Nice sled. Remember guys, as my father used to tell me, "measure twice, send-cut-send once". Thanks Tim.

@TimWelds

3 ай бұрын

Thanks Craig! Ain't that the truth! It's funny, it's the simple ones that I tend to rush on and mess things up.

@CraigHollabaugh

3 ай бұрын

​@@TimWeldsyou recovered gracefully, got it working and that's all that matters.

I had the same issue (not cutting straight) with my Dewalt porta-band in that SWAG stand and I ended up shimming one side of the top blade guide a bit to correct it. I used a piece of 3x5 notecard folded a few times until I found the proper thickness. Nice sled project, appreciate your content.

HI TIM, I WAS THINKING OF DOING THE SAME THING, I TUNED THE ANGLE OF THE BLADE BY PUTTING A WASHER BEHIND THE LEFT SIDE OF THE BEARING CARRIDGE ON THE SAW, THIS WILL TWEEK THE BLADE TO THE RIGHT. TOOK ME A FEW TIMES TO GET THE RIGHT THICKNESS OF WASHER, BUT THE SAW CUTS VERY STRAIGHT NOW.

@CraigHollabaugh

3 ай бұрын

That's a nice mod. Thanks

@melgross

3 ай бұрын

Caps key must be broken.

@TimWelds

3 ай бұрын

Thanks for the tip! I'll have to see if I can make something like that work.

@mireillelemay3638

3 ай бұрын

@@TimWelds I did that same trick and my blade cuts straight now. This 3 min. video explains very well how to do it: kzread.info/dash/bejne/goR9rLyTYtqyj8Y.htmlsi=vEGbHA1wVWWLCEux

The blade pointing to the side is because the roller guides are set up that way. Look closely and you'll see it's just not twisted by quite 45 deg. Maybe you could put shims under the roller guide blocks. I'm interested to see if you can solve it because I have the same problem trying to get straight cuts with the Harbor Freight band portable saw stand for the same reason.

Add a replaceable aluminum sacrificial piece to your fence so you don’t score it. It can also be used as a jig if you need to make multiples of something.

Hey Tim, i would like to see you build things. You’ve done it in the past but id like to see you build things step by step. And more often. 👍🏻 Love the way you teach.

Great idea, thanks for sharing, all the best to you and your loved ones

@TimWelds

3 ай бұрын

Thank you!

I had a similar problem on a (chinesium) bandsaw that I reserve for doing exactly what you require. I went through at least three makes of premium quality blades with no or little change. I rebuilt and re-crowned the drive wheels and improved the angle adjusters. I mounted up the table on an inspection slab, and guess what, the slides were out of square with the table! I ended up making a much improved table with more robust and adjustable mountings and slides. I built a much improved adjustable blade guide as, according to the material being cut, the blade deflected at slightly different angles, due to the amount of ‘draw’ that differing materials and thicknesses of material, place on the blade and therefore the cut. Many hours of work and £150 later it still wandered, but just not so much. I learned a lot but the solution was, get the right machine for the job. No matter how much you polish a turd, it’s still a turd.

Excellent presentation, thank you for sharing this. Question: I couldn't help but notice your milling-machine there. Which looks splendid! Can you tell us a little bit about that? I want to find something like that. Is it CNC mill?

I love the design you came up with. I made a sled/vice combo for mine for all the same reasons and it made all the difference in the world. It makes all those weird little cuts super simple!

@TimWelds

3 ай бұрын

Thanks!

Very cool sled, nice work!

Tim, Nice simple design mate 👍 I’ll copy the idea when I get my bandsaw this year. Thanks for putting in the time 👏👏 Robert

Thanks for the SCS discount, saved me $41!

thanks Tim, wonderful idea, cheers from Florida, Paul

@TimWelds

3 ай бұрын

Thanks Paul!

No.1 to reduce drift is a sharp blade. No.2, blade tension, no.3 blade guides spaced apart to suit material thickness. Have a look at the methods of timber veneer cutting. Bandsaw blades are so difficult to keep dead straight, especially on anything less than industrial level rigidity. The method uses a post set to the desired veneer thickness and then the timber angle is adjusted to allow for the blade drift. I can see a metal cutting sled work better if it had a pivot so you still have all the hold down and control, but you can adjust the cut as the blade drifts. Key part is to ensure the pivot is at the blade teeth, but that can be achieved with a circular table and matching socket in a sled slide.

Great idea... I'm going to have to design something similar. I'm thinking a way to remove the fence and reposition it so you can cut 45s. Maybe as simple as bolting it into the base?

Very cool great idea and project 👍

@TimWelds

3 ай бұрын

Thanks!

I think that's a great idea. You're right, it needs a little more tweaking, but you're definitely on to something. I look forward to seeing what you come up with to make it perfect. Please do it soon because I need to copy it, lol.

