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

[@JohnHeisz]

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 KZbin, 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: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y5m5qGujpdlshJI

[@joelex7966]

Just curious, the original plywood table top looked adequate. We're there any problems that you had that caused you to redo it on the 3d printer ?

[@ProbeGT2]

With carbon fiber filled nylon, you can produce some pretty strong parts. PLA is fun but it doesn't like heat. Nylon is awesome but trying to print it and having it not to warp on the bed is a challenge.

[@pridler85]

@@joelex7966 What i did get from the start of the video was that this was just a challenge or like a proof of concept. :D

[@joelex7966]

@@pridler85 could be, my feeling is that he was better off with the one piece plywood top provided there were no other problems. Good video though.

[@Rhainee]

For larger pieces that give the bandsaw its upright rigidity, is there some printing material that won't flex? This would be my primary concern with a 3d printed project like this. The rigidity of plywood, especially half inch ply, would be hard to match when making larger pieces. I would imagine scaling this down to a smaller bandsaw would absolutely be possible. Making a carbon copy of your original build however, i can see why Matthias was skeptical.

[@Dinger523]

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

[@Keasbeysknight]

Oooooooo

[@refisherdesktop]

Hilarious. 😆

[@Raytenecks]

This is amazing. Yes!

[@austinmorris1693]

to drive the point home 3d print a hammer

[@donny_bahama]

THIS. Is a great idea!

[@dpmakestuff]

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

[@theoscott5266]

While I agree, its a lot more interesting watching someone create with wood than a printer, printing parts.

[@prozacgod]

I dunno.. If he switched to scrapbooking, I might bail... it depends, he's good at making videos, so it might be okay.

[@stingray4567]

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

[@markfjohnson]

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!

[@forestbirdoriginals4917]

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 !!

[@jrh6869]

Great info

[@satibel]

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.

[@WilliamTythas]

probably to be better and easier the just do solid infill in that area then to rely on that slot being correct with zero warping

[@SuperDavidEF]

@@WilliamTythas I would say the whole build should have been solid infill, or at least very close to it. Why make the parts weak? This is a power tool. Spend the little bit of extra time and money to make solid parts. But maybe I'm missing something since I don't own a 3D printer and I only see infill as a way to save money. But maybe there's a legitimate reason to have lower than 100% infill.

[@knucklehead83]

@@SuperDavidEF I think the returns begin to diminish exponentially the closer you get to 100%. I watched a few videos on strongest infills, and while you do get greater strength the closer to 100 you get, it isn't a substantial difference. I personally would use a 90% infill, and I would probably increase my wall and top/bottom thicknesses, and would add thick walls near where the blade penetrates the insert. I would also through-bolt every mechanical connection. Threaded inserts seem like they could pull out about as easy as tapped screws. And I would glue everything that didn't need to come apart. I would also use better joinery than dowels. Perhaps a dovetail or tongue and groove. And PLA is fine, but it won't hold up to light, chemicals, or time. Although, it may be the strongest of the printable filaments on average. Maybe, considering he is using a Bambu printer, he could incorporate multiple materials. PLA+ for the infill, carbon fiber of vinyl for the skins.

[@randogame4438]

@@SuperDavidEF Yeah, he didn't say how long it took for those parts to print out. You'll never see a real speed part print on YT because it takes forever.

[@JohnDlugosz]

The insert can be a solid block of UHMWPE that you machine to the right size with sliding dovetails. It doesn't have to be printed.

[@Makebuildmodify]

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

[@JohnHeisz]

Thanks :)

[@ghostwheelppk]

“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?”

[@AVBros37]

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

[@daveydacusguitars9033]

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!

[@user-gs3xz2fg4y]

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

[@MemphisBlues-JG]

Play-do? Play-don't? Play-Dough?Play Doh? D-OH!

