Portable band saws may appear to be tools that is only useful in specific workshops. However, once a person discovers the different functions of portable band saws, these tools becomes indispensable to a persons workshop. Portable band saws are compact and handheld tools, yet they provides the same precision as stationary band saws.
These tools allow people to work on materials without having to move heavy object from one place to another in the workshop. There are many task that can be performed with the use of portable band saws. In addition, many of these tasks are better performed with a portable band saw than with reciprocating or circular saws.
The following sections highlights the various surprising ways in which many work settings use portable band saws, and why these tools deserves to be included in a person’s workshop toolkit.
Common Ways to Use a Portable Band Saw
1. Cutting Metal Pipe
One of the most common use of portable band saws is to cut metal pipe. Plumbers, electricians, and HVAC technicians use portable band saws to cut metal conduit installed in the ceiling.
The band saw makes a clean cut in the metal and leave few burrs on the pipe. By minimizing the number of burr that are created, there are few issues in the metal when performing tasks like threading or welding the cut metal. Furthermore, a person can cut through two-inch schedule 40 steel pipe in less than thirty seconds.
Additionally, the weight of the portable band saw help the saw track the metal in a straight line. Lastly, the clamp attachments on the tool allow for further securing of the metal so that a person dont have to fight with the vibrations of the saw. Despite the small size of the tool, it can perform many of the same function as a stationary saw.
2. Demolition and Renovation of Wood
Another use of portable band saws is in the demolition and renovation of wooden structures. With the portable band saw, a person can cut through nails and screws embedded within the wooden structure. The thin blade of the tool will allow a portable band saw to cut through the hardened steel of these nails without quickly dulling the blade.
For example, restoration carpenters use portable band saws to remove sections of wood that have become rotten, all while leaving the remaining wooden structure alone. The narrow kerf of the portable band saw removes less wood than when using a chainsaw or a reciprocating saw. This removal of wood allows the carpenter to preserve the wooden structure in case they must fit wood joint with the original wooden structure of the project.
Furthermore, portable band saws are cool enough in operation to avoid scorching the paint or the nearby wooden structure in which the cut is made.
3. Metal Art and Sculpture
Metal artists use portable band saws to cut out metal plate and bars to create sculptures. These metal artisans can draw a line in the metal with a pencil, or they can use the saws fence to align the metal with the cut.
By doing so, the portable band saw can act as a portable bandsaw table. Furthermore, the downward motion of the saw’s blade do not require the metal to move as the blade saws through the metal. For instance, the blade can cut through mild steel that is up to half an inch in thickness without the need for coolant on the metal.
Using a portable band saw for metal cutting tasks is faster than using a cold saw, and the portable band saw is quiet than using an angle grinder.
4. Farm Equipment Repair
Farmers and ranchers can use portable band saws to repair metal farm equipment while they are still miles from the barn. For example, if a rancher has a piece of metal farm equipment with a broken component, they can use a portable band saw to quickly saw through the metal to remove the broken portion of the equipment.
Furthermore, batteries or cords can power portable band saws to allow the farmer to travel with the saw. Also, the metal chips and sawdust fall straight down from the tool; this is helpful for those who must work on the ground while standing within tall grass.
5. Custom Woodworking and Cabinetry
Woodworkers who create custom wooden furniture or cabinetry use portable band saws.
A person can clamp the portable band saw to a vise so that it act as a portable bandsaw table. Furthermore, a person can use the tool to make gentle curve in thick hardwood without using a jigsaw. Such a saw cuts in such a way that the wood does not move during the sawing task.
For example, cabinetmakers can use the portable band saw to remove small amount of wood from the tenons or other joint portions that were sawed too large during sawing. Such precision in wood cutting makes the craft of furniture making seem easy.
6. Electrical Work and Conduit
Electricians use portable band saws to cut through metal struts, rods, and aluminum cable trays without creating sparks.
Because the metal does not heat up during use of the portable band saw, electricians can perform these tasks near wooden structures, paint, or flammable materials. For example, the blade will cut through three-quarter-inch Unistrut metal in one pass. Furthermore, the edge of the cut metal will be smooth enough to allow for the use of no gloves when handling the metal.
Electricians use the portable band saw to quickly finish their projects so that they take up less time in the job site.
7. Boatbuilding and Marine Maintenance
Boatbuilders use portable band saws to cut metal extrusions, metal rigging hardware, and fiberglass without damaging the fiberglass. The slow movement of the blade will not overheat the metal or the fiberglass.
Furthermore, the balance of the tool will allow the boatbuilder to maintain control of the saw even if they are standing on a rocking boat deck. Additionally, divers who perform maintenance on underwater structures will bring a battery-powered portable band saw to the boat to saw away at metal components that require cutting and replacement. Despite the tool’s origin as a metal cutting tool, it is also useful for marine-related work.
8. Knife Making and Blacksmithing
Knife makers and blacksmiths use portable band saws to cut metal bars or billet steel into knives. The narrow blade will cut through the metal quickly. Moreover, the tool does not change the color of the metal, and it does not require the maker to reposition the saw while cutting.
For example, a person can cut two or three metal blades out of a single bar of steel, and the cost of steel is high. Additionally, the saw does not produce any heat during operation, and it will not melt the metal. Furthermore, the edge of the cut metal will require little grinding before the metal is heat-treated.
9. Tree Care and Arborist Services
Although it is not a common use for a portable band saw, tree care professionals use these tools to section limb that are too thick for a chainsaw. The enclosed portion of the saw will prevent the blade from jumping out and injuring a tree limb or a tree climber. Additionally, the saw will leave a clean face on the cut limb so that an arborist can apply sealant to the sawn portion of the limb.
This is an alternative use of a portable band saw, but there are other instances when a portable band saw could be used in a new way. Regardless of the many ways that a portable band saw is used, there is one lesson to learn from these tools. They offer reward to those who consider the cut that they will make before they use the tool to make it.
The portable band saw tool requires a person to slow down in their work to make precise cuts. Yet, they can move at a rapid rate when performing their work. Once a person has used the portable band saw to fix a problem that required two people to fix, they will seek out any opportunity to use this saw tool.
When faced with a problem, regardless of how small the project is, a person should always consider the use of a portable band saw. It is the correct tool for the job.
