Stand for Milwaukee Porta Band Saw

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MIG welded this stand for the porta band. Really handy tool to have. Used it on a few projects as soon as I finished building it(before paint). Had a buddy machine up the aluminum top plate. Had a little trouble getting the blade square to the aluminum table. May have to shim one side of the table up a little. Also need some type of on/off switch. Paint is drying now, will assemble later with a few more pics. For now, I'm just clamping it to the welding table, may come up with rubber feet later. Enjoy the pics. Attached Images
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Reply:well done! thats very sweet!
Reply:Painted the stand black, matches the Milwaukee black on the saw. I think it looks pretty cool. Leveled out(shimmed) the aluminum plate and she cuts perfect. Used it a lot already, it's my "go to" tool to cut wood, metal, plastic, bolts, everything !!! Never had a metal vertical band saw in the garage before well, I do now, and I'm using the hell out of it !!! Still need some type of on/off switch. Very happy with the saw, should have bought one years ago. More projects coming soon !!! Enjoy the pics.....ZZ. Attached Images
Reply:How did you get the blade at a right angle to the table, did you shim the saw guides or mount the saw at an angle to the table to compensate for the slight angle the Portaband blade has? You can build a simple switch using a combination switch/receptacle in a box with a cord attached, just plug it into the wall and plug your saw into the combination device. I am actually building one using an old magnetic motor controller, it will be portable so I can use it with different tools.Miller Challenger 172Miller Thunderbolt AC/DC 225/150Miller Maxstar 150 STLVictor 100CVictor JourneymanOxweld OAHarris O/ASmith O/A little torchNo, that's not my car.
Reply:HF makes two foot pedals.  Power goes thru it to the saw.  One lets you step on the pedal, and saw runs as long as you apply pressure. Other starts saw when you step down on pedal and release pressure, and will stop saw when you step on it and click down again.  Good luck on your project. Looks professionalSent from my DROID RAZR HD using Tapatalk 4 BetaTxDoc's Photos Lincoln SP175 PlusLincoln Power Mig 256Lincoln 250 LX Spool Gun Lincoln Precision Tig 225 Hypertherm 600 KMG 2x72 Belt GrinderBaldor 812RE Grinder
Reply:I have a step to power  switch that I use on my drill press and for my port-a-band saw in the table I made, step down and start working let up and things come to a stop.works nice in the drill press too.You have a nice table setup and one of the step down for power pedals  would work great with it, use a cable tie around the trigger switch to hold it down. Then plug into the pedal and away you go,Joe
Reply:Wow! I am very impressed. Nice table and stand. Great saw too. Sweet job.PlasmaCam CNC cutterLathe and Band SawClamps
Reply:Really great idea and excellent execution! I just may have to poach this one.   Try scrounging an old Singer sewing machine pedal...they are usually cheap or free.
Reply:Thanks for the helpful tips and compliments on the saw / stand. Luv that thing...soooo freekin handy to have around. Don't know how I got anything done without it. Great time saver.    @ bigb >>>    I just eyeballed the saw vertical in 2 directions and welded/bolted it in place. Then made a few cuts and noticed it was cutting a little crooked so I shimmed the top of the 2 left side legs that hold up the aluminum plate. Cuts square now........more projects coming....ZZ.
Reply:Awesome job... I have the same saw. I wasn't sure a table was possible for this model.
Reply:There really isn't a "square" surface/edge on the saw to align the plate to(other than the blade itself). I just eyeballed it vertically and shimmed it up later when I was done building it....cuts nice and square every time. Very handy tool......ZZ.
Reply:SWAG off road sells a few tables for porta band saws.......http://www.swagoffroad.com/SWAG-V40-...able_p_63.html
Reply:I have a SWAG base with my Milwaukee saw.  My blade is skewed 5.5 degrees from the miter gauge slot.  I think the table is generally square to the saw, but the blade on my saw isn't perfect to design intent. Remember the blade is twisted at exit and entry points with small bearings.  The path of the saw blade isn't on one plane perpendicular to the cut path.  If it were, you couldn't make a cut in the middle of a long workpiece.  I angle my table saw miter to match but then I have to allow my work to float in the miter tool.  You can't clamp the work to the miter head, it has to be free to slide left and right.   When I'm doing critical cuts, I use machinist's layout blue on the work, and scribe it, then cut just a hair to side of the line.  Produces very high quality cuts, but its a pain in the neck.  I'd much prefer to square the saw up to the miter slot.  The SWAG table is nice, but not adjustable for that characteristic.  zip.
Reply:Great job, I too love the table (I'm green with envy).Dave ReberWadsworth Ohio
Reply:Well done ZZWELD , nice workI will try my best to be understoodMY DREAM GARAGE
Reply:Originally Posted by zipzitI have a SWAG base with my Milwaukee saw.  My blade is skewed 5.5 degrees from the miter gauge slot.  I think the table is generally square to the saw, but the blade on my saw isn't perfect to design intent. Remember the blade is twisted at exit and entry points with small bearings.  The path of the saw blade isn't on one plane perpendicular to the cut path.  If it were, you couldn't make a cut in the middle of a long workpiece.  I angle my table saw miter to match but then I have to allow my work to float in the miter tool.  You can't clamp the work to the miter head, it has to be free to slide left and right.   When I'm doing critical cuts, I use machinist's layout blue on the work, and scribe it, then cut just a hair to side of the line.  Produces very high quality cuts, but its a pain in the neck.  I'd much prefer to square the saw up to the miter slot.  The SWAG table is nice, but not adjustable for that characteristic.  zip.