He Said You Can't 3D Print a Band Saw... I Said Hold My Beer

I have no doubt that a band saw can be made with 3d printed parts - all it would take is the right amount of testing and trial and error to determine how strong the parts need to be. Of course it couldn't entirely made from 3d printed parts, but then a wooden band saw isn't 100% wood either. You would add metal where you need more concentrated strength, like screws, shafts, bolts and bearings. But I firmly believe everything else could be printed while you kick back munching Cheetos and watching YouTube, while not potentially cutting your fingers off on the table saw you don't know how to use safely. And like I said in the video, you don't have to throw away a full day plus expensive paint to finish the parts. So I think that printing the parts (or even paying to have them printed from a stronger plastic) would be fairly economical. For example, the table I printed used less than a full spool of filament, or roughly $25. The plywood I used to make the original costs MORE than that today! If you can get it, that is. And then you need to machine it and finish it and hope you don't make any mistakes. So yeah, this may seem like a novelty project, but it is definitely not that. Remember, guys were saying you CAN'T build a wooden band saw not that long ago. Never say never - you are betting against human ingenuity. Watch the original build video I made for the band saw here: https://youtu.be/-hVw8mpt9N0

I think you should build a 3d printed pantorouter to really drive the point home

We're here to watch you build, it doesnt matter the medium.

Im here wood working, metal working AND 3d printing. They're all viable tools/methods in the right situation

“The Bandsaw of Theseus is an artifact in the museum. Over time, its planks of wood rot and are replaced with new planks. When no original plank remains, is it still the Bandsaw of Theseus?”

I think you should measure where the blade goes in the insert, and add a slot in it in cad so it actually has perimeters there, because otherwise it's sitting on infill.

Yes! Make more videos replacing different parts. I found your commentary on building large pieces using dowels and also your commentary on the failures very helpful Keep up the great work!

John, I love your journey. It reminds me of the journey I went through on my CNC machine using 3d printing. A few suggestions I see as someone who does a lot of functional 3d printing parts. -Add more walls on structural parts. It might seem overkill, but it REALLY helps with plastic deformation over summers and under tension. I also advise exploring gyroid infill, it seems to have great strength in all directions. -for you table. You might consider through-rods with thin 1/4” threaded rod or something to help just keep the table from stressing their joints/joins too much where it counts. Especially since there will be weight on it. -for your PETG pins, orientation is everything. Avoid stressing along the layer lines as much as possible for structural prints, even if parts come out less pretty and need some sanding/torch finishing -don’t be afraid of adding extra top/bottom layers also. It eats more plastic, but it gets you more life from your plastic IMO. LOVE THE CONTENT !!

As a maker, you should certainly go ahead and make the rest as a test from the 3d printer. Just to see if possible.

I subscribed to watch you solve problems and see what new and interesting ideas you come up with. It just so happened that at the time, you were mainly working with wood. I don't think most of us watch solely for woodworking. There are plenty of people who make woodworking videos that I can't enjoy. It's the mechanical side of our brains you've found a tap into and that's why we watch your videos. Well... for me at least. And honestly its kind of fresh feeling to see this new tool being used. The 3d printer. Keep em coming!

You've actually tapped into something very exciting here John. There are plenty of people out there doing accessories and custom parts for tools on their 3d printer, but nobody is doing real, substantial tools, except actual printers which are at least 50% hardware.

I have never built a darn thing that you have produced BUT I can't stop watching you create and work. You could make stuff from play-do and I would watch. You keep being you and I will continue to watch anything you create

As a woodworker and as a hobby 3D printer, I appreciate these videos very much. Nice to see someone with experience in the profession testing the limits of 3d printing. and it gives me a lot of ideas.

Great presentation! Please continue with the series. This 3D-printed bandsaw project is a fantastic experiment!

I vote for more 3D printed stuff. I think the troubleshooting you’re doing with it is invaluable and 3D printing stuff in general can probably help woodworkers a lot

Any content you produce is both entertaining and informative so please keep them coming. I am liking the 3D printing videos as much as I do your woodworking so for me it doesn't matter and you are clearly having fun with the 3D printer so keep doing what makes you happy.

Please John keep showing us all the things you are creating with 3D printing!!!! I just finished watching Marius sander... another amazing build!!! Cheers!!!!

Very helpful step forward in both 3D printing and bandsaw building. We shared this video on our homemade tools forum last week 😎

Holy cow, I'm impressed!! I have enjoyed watching your videos for a long time; however, this one blows the lid off! You amaze me with not only your knowledge of what you want to do, but also the tenacity you apply to making things better, better, better. So, continue pressing forward, John! ~ Dr. Larry S. Anderson • Tupelo, MS (birthplace of Elvis) • 76-year-old retired Industrial Arts teacher & university prof

I'm here for any content you're wanting to provide. Love the design and iteration process.