[@HAZO_crob]

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

[@neclimdul]

Very cool! I'm mostly here to watch your woodworking but I'm very interested to see you use 3d printed parts in your builds. Videos like this where you're figuring it out they're strengths in a shop are very interesting. Like maybe the bed isn't a great place but the guides are small complicated shapes that make a lot of sense especially if you optimized them further! Some unsolicited advice, gyroid (or the newer 3d honeycomb which prints faster) are generally considered stronger because they're stable in 3d dimensions. They're also denser at the same percentage so tend to beef up your part. Cubic is much more sparse and provides less reinforcement which is fine when you're relying on the wall strength and since it prints fast desirable in a lot of non-functional parts. Your read of increasing wall counts to strengthen the part is spot on. Generally I'd increase the external walls a first since that's where _most_ of your strength comes from but on the big open areas it probably didn't hurt to have stronger infill. Also, you might look at something stronger like ASA for some of these parts which will print easily on your p1. PLA often warps over time when stressed. PLA also doesn't handle heat or UV but ASA does which could be important in a shop. Looking forward to your next video!

[@jorgeconcheyro]

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

[@yorky7557]

Marius' epic vid is a masterpiece in many ways. I think the big takeaway I got was to use 3D printing at home to perfect the part's design but then sub out to a nylon 3D print house for the durable final solution. A 3D printed pantorouter though - that would be nice to see....

[@HarmanRobotics]

Anywhere that a 3d printed piece might be subjected to heat, don't use PLA. It doesn't take much heat for a PLA part to begin to deform (like the blade guide). Use ABS, PETG or some other engineering filament. Also, I would highly recommend switching to a 0.6mm nozzle and using a carbon fiber or glass fiber filament for structural parts.

[@Immolate62]

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.

[@ChaosSwissroIl]

Very much this. I've been looking around trying to find a 3d printed screw box for making threads in dowels. It doesn't exist. 3d printing has excellent potential to be a tool for outfitting a woodworking shop on the cheap, but it isn't being done because it's not traditional and the non-traditionalists have so much money that they don't even blink at dropping a grand on a commercial product over what would be a $10 project with a 3d printer. I bet you could even make a nice surface planer with just $50 in cheap surface plates, $30 in planer knives, and $20 in filament; just adjust the gearing ratios so that it takes more passes per mm of feed to compensate for the lower rigidity.

[@coolbugfacts1234]

Check out Marius Hornberger, he just dropped a masterpiece video building an oscillating spindle sander, using a lot of printed parts. He printed a cycloidal gear reduction transmission which is just insane. Granted, he used MJF Nylon parts from a high end print shop, but you can definitely print glass filled nylon parts if you have a Bambu.

[@sabar-q9p]

@@coolbugfacts1234 Problem is exactly those MJF Nylon parts, they are MUCH, MUCH stronger than anything that can be printed at home. Extruded nylon is weak and undergoes plastic deformation at low temperatures, so that gearbox would get destroyed in short order. Its why 3d printers themselves are still like 85% off-the-shelf metal parts -- extruded plastic is much more limited in what it can do with friction and load.

[@TheRainHarvester]

I question heat transfer from the blade guides melting the plastic.

[@nctplarry]

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

[@flabble90]

I'm not sure if you needed lightening hole cutouts in some of those parts, but they don't behave like you'd expect. They are actually heavier, use more filament, and significantly impact the overall strength of the part. Large/solid (not talking about in-fill %) are the best 3d printed parts

[@HaWiWe]

I am using a 3D-printed blade guide for my 66-year-old bandsaw, so it is not a load bearing part. But especially what you had happen to the wood getting caught and slamming down on the table happened to me with another bandsaw with an aluminium table and boy am I glad that I sold it and now have a massive cast iron table. Making (and using) a 3D printed table is just waiting on losing a finger or two (and that's coming from someone who has a mainly 3D-printed CNC).

[@randymacsgarage]

LMAO loved the title John , awesome awesome job I like it one of the Best uses I have seen for the 3-D printing you will only improve from here .👍👍

[@travnicek]

I've watched your content more or less since you started. I watch it primarily for the no-nonsense approach and your design ideas. This build. Making a bandsaw from mixed media, is something I'd buy the plans for happily. I'm happy to add a table out of wood, for example, while having the printer do the more involved pieces while I take care of other things.

[@andrewkrohn9846]

I'm just happy you and mattias talk!

[@burtlade1705]

I question whether a 3D printed band saw is any better than the wooden ones you made. I'm not saying that in a negative way at all. I'm very impressed with your abilities and way of thinking. You enjoy a challenge and I'm sure you will find a way to funnel your efforts into new endeavors. I wanted a band saw so refurbished one from the scrapper's junk pile coming up with one that way. I'm lazy that way using all the design technology that someone else came up with. It all boils down to what you enjoy. You have one of the most interesting You-Tube videos out there and I appreciate your taking the time to share your ideas with others. Your analytical way of thinking and determination are stellar so I expect you will go far John.

