Bandsaw

Bandsaws are cutting tools used in woodworking, metal working and many other applications. Bandsaw derives its name from the blade which is a narrow band of toothed metal. Bandsaw blades are mounted on two wheels and are perfect for cutting irregular shapes. Metal bandsaws have coolant pumps that provide a constant flow of liquid coolant over the bandsaw blade. This adds to the blade’s overall lifespan. Bandsaws also have a powered wire brush-wheel which clears chips and build-up from the blades. Bandsaws are available in vertical and horizontal designs, with manual, semi-automatic and fully automatic controls.

Bandsaws used in machine shops come in horizontal and vertical cutting configurations. The blades used in small, manual shop bandsaws are invariably gravity-fed, which means that they descend in an arc around a pivot point. A shock absorber controls the bandsaw blade’s rate of descent, and this rate is adjustable. Bandsaws meant for mounting on small lathes are called 4x6 bandsaws because they are able to cut through a rectangular cross section of up to 4x6 in size. These saws can also be operated in an upright position. However, because of the short distance from the blade to the support casting, this mode is quite limited.

If one has enough patience and physical strength, a hacksaw usually suffices for many cutting jobs. However, a bandsaw is very useful for automated cutting that allows the user to take up other tasks. The user can clamp the work material in the horizontal or vertical in-built vice. and when the cutting job is finished, the power shuts off automatically.