Portable bandsaw

[Hitch]

Anyone got any experience of using the larger portable bandsaw for wood cutting?
This sort of thing.

Eyeing up a job that will involve some curved cuts (600+radius) approx metre long in softwood sleepers, so 100mm ish thick.

Would need to make an ally baseplate/table to sit on the timber Ito keep the cut fairly square I imagine.

Obviously the blade would be important, and suited to ripping wood.

The chainsaw type beam saw attachments for circular saws looks fun, but not suited to curves I'm guessing.

The bigboy Maffell saw would be good, but the budget isn't going to stretch to that at over £4k

 

[Brad93]

Very useful tools. Not sure about how safe they are but a chainsaw can be deadly I suppose.

 

[Hitch]

Very useful tools. Not sure about how safe they are but a chainsaw can be deadly I suppose.

12" Beam Cutter - Model PR-2700

Convert Your Circular Saw into a Versatile, Labor Saving, Beam Cutter.

www.praziusa.com

 

[gaz1]

its called carving with a chainsaw

 

[gaz1]

the other options is to chain drill with a hole cutter to form a round circle

chisel off or use a recipe saw to cut round it

Mac Allister MSRS850 850W Electric Reciprocating Saw 220-240V

Order online at Screwfix.com. Powerful Mac Allister reciprocating saw. Ideal for cutting wood, metal and plastic. Variable speed to suit different applications. Supplied with wood blade, metal blade and hex key. FREE next day delivery available, free collection in 5 minutes.

www.screwfix.com

have an adaptor and you can fit a file on the end of it

 

[gaz1]

i will give you this to watch as small chainsaws can be bought

this should help alot on how to curve

pay attention to where they use that blade never on the tip

 

[not done it yet]

That is not a large bandsaw, by any means. What I will say is that the motor will not supply 1100W. More likely less than half that much.

My 150mm x 100mm band saw only has a 1/2HP motor to operates perfectly adequately. Portable but not free-hand like that one.

 

[Bravheart]

The one in the link looks pretty much like the one sold in aldi and made by sheppach. It also has a 1100w motor but also comes with a removeable base with a quick release holding clamp and is about half that price iirc. Both however only seem to mention metal cutting not sure if wood blades are available.

 

[Agroshield]

Both however only seem to mention metal cutting not sure if wood blades are available.

Once you know the band diameter, thickness and width someone like tuffsaws (https://www.tuffsaws.co.uk/) will make you one with any tooth profile you like. It is a ripping cut more than a cross cut, so coarser the better.

If it is designed for metal, the surface feet per minute of the blade might be too low than that recommended for wood. It is not a problem as such, just slows the process down.

On the suggested one, what is the throat depth? If you draw an arc of 600mm radius and then draw a 1m long chord to that arc, the centre offset is 268mm.

If the portable one proves too small, the next step up is the generic 6" x 4" bandsaw, but again it might have too small a throat and too slow a blade speed.

It is not 100% clear from the post but do you intend to push the saw through the timber or the timber through the saw?

 

[James1979]

Anyone got any experience of using the larger portable bandsaw for wood cutting?
This sort of thing.

No. but Swag off road make a stand for the Milwaukee one so you can use it like a vertical bandsaw if that helps you decide.

Google / forum search “Alaskan Mill” for the other type. They’re mainly meant for planking. You need a big saw, ripping chain and plenty of fuel. Fun is not a word I would pick

Never used one to cut a radius but if you made a bent former instead of the usual ladder type I’d imagine 600 rad may be doable. You would probably need to run the chain slack. Not a long term solution but if it’s a couple of cuts you may be alright.

You do get really long jigsaw blades now. Not sure if that would work but chucking it out there.

 

[123hotchef]

No. but Swag off road make a stand for the Milwaukee one so you can use it like a vertical bandsaw if that helps you decide.

