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Portable Bandsaw Stand
Cutting small shapes with his portable bandsaw is easy since Ron Rawls built a stand. Stands available commercially were too expensive, too complicated, and often limited to certain bandsaws. They required clamping the bandsaw to the stand or even unbolting the handle.
“I looked at what was out there and came up with a simple alternative that didn’t require clamping or unbolting handles,” says Rawls. “I use my portable bandsaw a lot, but sometimes I want it to be stationary. With my stand, it takes less than 5 sec. to go from stationary to portable.”
Rawls eyeballed the design of the bandsaw and began by cutting two pieces of 1 1/2-in. square tubing for an upright. He welded them together at an angle to match the shape of the bandsaw when held vertically. He added 1-in. tubing with slotted ends to either side of the upright. He knew the space between the slots would match the width of the bandsaw handle. A piece of U-shaped plastic attached near the bottom of the angled upright centers the bandsaw.
“I slide the handle into the slot, and the weight helps keep it in place,” says Rawls.
Satisfied with the vertical, Rawls butt-welded it to a 10 by 16-in. steel base. He admits he would have liked a larger base. However, very much larger and he knows it would’ve been in the way when using the stand.
“If I need more stability, I can always clamp the base plate to a work surface,” says Rawls.
With the bandsaw held in place, the only remaining challenge was switching it on and off. His model didn’t have a lock-on trigger.
“I used a piece of high-density polyethylene to center the bandsaw on the stand,” says Rawls. “I cut out a second piece designed to slip over the trigger and hold it in the running position. When I want to shut the saw off, it’s easy to pull out.”
Rawls has used the stand to make several items for himself and others.
“It makes it easy to cut out small pieces or shapes where I need two hands on the piece,” says Rawls.
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Ron Rawls, 4432 Benton Dr., Lufkin, Texas 75901 (ph 936-676-0052; ron.rsrawls@gmail.com).


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2023 - Volume #47, Issue #1