Aluminum Band Saw Table

wannabewoodworker · Post by **wannabewoodworker** » Tue Feb 01, 2011 8:56 am

I recently acquired a nice band saw with the cast iron table. I am looking for an aluminum table for this saw. Just wondering if anyone out there has one lying around that they might want to sell to me. I got some kind of band saw fence rail deal on Ebay thinking it was the whole band saw fence unfortunately it was only the bottom rail mount for the aluminum table. If someone can use this I would be willing to send it you in return for selling me your spare aluminum table. A shot in the dark I know but figured it couldn't hurt to ask.

burkhome · Post by **burkhome** » Tue Feb 01, 2011 1:44 pm

Sooo: A question...Is the aluminum table better? I have a 1981 with a cast iron table.

foxtrapper · Post by **foxtrapper** » Tue Feb 01, 2011 2:02 pm

burkhome wrote:Sooo: A question...Is the aluminum table better? I have a 1981 with a cast iron table.

Iron rusts, aluminum doesn't.

Aluminum is lighter than iron, making it easier to pick the saw up to install it.

The aluminum table works nicely with the 500 fence.

The iron table is smooth, the aluminum table has ribs on the surface. Ribs make alignments easier to see visually, but can make moving the piece at an angle more difficult.

The iron table has the cross track in it, the aluminum table does not.

Which is better? Depends I guess on your perspective and situation.

dusty · Post by **dusty** » Tue Feb 01, 2011 2:21 pm

I could not have said it better than foxtrapper but I can not say one way or the other. I have never had or used the iron table.

I do like my aluminum tables but I often which I had a miter track (going the other direction).

wannabewoodworker · Post by **wannabewoodworker** » Tue Feb 01, 2011 3:31 pm

The aluminum table is also bigger physically and will alow me to mount my Kreg band saw fence better than on the iron table.

beeg · Post by **beeg** » Tue Feb 01, 2011 3:32 pm

foxtrapper wrote:Iron rusts, aluminum doesn't.

Aluminum is lighter than iron, making it easier to pick the saw up to install it.

Iron rusts, aluminum corrodes.

Aluminum is lighter than iron, making it easier to pick the saw up to install it. Also provides NO vibration dampening.

pennview · Post by **pennview** » Tue Feb 01, 2011 3:36 pm

I have an aluminum table that is severely warped and a flat cast iron one. So it's easy to see which I prefer. Besides, the iron one has that extra miter gauge slot that allows you to use the miter gauge as a fence for ripping and it is easily tilted to allow for any blade drift.

patom · Post by **patom** » Tue Feb 01, 2011 9:12 pm

Iron rusting can be taken care of with Butchers Bowling Alley wax.

mbcabinetmaker · Post by **mbcabinetmaker** » Tue Feb 01, 2011 10:05 pm

I have the cast iron table and will soon have an aluminium one as well. I will report back on which I prefer.

billmayo · Post by **billmayo** » Tue Feb 01, 2011 11:12 pm

I have mounted the 500 Main table on a few bandsaws in place of the cast iron table in the past. I lost the pictures of this change when my computer hard drive crashed several years ago. I use a blank insert that I cut with the bandsaw and added a cut from the front of the table to the insert for the bandsaw blade. I find this was another use for the 500 main tables I have laying around. I welded together an aluminum frame ( flat & angle) to convert from the bandsaw trunnions to the bolts on the bottom of the 500 table.

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