Swag PortAband Table ?????

[Gordon Gould]

I just bought a Milwaukee PortAband and am seriously considering a Swag PortAband table for making straight cuts on smaller pieces. The reviews on them seem very good - to good to be true actually. All perfect, except for a past problem with the miter groove sizing. Can you guys confirm that these Swag tables are as good as the reviews that I see on the Swag site say they are?? Thanks

gg

 

[Scooby074]

Portaband are great and a table is probably the best accessory you can get for one.

They are easy to make. I made mine in no time. Swag has a very good rep on the forums so Id imagine the quality was good if you wanted to buy one.

http://i650.photobucket.com/albums/...rtaband table/20150126_120732_zpsd158be39.jpg

 

[dragoneggs]

I have the Milwaukee Portaband and bought the SWAG table. Very good quality... no complaints... no issue with the miter groove. Easy to assemble and all fits together very well. I wouldn't hesitate. Get the optional foot pedal and put a spring clamp on the trigger. Makes life much easier.

 

[Gordon Gould]

OK thanks to booth of you - it is better to here it from people you trust. My saw is still in the mail not in my hands yet. From your pictures Scooby it looks like you just scribe the outline, catch a notch/hole in the saw, and add a thumb screw. Very good - seems quite doable.

While I'm here what blade(s) would you recommend for 1/8" to 1/2" mild steel ??

gg

 

[downsizingnow48]

I have used DeWalt, Lenox, Morse, and no-name blades from McMaster Carr. Generally cutting 3/16 - 3/4 inch material. Of these, the Morse 10-14 tpi variable pitch bimetal blades seem to be the best, in terms of fast cut, smooth cut, and how long they last before breaking

 

[Scooby074]

OK thanks to booth of you - it is better to here it from people you trust. My saw is still in the mail not in my hands yet. From your pictures Scooby it looks like you just scribe the outline, catch a notch/hole in the saw, and add a thumb screw. Very good - seems quite doable.

While I'm here what blade(s) would you recommend for 1/8" to 1/2" mild steel ??

gg

Thats all there is too it! Getting the contour of the cutout is the only hard part. You dont want to go too deep. I made a template out of cardboard for the first attempt. Then you need a way to mount the table to something. I have receiver tubes welded to my welding table and just used one of them to hold up the portaband saw/table combo.

I wouldnt sweat making a mitre groove/slot. It can be done and I considered it, but I never have had a need for a mitre gauge yet, i just free hand it, its very easy to use.

 

[rkaufmann]

I also have the Milwaukee 6232-21 variable speed Porta-Band. I've been using the Morse 10/14 TPI blades cutting 1/4"-3/8" mild steel shapes for a frame for a ballast barrel I'll be building this spring. They work well for this purpose and seem to last well if you don't try to "horse" them through the material. I am planning on getting the SWAG table in the future as well so I'll look forward to comments from others who have used them.
Rick

 

[dragoneggs]

I'm using a 14tpi blade for thin plate and bar stock up to 1/2in. I'm no expert though. Here is a pic of my SWAG table kind of tucked away at the moment. I use a couple different miter gauges on my table with no issue. Here is a pic with my wood-backed one sitting on the table from my Delta table saw. Notice the large well-made foot pedal as well... again, highly recommend this accessory otherwise you will be fiddling behind your blade for on/off.

 

[Ed of all trades]

Thanks guys, looks like I will be having a shop in 2 places on the same land. This will help in the basement shop. Ed

 

[Gordon Gould]

The foot switch sounds like a good idea. I am thinking that I will have to rig up a power switch anyway since I will need a clamp of some sort on the saw variable speed trigger to hold it on. I might as well use the easy and convenient foot switch. Thanks for all the info on the table and blades everyone.

gg

 

[lostcreekranch]

Anyone know if SWAG adapts to the HF Portable Band Saw?

 

[rkaufmann]

Anyone know if SWAG adapts to the HF Portable Band Saw?

Yes it will. See link below. Version 1 and 3 should work for the HF saw. Version 3 has the mitre gauge slot.
Rick

SWAG Portaband Tables

 

[lostcreekranch]

Yes it will. See link below. Version 1 and 3 should work for the HF saw. Version 3 has the mitre gauge slot.
Rick

SWAG Portaband Tables

Thanks much!

 

[lostcreekranch]

I just ordered the version 1.0 Swag table. I have the older model HF 47848 Portable Bandsaw, the red one not the orange one. The Swag version 1.0 is only one they offer to fit it.



If I were to trade up to the newer HF 62800 Portable bandsaw ($130 - 20% = $104) and spend another $130 on the Swag version 3.0, I just as well just buy the HF 93762 ($260 - 20% = $208) vertical / horizontal band saw. Would be some added cost to put a proper stand with casters under though. Maybe $20-30 max.





If I were to upgrade to a Milwaukee or Dewalt difference is even greater.

My needs are hobbyist / ranch use only.

 

[CNC Dan]

Harbor fright Sells a foot pedal switch that works with that saw nicely. Be sure to the the on/off one, not the variable speed one.

And there may also be a push on/push off style too. I wouldn't like that, but you might.
You can also make a larger table, and stand yoursrlf. That's what I did after seeing Jody of weldingtipsandtricks.com do the same(look on youtube).
I made mine so I can just lift it out of the stand, if I need to use it normaly. The larger table can get in the way sometimes, but it can be changes back to the original easly.

 

[IslandTractor]

I have the 3.0 version of the Swag table for my Milwaukee. I also have the HF foot pedal. They work well together.

Worthwhile getting a good quality sliding miter gauge for the table too.

 

[Gordon Gould]

Well I got the Swag table and I really like it. It came across the country in 3 days with free shipping. I have the version 3 table and the 6232-20 deep-cut saw.



When you mount the saw you hang it on a tab in the back of the table and then insert a thumb screw from underneath up thru the slot in the saw material guide and up into a threaded hole into the table. When the thumb screw is tight there is a 1/4" open space between the material guide and the table bottom.



Tightening the thumb screw causes the saw to cock over to the right so the blade is not square to the table. To square up the blade you have to drive a set screw down thru the table top to lever the saw vertical using the thumb screw as a fulcrum. Took a lot of force. So much that the table deformed slightly and one side of the blade kerf in the table was higher than the other. That was easy to fix by clamping down the four legs of the table to my work cart.



I didn't care for this that much even though it worked fine. I removed the set-screw and I cut a piece of 1/4" bar and drilled a 5/16' hole in it for a spacer between the guide and the table.



Doing this the blade squared itself up just fine and I was happier. Probably just lucky too as I don't have a clue about the dimension variations between the saw and table.



This set-up is going to be very handy and that is my report on the Swag ver 3 Port-A-Band Table.

Edit: I also got the foot switch. It works fine. It is branded Harbor Freight. Might be cheaper to go direct ???

gg

 

[dragoneggs]

:thumbsup::thumbsup: You will enjoy it especially with the foot switch!

 

[Scooby074]

I know youll love the table. Opens up a whole new world for portabands. I never free hand mine anymore unless its some large piece that is too awkward to run through the PB mounted in its table.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

I have two porta bands, one is a Mil, the other is a Rockwell... I have the Rockwell on a tripod that works pretty good.

I've been using Lennox bands, they are pretty good quality...

SR