Another Modifying of a 4” 6” Harbor Freight Bandsaw

Torque Monkey

Registered
Registered
Joined
Nov 28, 2017
Messages
25
I have had my Harbor Freight bandsaw for about a year now. In that time I have found a lot of room for improvement. I spent a lot of time reading about other people’s modifications so I figured I would share my own here.

The first, and probably the most useful was to make a hydraulic ram to control the cutting speed.

The cylinder is made from an old brass drain pipe salvaged from a claw foot bathtub my Mom uses as a flower bed in her yard.

7839d60f1045e1f5f15cd5aa307ed92a.jpg


The ends an the piston is 6061 aluminum and the round stock for the piston rod and the 4 tie rods are made from stainless steel.

c542a71f39fd62c8eab9474aba535529.jpg

29b157d472c4af7a1d702503f3bfbf4b.jpg

Here it is for testing.

5876425958cad825041f559b4bef1d02.jpg

c065d1e7999629d5f190d6580ad03288.jpg


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
Now that's DIY! Good job
It would be interesting to see your piston design- did you use a seal of any kind? Or a seal on the piston rod?
Mark
 
Last edited:
I added a piece of plate with a V-groove cut into it cut into it to cut smaller round stock and a couple of 1/2” bolts towards the back side t clamp on smaller parts.

100faae7857ca18866fd89e923832915.jpg

29a802567ac9bb50105c6f07b6550865.jpg

That picture also shows the plastic mud tray from Home Depot that I put in to catch the swarf.

The last modification was to add an extension and hand wheel to the vice so it could be loosened once the saw was completely lowered.

ef49f19c8211b569f348f4c7a14ac25d.jpg

7bca205ea462aa1c390ba8265a6b6298.jpg

I was also concerned about chips sticking to the shaft on the hydraulic ram and fouling the O-ring seals so I installed rod wiping seals on each end.

eeecc9d8467755d27754653b7d1abaaa.jpg

d6f6fe23f1a5294ee8734ce3224ae139.jpg


I copied the design of the hydraulic ram from Halligan’s video on YouTube but I made a couple design changes. The one thing I really liked was he installed a check valve inside the piston that allows you to lift the saw with the ope/closed valve closed. I did the same.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
I have already changed the the oil in the gear box. Next on the list is to modify it so I can change the vice angle without tools and to pin the vice at 45* and 90*.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
Now that's DIY! Good job
It would be interesting to see your piston design- did you use a seal of any kind? Or a seal on the piston rod?
Mark

The piston seals and rod seals are both just from the Harbor Freight O-ring box.

1818ee8be13ca0b8af1a1532c065acd1.jpg

I don’t have any good pictures of the check valve but it is a stepped hole through the piston with a ball bearing that “ floats” and is secured by a set screw with a groove cut in it so oil can get around it. Don’t forget to set the ball with a hammer and punch before you put the set screw in.

The piston is loctited into place but I didn’t trust just that so I also put a set screw in between the O-rings on the piston.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
Looks good. For next time or for others following along, an air cylinder works just fine and is available cheap and ready to install. The o-rings in the cylinders will be happy with most common oils. You do not need to reinvent the wheel unless you choose to.
 
Looks good. For next time or for others following along, an air cylinder works just fine and is available cheap and ready to install. The o-rings in the cylinders will be happy with most common oils. You do not need to reinvent the wheel unless you choose to.

I looked at air cylinders at length. I just wasn’t sure on the length to get. Also I decided I wanted a cylinder that had the shaft exiting from both sides as I was worried about the displacement of the oil. Also I had the material, time and tools. I really just wanted to see if I could do it. LOL!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
Last edited:
The check valve in the piston is a clever idea- I think it's as much fun to modify these saws as it is to actually use them! :p
Mark
 
Back
Top