to use my portaband like a small horizontal band saw. I can't make a straight cut free hand with the portaband. The abrasive saw is going away.

 

[pgk]

My pick most of the time is a band saw, load it turn it on and walk away, I had a Scotchman Cold Saw with a pneumatic vise that was a beast of a saw but got tired of the coolant mess I just sold it and plan on upgrading my little 4 x 6 to a Ellis, I have a abrasive chop saw but hardly ever use that make to much of a mess and loud as heck.

Pete

 

[CADplans]

If I did not have my 9x16 bandsaw,,, I would quit metalworking,,,

I do hate making the blade pull through 12 inches of steel all at once.
The trick I learned was to angle the piece of steel so that the blade is only pulling through a few inches at one time.
The Jet has no problem pulling the blade through 4 inches of steel.

I have 30 and 60 degree adapters for my saw,,
I needed a lot of cuts at those angles.
I used the angle adapters to angle cut the parts for my picnic table build,,,

 

[pgk]

Nice picnic table design

Pete

 

[CADplans]

Nice picnic table design

Pete

Thanks,,, boards are on the table, we have used it for corn eating about a half dozen times,,