Band Saw

Whether you are woodworking, metal working or using a variety of other materials, you will often require a band saw. The name comes from its’ blade which consists of a narrow band of toothed metal. The band rides in the space on the vertical plane between two wheels. One would normally use the band saw during times when irregular shapes need to be cut, and the radius of the curve will be determined by the width of the band.

When using a band saw for metalworking it is important that specialized band saws are used consisting of coolant pumps. This provides a constant flow of liquid coolant over the blade while working. The coolant keeps the blade cool, thereby enhancing the blades life. A powered wire brush wheel will also usually be present which will remove the chip and buildup from the blade while exiting the material. You will be able to obtain metal cutting band saws in either vertical or horizontal designs, which are manufactured in both manual and totally automatic controls.

You will find the horizontal and the vertically cutting band saws in most machinery shops. The small manual saw shops usually employ a gravity-fed blade that falls in an arc around a pivot point. A shock absorber with an adjustable rate controls the rate of descent. When a manual saw is set up for a cut, the operator raises it by hand and adjusts it to a 45-degree angle. The material is then unclamped and moved up to hit the stop part. At this time the material is reclamped at which point the operator will hit the rapid advance switch to lower the band saw just before the cut begins.

A very large band saw is used in timber mills for ripping lumber. It is preferred to use a larger band saw rather than a circular saw for ripping lumber as the large band saw has a smaller cut size, which results in less waste. The blades range in size and thickness and are mounted on wheels. The wheel diameter is large enough so as not to cause any metal fatigue due to flexing. Band saw flexing is caused when the saw is continually changed from a circle to a straight profile. Band saws of this size create tremendous heat and therefore need deformation worked into them to counteract the heat forces. This is called benching. Every four hours they must be removed and serviced.

The initial cut in a log is done by a large band saw which is known as the head saw. You will notice a two to three inch tooth space on the cutting edge and on the back of the sliver teeth. The sliver teeth on the back of the head saw are non-cutting and are designed to help wipe slivers away when removing the blade of the band saw from the cut.