Portable bandsaw?

[missilemaster]

Hey guys,   I'm thinking about getting a 9" or10" benchtop bandsaw for the portability and for smaller detail work. I know there are several brands to choose from so I was wondering if anyone had one or has had one and could recommend one or steer me clear of one.  Thanks

               Cody

[osage outlaw]

I've had 3 different brands of 9" band saws over the years,  Ryobi, Delta, and Skil.  They are all about the same.  The Delta seemed to be just a little better quality.  You could probably find a good deal on one on Craigslist.

[Wiley]

So your basically looking for a porta-band with a table? We have a Milwaukee porta-band but no table for it, haven't used it so I couldn't tell you how well it works. I've got a 14" bandsaw that does everything I need a bandsaw to do. You might just mean bench bandsaw, which isn't quite as portable as a porta-band.

[missilemaster]

Yes I'm looking for a small bandsaw not a portaband. I also have a 14" but I have a 5/8" blade on it and when I want to cut smaller curves I dont want to have to replace it with a 1/4" blade.

[H Rhodes]

I have two bandsaws, a 14" which I use most of the time and a little ten inch craftsman.  The little one I use mostly for arrow making, and for nock overlays etc.  It won't stand up to much serious bow building tasks in my opinion.  I put the widest blade on it that I could find and have adjusted it every way that I could think of.  It is lightweigt and you could feasibly take it with you in the trunk of your car and set it up on a benchtop when you get to your destination, but it isn't going fit the bill for sawing out staves.  It does come in handy at times though and I have had no trouble with it.  Cutting thinner materials, you could definately cut tighter curves.

[osage outlaw]

Cody, I have my saws set up like you are wanting to do and its nice.  I use the small one for all kinds of smaller projects like overlays and arrows.  Its quicker to pull out the 9" and use it instead of switching out blades on a big saw.

[Pat B]

Cody, my first band saw was a 9" or 10" Grizzly. It was a solid saw and worked for many of my and my wife's projects but I later decided I was killing it using it for my bow building saw. It will work as a portable bow building saw but not your go to saw. You just have to take it slow, let the saw do the work and not try to rush or overstress it, just like with building bows. 
 I have a few different Grizzly power tools(bandsaw, table saw, 6"x48" belt/disk sander) and I would recommend them. If necessary they have parts and good tech support.

[Jim Davis]

Check out OWWM.org for band saws that were made  in the USA 20 or more years ago. I have a 12" Craftsman I got at the dump for free, a 14" Canadian "Beaver" brand that I paid $75 for and a real odie Delta 10" that I paid $5 for at  a yard sale. I did a little work  on each of them  and they all  work better than anything you  can buy for $300 new.

Every big box store woodworking machine is a cheaply made plastic and pot metal monster. They are throw-away machines that are not worth fixing when they go bad. Most are also  poorly made clones of American designs.

Here's  my favorite.

Jim Davis

[Wiley]

Don't mean to derail the thread but what is it with bandsaws and pot metal? Chinese made bandsaws are definitely not a tools made to last. Our Jet 14" is one of those poorly made clones of american designs of a Delta 14".

When I took an interest in bow making we moved the Jet 14" bandsaw from the barn to the basement. The blade guides and motor pulley were both crumbling to pieces. Replaced the pulley with a steel one, replaced the guides with a retrofit from Carter that put the old setup to shame. Whole thing is better than it left the factory. Stay away from old Jet bandsaws unless you feel like putting a couple hundred into it, although if you could find one where the potmetal pulleys and guides were gone you might walk away from it costing hardly anything. All in all better than any $300 bandsaw on the market today. At least they seem to have put a good motor in it.

[Gsulfridge]

Cody, I have a 10" Craftsman that I now use for smaller work.  I used it for a year as my main saw for bow building and it stood up to the abuse.  I did order premium blades for it for sawing out staves.  I think it is a 1/2 hp and can handle blades from 3/8" to 3/4" if I'm not mistaken.  The saw is around $140 bucks I think.

[The Gopher]

if you are only doing detail work what about a scroll saw? The first bow i made i used a scroll saw to cut it out, and that was the whole bow!

Usually the blade can be mounted sideways so that you aren't getting interference with the bow limbs and the back of the scroll arm. This would be an affordable and portable option. Also Blades are really cheap and you can get an aggressive blade for roughing out bows too if you had to.

[missilemaster]

Thanks guys, I'll take a look at the craftsman

[ravenbeak]

Check out the rikon 10-305  it is a 10 inch saw with all metal construvtion.
I purchased one for smaller jobs and could not ne happier.
Stay away from the 9 inch plastic junk out there

[Mad Max]

Don't mean to derail the thread but what is it with bandsaws and pot metal? Chinese made bandsaws are definitely not a tools made to last. Our Jet 14" is one of those poorly made clones of american designs of a Delta 14".

When I took an interest in bow making we moved the Jet 14" bandsaw from the barn to the basement. The blade guides and motor pulley were both crumbling to pieces. Replaced the pulley with a steel one, replaced the guides with a retrofit from Carter that put the old setup to shame. Whole thing is better than it left the factory. Stay away from old Jet bandsaws unless you feel like putting a couple hundred into it, although if you could find one where the potmetal pulleys and guides were gone you might walk away from it costing hardly anything. All in all better than any $300 bandsaw on the market today. At least they seem to have put a good motor in it.

We lost our (made in the USA) items in the late 1990's and early 2000's to over sea's manufactures
Item's are not made to last anymore, they want you to use them up and buy a new one again.
You are better off buying a older model and fixing it, and it could last you for ever if you buy a good name brand.
I have a 36" DoAll band saw, I bought it in 1990 used.  It's in my Ornamental shop.

[Badger]

  I have a small 1000 watt generator and have been wanting to get a small bandsaw and small sander that it could power in the field for camping trip bow building where I would be doing some teaching.