[@hed420]

I would love to see a fully 3d printed tool series. You could also share the files and make it open source and watch it turn into a 3d printed tool revolution.

[@Hclann1]

Absolutely, I would even be willing to pay 5 bucks for all the files and instructions.

[@thejerkofalltrades3862]

The printing is good content. I like John's calm voice and mellow relaxed demeanor.

[@csehszlovakze]

glad to see FreeCAD getting some love!

[@RNMSC]

I think that with a channel name "I Build It" that I'm perfectly happy to see you build with anything from 3d printing through casting steel. A couple of variations on this might be making a bandsaw table for a portable bandsaw that you can take in the field for making square cuts in tubing, or custom angles as needed, but that may not be a task you need to cover. You're building and making cool things. That's why I subscribed. As someone who's designing things in FreeCad, seeing someone else making good use of the program to solve problems they are working on is also good. It's a little rough around the edges, but I'm OK with that.

[@davidkennel9512]

John wins the KZbin video naming contest...

[@bernieclark8458]

Love the fact that you are branching out with the techniques you have from wood working and applying them to your new mini machine shop (3D Printer :-) ) Innovation is what advanced wood working from hollowed out canoes to majestic trading ships. 3d printing is not a replacement for traditional techniques but an extension on the toolset that can be used in future designs. Keep at it and continue to experiment and push the boundaries of what your new tool can do for you. So happy to see another Canuck broadening his creative horizons, Keep up the great work.

[@aswells3]

If you've printed your parts out of PLA, then you're going to see plastic deformation on any part that sees a sustained load. Not just significant loads, but even seemingly trivial ones, like a hand tightened bolt. Looks great, just something to keep in mind.

[@TMS5100]

yep. PLA creep makes it unusable for these types of builds. use ASA or PETG instead. it's really weird to see PLA where it's flowed around the bolt head from merely being tightened.

[@SianaGearz]

​@@TMS5100 in my opinion ABS shouldn't exist. If i uhh accidentally pushed it and if it uhh fell into the ocean all of it, I wouldn't shed a tear. I use HIPS as a much less obnoxious substitute.

[@SirSpence99]

@@SianaGearz It is a shame that you are so wrong. ABS is the best filament. Other than hyper-specific requirements, ABS meets almost every need, no other filament does.

[@Csharpflat5]

Smaller parts 3D LARGER Parts in wood and aluminum

[@SianaGearz]

@@SirSpence99 ABS emits more poisonous uncured styrene than any of its siblings and it has high warpage and shrinkage. It's a graft built on butadiene flake with long arms of styrene and acrylnitrile and as butadiene unfurls when heated, it starts flailing the rest of the polymer around, this the bad dimensional stability. It's also not at all abrasion resistant. The layer bonding is not great under the best of circumstances. It's also not chemically stable a elevated temperature, surviving only a handful minutes, so the mass that is in the melt zone during preheating is generally completely shot and slow printing such as intricate sections with lots of travel and retractions results in weakened polymer. Neither HIPS not ASA have any of these issues not to this extent.

[@Smurf_Hearse_368]

I’m here for all of it. I’m more interested in the novel and nuanced approaches taken to solve a “problem” than the medium in which it’s done. Keep the goodness coming but don’t ditch any particular method.

[@samsske]

How about a separate 3d channel? Please finish printing the entire bandsaw.

[@SharkyMoto]

taking a design with "wood" in mind, and translating that 1:1 to 3d printing wont work at all - you certainly can print a good and functioning bandsaw, but you have to design it with your manufacturing process in mind. just reproducing a wooden bandsaw with a 3d printer wouldnt do the process any justice.

[@satibel]

@@SharkyMoto yeah the main example is cutting the insert that clearly wasn't reinforced instead of doing it in cad.

[@keggyification]

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.

[@vilkann5893]

I always thought 3d printing was a gimmick. Up until I bought my first 3d printer a year ago and now I can't stop 3d printing

[@krisknowlton5935]

It used to be all you saw was guys 3D printing action figures. Now, there are people who can see the potential for using a 3D printer for other purposes. I use mine for making things to use around the shop. It is an excellent addition to any wood working shop.

