The Swag Off Road Portaband...
The Swag Off Road Portaband Modular Mounting System converts your Milwaukee or DeWalt deep cut portable bandsaw into a benchtop vertical bandsaw. Obviously, the saw is not included. The heart of the system is a laser-cut mini table that's formed in a CNC press brake. The mini table can be bolted to your workbench or temporarily clamped in place. The foot switch is optional. It's very convenient and provides hands-free operation. You'll need to lock the saw's trigger after you've plugged it into the foot switch. If your saw doesn't have a trigger lock, you can temporarily hold the trigger down using a zip tie or spring clamp. The Swag Off Road Portaband Modular Mounting System is affordably priced, and costs a small fraction of a conventional vertical bandsaw.
Last month, we explored the versatility and ease of use that comes with the Milwaukee deep cut portable bandsaw. Swag Offroad offers a conversion kit to take that versatility to the next level.
Vertical bandsaws are prized for their ability to smoothly cut flat plate as well as tubing. Since the saw is stationary and the blade pushes the material against the supporting surface, cutting is controlled and precise. The downsides of a traditional vertical bandsaw are bulk and cost. That's where the Swag Off Road Portaband Modular Mounting System comes in.
The saw's foot guard is replaced...
The saw's foot guard is replaced with this 1/4-inch-thick plate made from 6061 aluminum. You can still use the saw as a hand-held saw with this plate in place.
Once the new foot guard plate...
Once the new foot guard plate is affixed to the saw, the saw is placed into the bench-mounted table and secured with the red thumb screw. Plug the saw into the foot switch, lock your saw's trigger, and you're ready to cut.
The compact size of the table...
The compact size of the table and the throat depth of the saw make it perfect for cutting out small- to medium-sized brackets: precisely the type of stuff constantly needed during fabrication projects.
This is a straight cut through...
This is a straight cut through 3/16-inch steel plate. The cutting went easily and there's no doubt thicker material could be cut as well. Since 1/8-inch and 3/16-inch plate are common thicknesses for off-road fabrication, this was a good test. Curved cuts are possible, too. The thicker the material, the gentler the curve needs to be. You might find that once you have this bench-top vertical bandsaw system in your garage that there's no need for a full-sized version.