@TimWelds

3 ай бұрын

Thanks!

Good idea Tim . . . . have a great day!

@TimWelds

3 ай бұрын

Thanks Daniel!

I like it Tim. Always good to see your posts :)

@TimWelds

3 ай бұрын

Thank you!

Very cool. I made something similar with .25" angel and flat bar. I put a .5 inch gusset where the blade cuts. Over time you will cut through the back plate, so add the gusset now. I have the same problem with slightly off cuts, but having a sled is so nice, and the cuts are accurate enough. Wish I could send a pic of my sled.

@TimWelds

3 ай бұрын

Thanks! Sounds like a great setup you have as well!

Have you done a video on your mill? What brand is it? Recommendations? I'm starting to think about one and I'm i trigued by yours.

By the way, a Milwaukee 14tpi bandsaw blade for metal is good for 2-3 dovetail bucksaws for hardwood. They'd last just about forever with reasonable care

That is a great idea for small pieces. I think some of the problem is that the blade guides are far away from the work piece. With a wood bandsaw, it is always preferable to drop the blade guard down as close as possible to the work, in doing so, it also lowers the blade guides. But you are right, it could be the blade sharpness. Blade drift is always a concern for wanting straight cuts. Thanks for the video. Watch you again soon.

@TimWelds

3 ай бұрын

Thanks! Yeah, the portaband stand isn't the ideal solution. I wonder if I could add some blade guides onto it.

Nice job Tim. I like my Swag stand but have never been able to get a true or square cut using their miter gauge slots...perhaps I too need a new blade. Fortunately I have a stationary belt sander that is spot on true for squaring up cuts

@TimWelds

3 ай бұрын

Thanks! It's good to hear that it's not just me. I think I've just compensated all along.

@TimWelds right now all I have is and angle grinder to cut metal for welding. What should I think about getting next... portable bandsaw or a chopsaw? Since I'm a diy'er I don't have alot of room or budget. I would say versatility is more important to me than speed. The reason the angle grinder isn't enough is I can make long / straight cuts. But maybe that's a skills problem with me.

thank you!

@TimWelds

3 ай бұрын

You're welcome!

Nice design, Tim. I generally leave the mill scale on if it’s a smooth surface covering the entire plate. I’ve found over the years that it’s harder and doesn’t get damaged that much. Additionally, it’s smoother, so doesn’t scratch the metal moving over it. Also, it’s non reflective and easier on the eyes and parts can be seen more easily too. I know it’s not to everyone’s taste, after all, it’s MILL SCALE, no good. Eh, not so much.

@TimWelds

3 ай бұрын

Thanks Mel!

Nice.

@TimWelds

3 ай бұрын

Thanks!

Hey Tim. Really enjoyed your videos! On an unrelated subject. I just purchased a Titanium flux core welder and all the odds and ends needed along with a Yeswelder auto darkening helmet. When doing some practicing, such as a t-joint, I can see my welder pool ok, but I can not see the joint I’m suppose to weld, causing me to drift off target, leading to more of the weld being either in the vertical or horizontal piece. Ironically my first weld was perfect but subsequent tries were not, drifting either up or down a bit. Is it just a game of faith, hoping to hit that seam perfectly or should I be able to see, at least a little, the line I need to weld? Thanks!

@TimWelds

3 ай бұрын

Great question! You should be able to see the joint very clearly, but it takes a bit of time and practice. I still remember struggling to see the joint, but once I could see it, I see it all the time. Some things to play with are the shade of your welding hood, a little darker or lighter, and your head placement. More than anything, though, it's just time watching it. If I were in your shoes, I'd get a flat plate and scribe a bunch of straight lines on it about an inch apart, then weld beads along the lines until I could see the line and follow it. This will reduce the number of things there are to think about at once. Try not to focus your attention on the arc, just the puddle and the lines scribed on the plate.

Very nice project Tim. The one thing I don't like about the Swag fixture is it doesn't secure my Milwaukee bandsaw very well (wish it held it tighter without any movement. Thank you for the video.

@TimWelds

3 ай бұрын

I agree with that, the V4 with the single screw isn't nearly as secure as my first one which was a V3 with a DeWalt saw.

if the blade drifts it isn't tensioned tight enough. On those cheap little saws that's often not possible

@TimWelds

3 ай бұрын

Thanks! Could be that. This one just has a spring for the tension, so it isn’t really adjustable at least that I’m aware of.

Do you have a link to the chamfering tool you used?