[@BadPractices]

@@krisknowlton5935The knickknack printing crowd did irreparable damage to the reputation of 3D printing.

[@BadPractices]

@@XxIcedecknightxX I’m talking about the perception of people outside of the hobby. If you talk to someone not in the know, then they default to talking about desk ornaments. I wasn’t talking about whoever you are.

[@Travis7109]

As soon as you print your first gun you realize how useful of a tool a 3D printer is.

[@Hclann1]

What are you printing, because I have one for at least 10 years now. The first one needed a lot of tinkering and I mostly printed upgrades for it. The second one I mainly print vacuum hose adaptors, tool battery adapters, and do dads. I would love to print more stuff that is practical.

[@SpartanORGN]

It really is the best feeling when you start learning something new and everything just starts clicking. That feeling of new ideas just flowing and becoming obsessed. It's cool to see you've hit that again.

[@WeAreClipi]

I think you got the 3d bug 😅

[@JoeDavis82]

I think it’s all interesting John. Whatever you come up with I’ll still watch. Wood, Plastic, metal…who cares. It’s all about the creativity for me. Keep it up buddy.

[@anon_y_mousse]

A few tips I can give you are: get a UPS for every computing device you have, TV, computer, 3D printer, what-have-you; melt in threaded metal inserts for 3D prints; to replace something as structurally sound as wood, use 100% infill; and general advice that you probably don't need but I tell everyone anyway, have at least 3 backups for all of your data.

[@gilb6982]

100 % infill is good only for small parts large parts are structuraly stronger with a lower infill like 15 to20 % More important is top and bottom number of layer and even more outline perimeter

[@thezfunk]

UPS went on my 3D printer rather quickly when even the smallest power bump made me lose hours of work.

[@ChauHuh]

There's someone on youtube who has been filling his 3d parts with concrete lately. I would assume fiberglass laced concrete inside of a 3d printed part should be plenty strong.

[@MB_84]

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.

[@stevebettany8778]

I’m not learning anything from your 3d printing videos it’s just. “I designed this and then printed it “. Whereas with woodwork the process is more involving.

[@brianmoore3988]

Please keep going. I think as a woodworker, it's the process and the enjoyment of working with a material. That's why 3d printing appeals to us. This was a great video.

[@douglassiemens4245]

I started watching for your wood working projects, but became hooked on your "ranting" channel, sort of got lost in your electronics/speaker/sound room builds. I was happy with a more "roots" return to wood working, and now, I'm really intrigued with the 3D printing. All this to say, I really appreciate your maker-centric approach to getting things done. While I prefer the wood working videos, I do like to see how you adapt and incorporate 3D printing with woodworking.

[@mahmoudomara5421]

Print away, John! I like to watch your intuitive builds. Thanks for showing the mishaps as well as the glamorous bits.

[@roverdad]

I think the 3d printing content is fascinating. Maybe have a video every now and then to share more details on lessons learned. I don’t have a 3d printer but seeing how you and others use theirs is making me think that I should dive in.

[@rilock2435]

I'm not sure if anyone else mentioned this, but for the table, you should use thread rod to go through the prints kind of like rebar in concrete. Then use nuts on both ends to lock them together - you can even insert the nuts mid-print so they are locked inside the plastic. This will add a lot of strength, especially if you print the pieces vertically, rather than horizontal like you have now. It will put the layer lines under compression so they cannot split along them. Normally you would never print a flat surface like this vertically as the layer lines are the weak point, but by having the rods run perpendicular to the layer lines and applying compression, you gain strength in both directions.

[@paulsullivan649]

Honestly, I'm subscribed to... watch you build it. I'd watch you build stuff out of anything. Awesome stuff here man!

[@SirDizarm]

If somebody would be able to build a working printed bandsaw. That somebody would be you, the way you manages to build things others fail, and then being able to tell and show how you did, I have no dought that its possible and that you would be able to make it! I enjoy the way you make your videos and how you are so calm in them. Keep printing things and make stuff!

[@homemadetools]

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

[@rafvdp6391]

I don’t mind that you sometimes go print crazy 🙂or show how to replace parts with printed parts, I would prefer that the channel stays a woodworking channel. No matter what I will keep following because it is all interesting . The changes to the bandsaw are pretty amazing , since I don't own a 3D printer you are opening a new world for me. Also looking forward for the new saw build, and I guess I am not the only one.

