Bandsaw or hacksaw, that is the question

Very nice, I assume the cylinder's travel ends where the slot on your sled does? Thanks for the idea, I'll look into making one of these for my dad's old Craftsman.
Thanks. Yes the slot in the sled is the end of the travel of the air cyl travel. If I get back to it a limit switch that would shut the saw off might be a further mod. But so far it's not big deal.
 
Each saw [manual or power] has a niche.
Vertical bandsaw can do cutoff up to depth from blade to inner frame casting. One limitation is frequently caused by owners; placed in corner or alleyway that restricts ability to handle unlimited infeed length. Naturally, strong suit of vertical band saws is contouring inner & outer profiles. Even against wire EDM, having tilt/ incline table for backside of dies, roughing draft into mold cavities, and regular mitering. Once saw a textbook showed examples of roughing turbine blades. . .
Horizontal bandsaw design allows unlimited infeed AND outfeed, all have a stop arrangement for repetitive work, again the narrow kerf consumes minimal stock. A conveyor-roller set up is not required; if you build a support, it is worthwhile that it levels in both planes. You'll see why when cutting flat plate. Unless a part requires being vertical, I position the teeth to the wider side. Saves a lot of milling to square up ends. They are good for bundle cutting too. A relatively small footprint can handle large material, miters, and needs little attention while cutting. Marvel patterned machines simplify mitering by tilting the wheel-head. Certain Wellsaw machines descend on guide posts instead of being hinged; handy when cope notching is called for.
Power hacksaws aren't so well understood now-a-days. But they are still being made, in frames so large few horizontal bandsaws can offer same capacity. Yet with out 2 wheels they are more compact. I still like them for tool steel; my little Craftsman and 12" Starrett Bimetal blades runs like a charm. A bit slower than band machines, I can do work while it proceeds, and blades are fractional in cost compared to bands. 2 or 3" cuts - No complaints!
Cold saws main attractions are fine finish, compact footprint, quiet operation and best mitering arrangements ever. Size for size, less capacity at a higher cost than normal saw options. The good finish is a time saver, saves milling one end on toleranced lengths. They consume 5 to 7x the material per cut of bandsaws.
I have six power saws 36" 3 wheel DoAll is my favorite, only lacks the big support post for cutting dies, and hydraulic feed. Another 36" is a 2 wheel Moak, a lot like a Crescent, not as stylish. It's direct drive and waiting for a VFD, essentially a woodworking re-saw, but I want to build a creeper base for it. Has bigger throat than the DoAll; that is it's plus. BTW, my first big DIY old iron machine move; rigging, trailering, offload and all, freaking thing must be 9' tall and 2500+ lbs.
Milwaukee portable bandsaw, and chain vise table. Added a stop and rolling cart. Being able to use it as intended is the huge plus, none of the others like getting in a scaffold! 2 Craftsman saws; the power hack mentioned and their tiny horizontal band saw. Added stop rods to both of course. Being semi-portable means they have a secure home too.
Number 6 will be a shop sized horizontal, when the owner finally replies.
Wait one....it will be #7. Forgot ShopSmith bandsaw rig. Kind of small but easily made attachments, circle cutter, re-saw fence, axial & lineal stock stops. Love the tilt table, standard 1/2" blades and variable FPM.
A lot of saws, yes. The Moak was first while looking for DoAll. Both came with a comparatively immense stock of blade rolls. DoAll has a welder, and I've had a independent DBW-15 welder forever. So they'll [bandsaws] each run economically and 100% free of infernal OSHA restrictions.
 
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I have a Delta 4x6, low budget horizontal, from the 70's, I would guess. I still do not grasp how a hacksaw can be better. I get to use all 64 inches of my blade, while even a BIG hacksaw will only use 75% of it's 16 inch blade length. Do not get me wrong. I have a Milwaukee porta-band, and 3 different manual hacksaws, and lots of blades for all of them. I must be dense, because I cannot see how the powered hacksaw can be better.
 
What a power-hack looses in efficient blade consumption, running wet they deliver a good finish in difficult materials using comparatively low cost blades. If not cutting squarely only one remedy is needed; replace blade. Same case in a band machine is far broader in scope and test cuts. They cut square naturally, handy enough for miters, and use little floor space for their capacity.
While they've become disparaged against the advancements in band blades, the original abilities/ features haven't diminished. I wish you could have witnessed the bid competition at Long Beach Naval Shipyard for an immense 36 incher. Blade about 4" wide; imagine minimum band saw length to get 36 cut size - (36 x 2) + (36 x 3.141)x2) 25 foot MOL, add machine size.
Didn't have to throw the sales pitch on those guys.
 
Separately, chopsaws deserve mention. The common 14" wheel bench machines are best at structural shapes like angle [Vee down], channel iron [web vertical], tubing and all-thread. Solid cuts across flat sections are not efficient, but small size of the machine is the plus; portability is huge for some trades. The abrasive disc likes thinner ferrous metals; not having 'teeth' works for them.
 
Separately, chopsaws deserve mention. The common 14" wheel bench machines are best at structural shapes like angle [Vee down], channel iron [web vertical], tubing and all-thread. Solid cuts across flat sections are not efficient, but small size of the machine is the plus; portability is huge for some trades. The abrasive disc likes thinner ferrous metals; not having 'teeth' works for them.
I don't like them for the noise and dust but they will go through hardened stuff no toothed blade even thought about going through! Right tool for the job.
 
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