Home made bandsaw

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FGarbrecht

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Aug 22, 2019
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618
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NY
As I've been learning how to turn pens, I've also been outfitting my basement shop including building a 14" bandsaw. I used the woodgears.ca bandmill plan (https://woodgears.ca/index.html) which also converts into a small horizontal lumber mill if you want. I still need to enclose the blade assembly and motor to make it safer, but just ran my first test cut and was actually a bit surprised at how nicely it cut (even with a cheap HF blade).

The frame is assembled from a zillion interlocking pieces of lumber, and somehow I managed to misread the build plans and I put it all together as its mirror image. I spent a week thinking about how to make it functional as a mirror image, but just couldn't figure it out, so I started over and built it again properly; so now I have a very nice mirror image frame that I guess will be helping to heat my house this winter.
bandsaw.jpg
 
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SteveJ

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Jul 11, 2012
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Grand Junction, Colorado
That is awesome. I've thought of trying to build one myself but haven't had the time to invest in it (of course owning a bandsaw already limits my motivation!) How long did it take you?
 

FGarbrecht

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Aug 22, 2019
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Location
NY
Thanks
That is awesome. I've thought of trying to build one myself but haven't had the time to invest in it (of course owning a bandsaw already limits my motivation!) How long did it take you?
Thanks. It's not complete yet, but has taken about 6 weeks so far (including the wasted time making the mirror image frame!). Each layer of the frame has to be glued up separately and dried overnight, so the frame assembly alone took more than a week. It's been a lot of fun. I don't have a commercial bandsaw, and I've spent so much money on other machinery I was worried my wife would have a stroke if I came home with another piece of equipment! I think if you had solid blocks of time to devote, it could be done in less than two weeks, but I'm trying to get shop time in small increments between work and family committments.
 

Curly

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Nov 20, 2010
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Saskatoon SK., Canada.
Nice to see people making instead of buying.
Years ago there was a company that sold plans and parts kits to make woodworking machines like your bandsaw, sanders etc. They used to advertise in Fine Wood Working magazine back in the black and white days.

Oh you could make a bandsaw for lefties with your oops frame.
 

leehljp

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Feb 6, 2005
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9,314
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Tunica, Mississippi,
If you can do that, you can learn the great art of urushi finish! WELL DONE! One qualities of urushi finishing is to let the vision of the finished product guide you . . . and keep trying and keep trying.

I think you will enjoy that saw and keep it running a long time.

For those wondering what I am writing about - he asked a question about urushi finishes in another post.
 

FGarbrecht

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Joined
Aug 22, 2019
Messages
618
Location
NY
Looks like it will be a pia to change the blade. Didnt want to put the drive belt behind the blade wheel?
You have sharp eyes. The motor is mounted on a hinged plate so the drive belt slips off really easily and the blade is no problem to get off. Putting a new blade on is a bit of a hassle though. It would be simple to flip the lower wheel around, but I don't plan on changing blades often - I don't anticipate resawing lumber with nails in it!
 
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