Harbor Freight portaband mod

[Stormcrow]

Here's a cheap new addition to my shop that has made life easier. I took a Harbor Freight portaband and converted it to serve as a bench bandsaw for cutting out handle profiles and trimming blade profiles. Works a lot faster and with more control than an abrasive cutoff wheel in an angle grinder.

I built it to clamp in my vice. I took off the carrying handle and laid out the holes on a piece of angle iron, ground some clearance for the handle, and bolted it back together. Clamp it up in the vice and it's at a nice working height.

Since it's built to be hand held, it didn't come with a cutting table, just a little stop to butt up against the piece you're cutting. I took a small piece of plate and used the saw itself to cut out a square. I then detached the stop, laid out the holes on a piece of angle iron, welded it on the plate, and cut the notch for the blade with my chop saw.

Nothing is modified on the saw itself and everything can be taken off easily to take the saw back if it burns out (yes, I got the warranty). It works well and was darn cheap. I run it at full speed ever since trying low speed and letting some of the smoke that motors run on leak out.

An example of its work:

 

[Lagrange]

Great money saving idea.
Here's mine.

 

[Rudy Joly]

For a cheap saw, it cuts circles around my 4x6.
4 years and still going, if it dies today I have nothing to cry about. I made a bracket to use the handle holes and mounted it to my shelves upright. Aluminum table screwed with self tapping screws to the underside, quick and easy.

Rudy

 

[Stormcrow]

Those are both nice renditions! Eric, do you have a picture of how you have the saw attached to the table?

 

[Lagrange]

I will get some pictures and post them later today or early tomorrow.

 

[TacticallySharp]

Just made a bracket for my Milwaukee portaband. A master switch electric box for the on/off. Table is next. I got the idea from a similar setup I saw at Wade's shop. I found a Milwaukee made in the U.S. unit new in the box covered in dust at my industrial hardware store. Got it for cheap as it had been sitting there for years. The newer ones have a black plastic cover and they are made in China.



Also my first welding job, thanks to my friend Fred for teaching me how to use the welder & my other friend David gave it to me for Christmas.

 

[Stormcrow]

Good score, George!

 

[KenH]

Ya'll make me look bad with your well built and detailed porta-band setups. I just bolted the handle to a piece of plywood laying around, used Velco strap for trigger, cut a scrap piece of metal for table - counter sunk screws so they don't hang. The way the handle drops into the table saw slot Porta-band is pretty steady.



Isn't pretty, but it does work much better than I expected.

Ken H>

 

[Lagrange]

Here are some mounting pictures of my saw. I didnt do this scientifically so...

 

[Stormcrow]

Thanks, Eric! That took more drilling, but I bet it's rock solid.

 

[Lagrange]

Thanks, Eric! That took more drilling, but I bet it's rock solid.

Yeah its solid. If you noticed on the first picture I used some angle to brace the bottom of the legs. Later I went back and drilled some holes through those angles so I could screw it down to the bench...or you can use C clamps to hold it down. I like it. It takes a bit of drilling to get it put together, but it is worth it and it also makes it portable so you can put it where you want it and are not restricted to having it in a vise.