[@antonisxenos1053]

Which ever way you do it, it will be perfect because you are a genius.

[@jistpassinthru]

I would enjoy watching you design and print practical and useful items. I am 79 and I recently began using a Bambu P1S. I am also trying to learn FreeCad so I can design and print practical shop, household and automotive items for myself, family and friends. In any case, I will continue to watch your channel!

[@candycorn9990]

I personally would lean towards wood working, but my main draw towards watching your content is the ambition you have to solve problems through the creative making process. These 3d printing videos have also been awesome. You are an amazing inspiration in a world where sitting in front of a screen is more and more prevalent. Keep up the awesome stuff, whatever your medium! Showing the world that anyone can use their awesome brains to solve many problems.

[@HopeStreetWoodworks]

I've been looking to buy new guides for my 30 year old bandsaw and it never occurred to me to just print them. Thanks, I think you've just inspired me to print my own set.

[@saldogdave]

Awesome! Have a look at heat set threaded inserts. Tapped PLA will strip eventually.

[@irakopilow9223]

I love seeing all the different tasks/disciplines at play here. The beauty of this channel is to see the real world possibilities that exist, and the praises and pitfalls of each. In other words, "my name's Jimmy and I'll take what you gimme."

[@DIYBuilds]

I mean do what ever you want and post it. My wish is wood over 3d printing. Fun experiment.

[@GamerWannaB]

love the project but a few recommendations for printing in the future. 1. printing threads is almost always a bad plan unless they are big for other parts. the better solution is print a hole for a threaded insert or cutting like you did. when you do this, you want more walls around that hole to allow for better grip and you also heat the screw beforehand to mold the thread rather than cutting it. 2. you can improve layer adhesion by after printing putting it in your oven for a bit to make the layers better adhere to each other. love the project and would love to see you switch the full machine over to printed parts just to see how far it can go and good job on the dowels it looks like you printed them the long way and not up right (most get that wrong the first time) i also recommend using the printer for jigs and such to speed up work as plastic tends to be cheaper then wood and i find it faster to model some weird jigs then to make them out of wood.

[@readeral]

This gives me confidence to print some repairs for my Taiwanese bandsaw before I get around to CNCing some replacements. My aluminium trunions (at least 30 years old) crumbled on me the other day, and this is proof I can get up and running quickly again! For what it's worth, all the 3D printing channels I watch tend not to be good at "3D printing in the shop" (except for USSA - but he seems to have narrowed down into full product design). If you can find the balance to make shop projects with 3D printing that aren't merely replicating for no good reason, then you'll have found an excellent and needed niche.

[@archipeep]

I think this was a great challenge and glad you jumped at it. I think the benefit of 3d printing in a maker space is not to see if we can replace our tools with it, but rather complement them. I’d love to see you make more tools with wood and use the 3d printed parts to solve certain areas where you feel it makes more sense. Off hand, I think it’s a great tool for those moments where you cut small pieces and glue them together and the wood seems a little overkill or cumbersome. Looking forward to seeing more of how you use your printer!

[@jeanphilippepoirier6130]

Take that Matthias! You should know better than poking the bear! Excellent work John and your take on 3D print is unique. Let's go for more!

[@leepierce1329]

Every KZbinr has got to adapt. As long as you have been online, bringing in another way of doing something will not send people over the edge. Keep it up. it just gives me inspiration to use my 3D printer for more than toys.

[@pengel200]

You come up with such good ideas and hacks, I'll watch whatever the medium. My most recent design/build using 3D printing that would have been much more difficult in wood is a block that I can use to set my L-Fence when cutting miters on the table saw. It has a 45º foot that fits into the curf cut halfway down a test piece, and a flat 1" surface that is coplaner to the front of the curf. I just bump the L-Fence up against it and tighten it down. Perfect miters. Keep inventing stuff!

[@dale1956ties]

Being a hand tool woodworker myself, and a newbie at that, I like to watch videos of guys doing that. That said, there are enough Rob Cosmans and James Wrights etc on the tube to keep me happy. I am always fascinated by your design and engineering skills. So as long as you post, I'll watch. Probably.

