Homemade bandsaw?

Hey Everyone, just wondering if anyone has tried or even thought of making or modifying a bench top bandsaw into a handheld bandsaw like the Mafell Z5Ec 12" Portable Band Saw?

It's crossed my mind, but I don't think you'll find a benchtop model that has the beef to effectively cut through timbers at an acceptable weight. Not to mention limitations on throat capacity.
I'll bet the balance is way off on those too once they are off the table.

If you can find a benchtop model which will buzz through an 8x8 and has a decent weight and balance than why not give it a try? Let us know if it works.

I saw a fairly genius idea once of someone who put their floor mounted bandsaw on casters, and then wheeled it through the timber. I'm guessing it's got some limitations, but it could work.

My first "portable" band saw was a 100+lb. Delta 3-wheeled bench-top I chopped with 6" blue blade in a high speed polisher. I was lucky to live through the modification. I had to hoist it up to the beam but, once there, it was a charm and a treat to operate. Those old Deltas are hard to find any more but if you don't need that much throat depth you could use a two wheel. You just need a good blade transport system and a general purpose motor and a little American ingenuity. And lots of time to tinker. It would hold perpendicular better than rolling over a floor but …...it be cheap.