@TimWelds

3 ай бұрын

Here's the link to the one I use, there's nothing special about this particular one, but it's worked great for me: amzn.to/4b3fzzK

I do woodworking but enjoy your channel. I was making a cutting board with small inlays which I could never get right on the bandsaw. Instead I would superglue or use two sided tape to secure my “mini” pieces to a larger sacrificial board which allowed me a safer cut on table or miter saw. I was wondering if you could make a miniature table saw with a cut off wheel and use your sled with both your band saw and a newly created table saw. You would have to sacrifice a cut into your fence but I think your fence would remain functional. I would love to work with metal but too late in the game for me I will enjoy your channel instead 😊

@TimWelds

3 ай бұрын

Thanks for the idea! I've never seen a cutoff wheel set up like that, I'll have to think about how I might do something like that. I wonder if I could mount the grinder on a rail and move it like a radial arm saw across a fixture plate.

Nice video , but you have a mill why did you send it out? Add a sacrificial plastic to the fence

@TimWelds

3 ай бұрын

Great question! It could be machined manually, but laser cutting is a better fit for plate work like this. I'm also considering developing this into a product after a few iterations, so the prototype was done using a more scalable manufacturing process than manual machining. Great suggestion with the sacrificial plastic!

@TimWelds how much does one of those milling machines cost? I imagine you also have to think about the cost of bits as they are consumables?

@TimWelds

3 ай бұрын

This one is $3700, it's Taiwanese and better built than a lot of bench top mills that you can get for less. The minimum set of tooling adds about another 1k, but I already had a lot of tooling when I bought mine because this was an upgrade from a cheaper mill that I used for years while I saved up for this one. I did a ton of research before I bought it and I'm glad I paid a little more. The end mill cutters actually last a lot longer than you might think and I just use high speed steel, so they are relatively inexpensive.

@sleekspeed22

3 ай бұрын

@@TimWelds oh wow... I can't spend that. Maybe there is a more entry level solution for me to start out with.

@caseytailfly

3 ай бұрын

@@sleekspeed22I would look used. A Clausing 8520, which is a nice small mill can be had for

Slot the rail mounting screw holes to allow adjustment of the alignment. Maybe also use an adjustable angle fence. My 2 cents. I’m stealing your idea for my vertical bandsaw. 😎👍

@TimWelds

3 ай бұрын

Great suggestion! Thanks!

I would have the slot go right through the fence. You’re going to wind up cutting it anyway overtime, why not have the blade walk right through?

It's not a new blade issue. I've been using that setup for 10-15 yrs and if you want a straight cut on long/thick material you need to adjust as you go. Worn out or dirty guide rollers will make it worse so replace those as needed.

@TimWelds

3 ай бұрын

Thanks for the tip! I think I've just always compensated a little bit. I'm thinking about taking the guides off the plate and just pushing it through however I need to get a straight cut like I always have with plate.

I think all of these saws cut crooked like that. Mine does even with a new blade.

@TimWelds

3 ай бұрын

Yeah, I think I've always just compensated with my freehand. It's got me wondering if I should just remove the rails from the sled and freehand the plate.

Woodworkers have been using sleds for years - they're safer and you get more accurate results.

@brag0001

3 ай бұрын

The thing with "wood workers have been doing X for years" is that metal and wood aren't behaving the same. I love working with both. And while some tools translate well, many don't. Btw.: I've never seen anyone use a sled for band saws in woodworking. Not saying that it doesn't exist. But it's certainly not common. The band saws I can buy at my hardware store don't even have slots in their tables ...

@melgross

3 ай бұрын

Also, a wood blade going through soft material is less subject to twist. But it still happens on a bandsaw, no matter how expensive the saw. Just try to slice off a thick piece and you’ll see. With table saws it’s different. It has a wide blade that doesn’t twist. It how I cut longer pieces of metal (with the proper blade, of course).

@TimWelds

3 ай бұрын

I don't doubt it, my buddy across the street has an insanely cool wood shop and he has all sorts of stuff that I've never seen before for joinery and what not. On the other hand, I have all sorts of stuff he's never seen before either.

@BobBlarneystone

3 ай бұрын

I do. @@brag0001

@BobBlarneystone

3 ай бұрын

@melgross After doing a tuneup as demonstrated by Alex Snodgrass or Robert Vaughn, I suggest that you try a Lenox Trimaster 3-4 carbide blade

Send Cut Send is so overpriced.

@TimWelds

3 ай бұрын

I've used several laser cut vendors over the years and most local shops won't mess with a job for under $200-$300, plus there's usually a setup fee. I think it's remarkable that I can mix and match small quantities at a price that I feel is more than fair with an ordering process that's as easy as Amazon and shipping is included. Don't get me wrong, if you have a better option you should go for it, but I've done some comparison and found them to be competitive at their respective volume pricing and they've never let me down on quality or turnaround time over the years that I've been a customer.

go back to the drawing work