Google / forum search “Alaskan Mill” for the other type. They’re mainly meant for planking. You need a big saw, ripping chain and plenty of fuel. Fun is not a word I would pick

Never used one to cut a radius but if you made a bent former instead of the usual ladder type I’d imagine 600 rad may be doable. You would probably need to run the chain slack. Not a long term solution but if it’s a couple of cuts you may be alright.

You do get really long jigsaw blades now. Not sure if that would work but chucking it out there.

I actually had my milwakee band saw and Swag stand up for sale on here a while back. It is still sitting in the box only been used a couple of times to cut some hex bar.

 

[Bravheart]

Get the speed thing for wood and good to know blades can be got. The blade speed on the aldi is 0.7-2.4 m/s

 

[James1979]

12" Beam Cutter - Model PR-2700

Convert Your Circular Saw into a Versatile, Labor Saving, Beam Cutter.

www.praziusa.com

Jesus. That looks dangerous! I thought you meant the planking type for an actual chainsaw.

Thing with contraptions like that is mis matched speed and I can’t see a means of oiling the chain?

To be honest re reading your first post I’d say just get a jigsaw with a long series blade and follow a scribed line. 100mm isn’t that thick if you take your time and you’ve got the right blade. A portaband on a table like @123hotchef ’s will make a better job of it and you can use it for other stuff.

There’s a decent amount of cleanup on a chainsaw ripping cut but that might not be important to you.

 

[Hitch]

Finish isn't massively important, but square and a consistent curve is. They'll be lined with a protective layer of carpet or similar.

The Mafell bandsaw would be the ideal tool.

 

[eLuSiVeMiTe]

Finish isn't massively important, but square and a consistent curve is. They'll be lined with a protective layer of carpet or similar.

The Mafell bandsaw would be the ideal tool.

Are you going to have enough throat depth with the handhelds to form the curve.

Personally for a one off job I'd template and find someone with a big bandsaw. Local sawmill to me would probably do it.

 

[bricol]

Finish isn't massively important, but square and a consistent curve is. They'll be lined with a protective layer of carpet or similar.

The Mafell bandsaw would be the ideal tool.

You'd have to do a lot of cutting of the waste away to get clearance for the throat of the saw - soon bottoms out.

With that radius and that thickness of softwood, a decent hand saw would do it as neatly - although a few of them might be a bit tiring.

 

[Hitch]

It would be effectively this sort of thing. Usually used 6 at a time.
I'm not chain drilling and filing, not rip cutting 6metres by hand.

If I can't do them half efficiently, then theres no point.

I imagined cutting one half of the curve, then cutting from the other way to to solve the bow getting in the way issue... if its got a 125 capacity, then as long the deepest depth of the chord isn't over 120 it shouldn't get in the way.

Might go down the jigsaw route and laminate them up out of some 8x2s.

 

[bricol]

It would be effectively this sort of thing. Usually used 6 at a time.
I'm not chain drilling and filing, not rip cutting 6metres by hand.

If I can't do them half efficiently, then theres no point.

I imagined cutting one half of the curve, then cutting from the other way to to solve the bow getting in the way issue... if its got a 125 capacity, then as long the deepest depth of the chord isn't over 120 it shouldn't get in the way.

Might go down the jigsaw route and laminate them up out of some 8x2s.

View attachment 364071

Ah - ok. Might work then - shame Aldi don't still have theirs.

I have a Harbor Freight version I used on timber with the blades that came with it with no hassle.

 

[gaz1]

that bandsaw wont touch it not enough blade

to laminate up it wont be 8x2s

i presume the curve is inside of the metal ?

however now ive seen what you intend to do

 

[Maker]

It would be effectively this sort of thing. Usually used 6 at a time.
I'm not chain drilling and filing, not rip cutting 6metres by hand.

If I can't do them half efficiently, then theres no point.

I imagined cutting one half of the curve, then cutting from the other way to to solve the bow getting in the way issue... if its got a 125 capacity, then as long the deepest depth of the chord isn't over 120 it shouldn't get in the way.

Might go down the jigsaw route and laminate them up out of some 8x2s.

View attachment 364071

What's it for?