I asked you to show me your tools, so I figured I’d better show you mine first. This old Milwaukee portable band saw is a total lifesaver when you need to cut steel outside of the shop — or when you need to make a cut that’ll never fit into your standard saw. My Dad picked this up used at a flea market about fifteen years ago, and I inherited it a few years back.
I’m always surprised at how few people actually own one of these. I understand that there’s a stand available to turn it into a sort of mini-standard-band-saw, but Milwaukee wants about as much for the stand as they do for the saw itself. Maybe I’ll get around to building my own at some point.
Anyway, now that I’ve shown you mine, you can show me yours via our new Flickr photo pool. (You can see more pics of the portable band saw there, too.)
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7 Responses to From The Toolbox: My Old Milwaukee Portable Band Saw
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{ Dead dead dead.... still dead. } – Aug 10, 2:17 AM
{ Will be sure to check it out. } – Jul 30, 4:27 AM
{ Almost 5 years of death and counting. } – Jul 24, 10:48 PM
{ Where can I purchase a set of the Dowel Rounding Planes or just the 1/2 inch one? I volunteer at an 1800's period national park... } – Jun 06, 9:49 PM
{ Is this available anymore, I have one getting worn out had for so long can't remember where I got it } – Jun 04, 9:30 AM
{ Sage words } – Jun 03, 8:06 PM
I don’t own one of these myself, but I do use one at work. It’s a Millwaukee Portaband, one that’s older than the one you show.
They’re awesome for cutting steel stock in the field, far better than a Sawzall. the only restriction is space and depth.
Aaron: It really tears through steel stock — even faster than my standard band saw, though it might be the blade that’s on it.
This was my favorite tool when I was the “metals guy” in a previous job. I cried a little bit when the body went plastic.
well I have to say as a tool for a steel shop it is a must have I didn’t however know that they have ben around that long my dad’s fab shop has one butit is less than 5 years old looks just like it
and for cutting hand rail and such for on site fab or repairs it is a gift from the gods
These bandsaws are so awesome…. cut through big conduit like butter
The second picture in this blog entry of mine shows a friend’s conversion of an old wood cutting chop saw base to hold a portable bandsaw:
http://mechanicalphilosopher.blogspot.com/2006/06/some-of-steve-locksmiths-shop-tools.html
He found the chop saw base without the saw at a local junkyard.
Awesome. I didn’t know they existed. I had to cut the roof off my (rolled) rally car the other week and this would have been the perfect tool.