Hey, DTJ, McBryce - you were right. Sigh. Perhaps I will find other uses for the bandsaw. Or it might just wind up as another tool in my tool museum, right beside my squid stretcher and my female polar bear mounter. The last might seem a bit odd, but let me tell you: if you ever need to mount a female polar bear, you'd damn well better have the right tool.
Gary M - you know, I keep hearing from everyone that PCBs are so cheap now. But the cheapest I've found - for a 2.5 X 3.8 inch board with silk screen and solder mask is $61 USD - about $82 CAD + shipping, which will probably bring it up to around $100. They do 3 boards for that price, but I don't think I need 3 boards. I just need one board. So I'm effectively paying $100 for a tiny little board.
I dunno. It is true that I must have taken a vow of poverty in my youth, which accounts for my living under a bridge. (But it's a very nice bridge). But $100 doesn't seem cheap to me. If you know of a cheaper way to get boards, please let me know.
Hey, Bendba - one of the joys of this saw is that it takes a 62 inch X 1/4 inch blade, which is a very unusual size. I did find a listing on Amazon.ca for 5 diamond blades for about $248 CAD with shipping. But I don't want to gamble that much. I can also get a 24 tooth blade for about $31 with shipping, which still strikes me as pricey.
Hey, Djos, thanks for the shout out. Don't worry too much about women not enjoying my humor; they've never enjoyed it when I've inflicted it on them in person, either. One young lady even got a court order, prohibiting me from calling her. The judge looked at her and said, "Is he making threats?"
"No," she replied. "He's telling jokes."
The judge looked at me. "Tell me a joke."
"Well," I said, "Two gay judges walk into a bar..."
"I've heard enough. The order is granted." Bang went the gavel.
So, you know. There's a ton of women, and at least one gay judge, that don't like my humor.
Hey, BU508A - I really like the look of that saw. They don't have a sales rep in Canada; the nearest one is North Carolina, which is roughly 4,000 miles away. I did a search on Amazon, and couldn't find anything similar; same with lee valley tools. I'll keep looking.
Hey, Gyro - I think this one, available locally (from a store with an actual return policy) might be similar to what you're using:
https://www.princessauto.com/en/detail/7-in-portable-wet-cutting-tile-saw-with-3-bonus-blades/A-p8237489eIt's even on sale. $70 CAD, with 3 diamond blades.
The one question I have - how do you keep the work space dry? Or do you not use the water at all?
Thanks everyone, for all your great comments and suggestions. I really appreciate it.
Best, Charlie