Doug's Sword Making Tools Page


 Some of the pictures of my tools in these links are 200k to 300k big. Be patient if you click.

A band saw power hack saw is also very, very nice to have. The most economical that I know of is the 4-1/2 inch size, with 3 or 4 speeds and a 1/2 hp motor. You can use it horizontally or vertically and I use both! And I use it a lot! They're available from any machinery supply place, Sears, Harbor Freight Tools, and even the big home improvement centers (Delta sells a version, which comes with a very nice manual you should get a copy of, no matter which brand of saw you get!). They sell for $140 to $200 or so. Bi-metal blades cost about triple the price of hard-back or carbon steel blades, but last 5 or maybe even 10 times longer. This size saw uses a blade 1/2 inch wide and 62-1/2 inches long. Have a spare blade. You'll be sorry if the blade breaks on a weekend and you've just started a big project! It's mighty hard to get along without this saw once you've gotten used to having it. One to see is ITEM 35150-5VGA, the metalcutting bandsaw at HFT. There's a similar one available from and visible at www.grizzlyindustrial.com, but I can't get a link directly to an individual tool page. You'll have to go there and search for the "horizontal/vertical cutoff band saw." I've also seen these in the power tool departments of home-improvements stores like Lowe's, Home Depot, and Menard's. The imported bargain tools stores in many cities always carry them too.

You can see more of my metalworking tools on my Machining Page.


A good source for sheet-metal working tools is the Eastwood Co. They specialize in supplies for automobile restoration and have a lot of useful tools in their catalog. For example,  a kit of dies that clamp onto your bench vise jaws and convert it into a 6 inch press brake. And they have shears, nibblers and other forming tools. Go to www.eastwoodcompany.com and ask for their free catalog. It's about 100 pages, with lots of color pictures. Or call 1-800-345-1178.


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