[@TheSladeRiggs]

I just like watching whatever you do John. I don't have a 3D printer so I'm obviously biased towards wood but I still enjoy everything you do and you have to be interested in the projects you take on and they will evolve over time. When I made an insert for my 14 inch band saw that I bought used I made it zero clearance. Not long after I was using it the blade caught just like yours and I believe it was because the insert I made was zero clearance. There wasn't much room at all for the sawdust to be carried out by the blade. I had a feeling you might have a catch when you tried the max depth of cut, haha. I'd suggest drilling a hole just in front of the blade in your insert to help clear sawdust or just make it not zero clearance and have it be wider on both sides of the blade and it shouldn't bind like it did. Once I made that change for my band saw insert I haven't had any problems and I've run hundreds and hundreds of board ft through it.

[@paullosasso7147]

Love your 3d printing approach, don’t give up the woodworking but definitely here for your experiments!

[@the42year-oldhacker37]

Absolutely! Plastic has become the new wood in many ways. But beyond the humor, I really appreciate your 3D printing content. The 3D printing community on KZbin often focuses on kids printing toys or adults printing novelty items, which can give 3D printing a superficial reputation. However, the truth is that if you have an engineering mindset, you can produce functional, load-bearing parts with ease using 3D printing technology. Comparing plastic to wood, it's evident that plastic is softer. Yet, for numerous applications, this difference isn't a critical concern. Your expertise lies in crafting items traditionally made of metal from wood, simply by scaling up the wooden components. This approach effectively resolves the challenge since space constraints are often less significant in these applications. Similarly, with 3D printing, scaling up plastic parts can meet the load-bearing requirements of metal parts without issue. Furthermore, if you're utilizing an enclosed printing setup, you can explore materials like polycarbonate, which offer significantly higher stiffness and strength compared to PLA or PETG. This versatility showcases the potential of 3D printing to create durable and functional components across various industries.

[@unshanks]

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

[@josephs2581]

more like this please! there's a guy on youtube who makes hand planes and other tools on a 3D printer but you're the first one I've seen doing a full on machine. yes please - a thread box would be great to see next. I know I'd buy plans for that.

[@eduardom800]

all of the above. I have been using freecad to design my clients furniture for years. I would be very interesting to learn how to plug the freecad to a 3d printer and make it work. Thank you John for being. You make a difference in human race.

[@bflat99]

I love any and all your videos. Wood, plastic, PC boards, you name it. Let's show ol Mattias what you can do!

[@birdack81]

You can literally do whatever you want. I am in awe at your abilities and mastery of whatever tool/technique you put your mind to...

[@XoNMan1]

Honestly very impressive work if this is your first printer - designing around layer lines, optimising strength with thicker infill lines etc. The infill for the table was just way too low, but you live and learn. Very cool to see it in action!

[@bdcopper]

I am more of a "wood" guy, but seeing what you are doing with the 3d printing is great. I got a kick out of seeing how you learned some lessons of working with the 3d components. So more 3d stuff would be good with me. Hope you enjoyed the beer!

[@woodandwheelz]

John, I honestly love all of your videos. I am never disappointed with your knowledge and ambition. Although I like the wood videos a little more, I enjoy watching your adventures with the 3D printing. Keep them coming.

[@whatevernamegoeshere3644]

If I have to be honest I would make the table from something more solid but it could be a composite. 3d prints are amazing for precision but I would have used them for templates to make metal parts too. If you ask me, a table for a band saw would be 10mm steel plate and nothing smaller just for safety even. It adds a lot of mass to dampen vibration and make a better surface finish even, it won't bend, *won't have notches that can get your wood stuck like at **10:31* etc but all the parts like the rotating mechanism that don't bear that much torsional or shearing load can be plastic or wood. Plywood is good for shearing and compressive loads, good for screwing, 3d prints are precise and metal can do everything better but it's more hassle and money. Just look at each part and make it out of what it calls for, there is no do-all material here.

[@johnconrad8796]

I think 3D printing has come a long way in a few years and projects like this prove it. Videos like this hopefully are the kick in the ass I need to start using my printer again and finally learn part design. I watch your videos for the learning and entertainment - which is there regardless of what item you're building or what material you're using.

[@lsdave]

I love this video. One area that is overlooked is how well you can design dust collection with 3D printed parts. I also look forward to seeing you print parts for speaker designs.

[@broskiemandudebrov]

I really like the idea of incorporating 3d printing into woodworking. Would love to see more stuff like this. As someone who doesn't have access to a shop, but does have access to a 3d printer it's nice to see more content coming up so I can learn and try things.

