Re: Emerson Horizontal bandsaw?

Bob La Londe <none@none.com99> wrote:

On 8/27/2024 3:02 PM, Jim Wilkins wrote:

"Bob La Londe"  wrote in message news:val753$33ff9$1@dont-email.me...

I moved the original fence to a solid location for 8", and then made a
new fence for the regular position with a tooless screw/handle for angle
cuts.  Most of the time I do not use the original fence in its new
locations.  Maybe never since I got the 7x12 bandsaw for larger stock.

...

That sounds like a better approach. I kept the original fence and
changed only the fasteners, so it's still clumsy to adjust.

...

It occurred to me that I do almost exclusively straight cuts with the
7x12.  I may remove the swivel fence and install a fixed fence on it. It
can drift a little from closing forces [...]

On my 4x6 bandsaw, I replaced both parts of the "vise" (the swivel
fence with one fixed bolt and one bolt in a quarter-circle slot, and
the short screw-driven fence that pivots on one bolt) with taller,
longer pieces of 2x3x1/4" angle, making both pieces the same except
for corner cutouts for clearance for the back blade guide.  The extra
inch or so of height helps with tall thin stock, as well as making it
easier to add C-clamps for tighter clamping when needed.

Pasks Makes on YouTube did a bunch of "fixes" to his 4x6 in a video with
some great tips a while back.  Another useful one for me might be to
make a table that clamps into the vise for using the saw in a vertical
position, and just get rid of my vertical bandsaw that doesn't have
enough torque at steel cutting SFM anyway.

A table that clamps into the vise does sound easy and useful!

When I first got my 4x6 (ca 2001?) I occasionally installed the
"Vertical Cutting Table" but messing around with that changeover soon
got old and I installed a smaller table that stays on all the time,
horizontal or vertical.  Important dimensions are table length in
front of the blade, and table extension to the left of the blade.  If
either size is too big, the table hits the frame before the saw is all
the way down when horizontal sawing.  Anyhow, in 1/8" steel plate* I
drilled and countersunk 3 holes for the mounting screws**, and cut a
slot for blade changing and for blade clearance when sawing.***

*About 84 mm wide, 117 mm long, both of which can be enlarged if
desired.  **Two holes each 60 mm from front edge, at 16.3 and 60 from
left edge; one each 103 mm from front edge, 56.5 from left edge.  ***
0.7 mm slot parallel to left edge and 36.5 mm from it; running 43 from
front edge, with last 14 mm of slot widened to ~3 mm.

A small table like this also could have one or two holes (threaded or
plain) for supporting an edge of a vise-mounted table as used for
more-accurate work or larger workpieces.

I use the horizontals as verticals regularly, but I only use the
vertical for wood, plastic, and sometimes aluminum.  Never for steel.
Well, I have, but its pretty disappointing.