Keep or sell band saw?

P

Pedro G.

Well-Known Member
I just bought a milwaukee 6230N portable band saw from craigslist. It's brand new, even has the plastic on it and the box is still in perfect shape. I got it for 100$. This model is about 270-300$ new from a store.
I looking for a metal cutting band saw and I thought this would be a good opportunity and bought it. But now I have to build a table and stand and i'm new to building so I don't have much experience with these kind of things.
I was thinking I could just sell this one for 250$ and buy a harbor freight metal bandsaw with a 1 year warranty and have some money left over. But that band saw apparently isn't as good quality as this one.

I'm not too sure what to do here? What is your opinion, I can't decide :p

Thank you
-Peter
 
I'd keep the portaband.
I use mine more than the HF saw now. Mounting was only two screws and the table is only two screws. (you have a new tap and dye set) Sooner or later you'll have to get into simple fabrication unless you're independently wealthy. Even the table on the HF needed work to behave correctly.

Rudy
 
I don't think you'd get anywhere near what you're hoping on resale. There's probably a reason it waited around for you on Craigslist, that's the market for your area.

Don't over think it, keep it simple and you don't have to copy any particular plan. If you need a table or stand, I'm sure you could come up with something. You picked up the saw to make things that are quite a bit more difficult to do. If you come up with something that doesn't work out so well, then make version number two with the tweeks that you like.

Good luck with it, Craig
 
Do you know anywhere I can find plans for this table and stand. I have no idea where to start personally.
I've looked everywhere online and I can only find pictures of what people have made.
-Peter
 
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True but it is in mint and in my area milwaukee sells pretty expensive. I mean a 4 year old banged up machine with missing chips will go for 150-170 when it originally costs 250-300.
Alright, but where do I start?
-Peter
 
If you're determined to buy one.....
I saw some on ebay but they're pricey for what you actually get. I'd use the pictures of what people have made and modify it to my application. Half the fun is making a new tool better.

Rudy
 
Hm thank you for posting those, i've seen those but I wouldn't know how to make those... I also don't have any real metal laying around. I might have a piece of sheet metal somewhere but thats as far as it goes when it comes to large metal. I also have a very small supply of wood.
-Peter
 
If I showed you pictures of mine you might laugh. I sunk a pair of 1/4" bolts into the end of an 8" long scrap of 2x6, and drilled 2 holes in the frame of my portaband to bolt this onto it. I clamp the bandsaw into my bench vise by the 2x6 if I want to use it upright, and can still use it as a handheld without having to undo anything. Otherwise it lays on a shelf and dosen't take up bench space. I could build something more elaborate and might some day but have not needed to yet.
 
Would you be able to post a picture or two of it? Anything will be good to kick start my imagination. It sounds like a good mod though.
-Peter
 
Here you go-ignore that I bolted the 2x6 on crooked, I eyeballed the holes a little:3:
I need to epoxy the bolts in, you can see the lower one has backed out a little and is almost contacting the blade. The clearance here is a little tight as you can see but you might be able to find an easier spot to bolt something onto yours.

IMG_1669 (2).jpg
 
You could also see if there is a commercially available conversion stand for your model of portable bandsaw. I would google up the Milwaukee home site and see if they list one.

Doug
 
Thank you very much for taking the time to look for these. I am in the proccess of making my own stand atm. I have the main work done now I just have to finish it and then make it look presentable :p I have no Idea how i'm going to make the slit for the blade on the table but I might just take a 1/2 or a little more piece of wood and some how glue or something a piece of sheet metal on it to make the table.
Thank you
-Peter
 
I am still using the original table on my Porter Cable, it is small and weak but hasn't broken yet. The easiest way to slot a new one is probably to drill a hole for the back end of the slot and then make 2 parallel cuts into the hole from the front edge of the table piece. What part of Phx are you in? I'm a ways up the hill in Flagstaff.
 
Do you have any pictures of this?
I'm in north phoenix but i'll be going up to prescott next week.
-Peter
 
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