[@BloodyMobile]

I'm always happy when I see someone who specialized in working with a material try something way different, like 3D printing and getting something out of it. 3D printing is great, for some cases. Mainly complicated or outright impossible shapes (with other means of making), but it has it's weaknesses too. And I think you can only get the most out of it when you accept that sometimes, just because you CAN print something, it's not the BEST approach. But that wisdom needs to be found first, which can only happen when one tries it out. So I'm all for adding 3D printing into the mix.

[@VideoNOLA]

Leaves me deciding whether I won't build a bandsaw out of wood or won't build one out of plastic. But it sure is fun to watch you do 'em!!

[@lainielooentertainment]

Love any video that you produce. I prefer the woodworking- mainly because I don't own a 3D printer. However, it's your channel and you should do whatever you enjoy- it's your cleverness and ability that brings viewers back time and again.

[@howder1951]

Nice work John, amazing how toy can use all of your woodworking knowledge and easily apply it to new tech. that trunnion and table sure saved a lot of work.Enjoyed, cheers!

[@Wertevermittler]

I like wood better than plastic. BUT it's all about learning. I really enjoyed this episode. Thank you John, for all this shared knowledge of yours!

[@paulwier7005]

This is not a project. It's an adventure. So much can be learned by making the parts for the bandsaw out of 3D printed parts. As you have shown, some things will need to be redesigned to meet the requirements needed to perform the tasks. Please continue improving the bandsaw. love the ideas.

[@stephenshipley1066]

I think you should continue with your 3D printing replacement policy on the bandsaw - and on other tools etc. You may have been working with wood mainly when I first tuned in but it's your engineering creativity which matters more than the material.

[@Rbrosenmd]

We're woodworkers after all, and you're a wood-making genius. I'd say using 3D printing as an adjunct, where beneficial is OK and valuable in fabricating difficult to find replacement parts but not as replacements for wood.

[@noremorsewoodworking2258]

I think you have proved the point that 3d printing can replace some (if not all) wooden parts of a bandsaw, so no need to print the entire machine. That being said, I'd love to see more use of combinations of wood and 3d prints in the future

[@adamcieslinski9505]

Yes, would love to see more! Did you make the bevel gauge and combination square, too? Love the zero clearance table saw insert. This is a whole new world to discover!

[@edwardfitzpatrick1206]

Bit of end of years for years just had no idea how to make comments I can’t thank you enough. This is awesome so cool to see you build something with a 3-D printer.

[@HickeyTyson]

Keep up the 3D stuff, you’re killing it.

[@acidxero]

I'm so glad you got a 3D printer. The ways in which you think to implement it are creative and clever. I'd hope to see some mix of woodworking and 3D printing in the future.

[@davidelang]

3d printing tools to use for woodworking is valid and 3d printing things that are hard and complex to do in wood for major tools like the bandsaw are very clearly good as they make it easier for someone to build one. I think a full printed frame would be too ambitious for most people, but things like you already did and the bearing blocks and tracking adjustments are the more fiddly parts to build (especially if you don't already have a bandsaw). It would be interesting to see how much you can replace and where there are problems for the bandsaw table, I would probably go with either prefinished plywood or melamine rather than piecing together printable parts, but it's good to try and find the limits

[@frankcellini9363]

Well done John, I have had a 3D Prusa Mini for 4 years now and 3D printers are amazing! You can design (good design application is Fusion 360) and print almost anything to exact dimensions. Printers are almost at a point where its like an appliance that anyone can use.

[@grampacross7386]

I may be in the minority, but I do think a separate channel is the answer if your going to do 3D printing. Thank you for what you have done.

[@pellcorp]

Im a long time subscriber, your 3d printing content has brought me back to your channel, love it. I am also thrilled you are using freecad too.

[@savvybuilds]

Very cool! Both wood or 3d printed parts are awesome. I like where the future is heading with 3d printing. Great vid! Thanks

[@slugore]

More 3D printing! Those prints look gorgeous!

[@taosclark]

A huge advantage with this too is anyone can then print the file you give it too with next to no effort and low cost! Enjoyed this, do more printing :)

[@khayward1980]

One of the most fascinating things about your channels has been that you make tools and share how it's done. Making tools with 3d printed parts is no different.