New to me Bandsaw and talbe of metal working stuff....

OK, so I picked up a metal band-saw a few weeks ago for $100. I asked your opinion and did research and while it is not an awesome band-saw monster from Hades, it will work fine for what I need it to do. I have a big one in my workshop and I'm familiar with what a band-saw is good for...and what it is not good for.

So I get it home and it works great! Much better than I expected from what I read. It cuts withing a degree or two of 90 left-right and 90 up-down. I can shave off a slice consistently .058" thick. The variance for a 1.5x.125 square tube is about .05" as measured lenths of all 4 corners. For what I do, that is fine.

But I quickly assessed the base and it was crap! I also need a good place to mount my grinder. And I want to use it in the vertical position so it needed to be taller so I don't stoop while using it.

Time to practice fab skills and make a table. So here is what I come up with...





Vertical position with the sub base for the table made. I need a sheet of steel to make the actual supporting table surface.


And the front of the saw in the vertical position


Since picts were taken I've got a lower shelf cut out of plywood and I've put my abrasive cut off saw there as well as a cutoff box to keep scrap steel.

I can roll it around, take it outside, use the little side area for welding on after I take the flammables off the lower shelf, clamping and grinding, etc. And I got to practice my cutting and welding skills. All in all, I've very happy with how it turned out.

Now I can get back to getting my dash/pedals/steering column into the jeep. I've got to fab up some brackets and fit everything together so it should get a workout this weekend. Then I might be able to update my build thread.


Maybe.

 

Chuck's vice rebuild reminded me I have my grandfathers old vice that he never used. I need one but never mounted it on anything. My all metal table would work...

So I cleaned it up and welded in a couple of supports and mounted it.

Here she is all cleaned up and mounted...and a little black paint on the words to make them stand out.....


This is a piece I cut off to make the support fit. I wanted to see how thin I could take off.


Cut off .045" at the thin section and .051 at the thick section


This is the notch I cut on the angle iron to fit one piece of angle under another one. No way could I have done this with my tools before I got this band saw. Not with this precision anyway.


And with that, I set down to some goldfish and a Linnie Canoe Paddler.


Now I got to take it apart and paint it.

ON a piece like this, what is the best way to clean the metal before I prime? I was thinking about mineral sprites (oil based paint) followed by a good round of some degreasing agent and then the rust inhibitor primmer from Tractor Supply followed up by a good coat of Massey Ferguson Red.