One of the donated tools in the space is an old Harbor Freight 4x6 bandsaw. It is in somewhat rough shape and really needs to be torn down, cleaned up, and put back together correctly.

The basic project plan:

1. Strip the machine down
2. Clean, prime, and paint all of the rusty metal
3. Inventory and figure out what parts need to be replaced
4. Rebuild, upgrading where we can

There are several good sites with ideas for these saws:

http://www.mini-lathe.com/Bandsaw/Bandsaw.htm
http://tinyisland.com/4x6bsFAQ.html
http://www.homemetalshopclub.org/projects/sawstand/sawstand.html

At the very least, replacing the stand and adding a gas cylinder in place of the tension spring seem like clear wins. I also have most of the parts to add liquid cooling to the saw, so that might be an interesting project.