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What Is A Band Saw Used For?
The band saw is a tool that can be found in many different workshops but most of the time, many fail to see the untapped potential of a band saw and what it can be used for.
Most people use their band saw for one or two things when it has the ability to do much more.
So – just what can you use a band saw for?
Here we are going to be taking a look at what a band saw is and how you can use it. This way, you can always rely on this trusty tool whenever you think you might be out of luck. So, let’s dive right in!
What Is A Band Saw?
A band saw is a type of power saw that consists of one, long blade that is basically one sheet of toothed metal. From afar, it almost looks like a band or a ribbon stretched between the two wheels – hence the name band saw.
It is held within a large metal frame that can give the band saw an intimidating look – especially when the blade itself is very thin and short.
This frame holds three wheels that rotate to drive the blade. So, the blade is held in place and can cut through anything you feed it – sheets of metal, plastic, wood, and more.
Band saws are a powerful tool and are kept in many workshops due to their usefulness. Not only can they cut through a range of materials, but it allows you to make straight cuts while using both of your hands to steady your material.
This makes it quicker and easier to use than some other types of saws, thus improving your efficiency and speed in your project.
However, band saws are expensive and, while they do come in lots of shapes and sizes, they are generally quite large and clunky.
Even a benchtop bandsaw can take up quite a bit of workspace on your bench! This makes them difficult to purchase and use in personal workshops although you are sure to always find them in professional ones.
What Is A Band Saw Used For?
Band saws may be very simplistic in design but their ability to provide a clean, straight cut makes them very valued.
The design of the band saw – from the strength of the blade to the distribution of the teeth – also makes it very versatile when it comes to purposes. So, let’s take a look at some of the many reasons why you may use a band saw!
Woodwork And Wood Cutting
The most well known use for a band saw is for woodwork and wood cutting. In summary, a band saw is used here to help cut and shape pieces of wood.
The blade of a band saw can cut easily through wood and this allows you to cut neat, straight lines with little effort. All you have to do is draw the fine yourself and feed the line through the band saw.
Thanks to the band saw’s quickness, you can use it to help complete your woodwork projects efficiently.
But band saws aren’t just great for cutting through wood in straight lines. Sure, most people use this saw to help them cut the right sized planks and pieces needed to help assemble furniture – but a bandsaw can also work great for cutting curves.
Curves are a tricky part of woodworking because if you don’t get the gradient right, it can look all wrong and some woodworkers make the error of trying too hard to fix the curve, only making it worse and beyond repair.
Band saws help you cut a clean curve into your wood quickly and all you have to do is adjust the position of the wood as you feed it through, allowing the blade to follow the line while staying stationary.
Some woodworkers also fire up the band saw whenever they need to quickly cut out smaller, more intricate parts.
Because the band saw keeps running and cuts through anything you need into the blade, you can use this to your advantage to cut out pieces of wood in all shapes and sizes – just be careful with those fingers!
For this reason, band saws are also used in lamenting (making thin pieces of wood).
The only issue with the band saw that some people may face is that the piece of wood they want to cut is too large.
In this case, a jigsaw is usually used to cut down a bigger piece of wood and sometimes into smaller pieces specifically so it can be used on the band saw.
Metalwork
Cutting metal is far more tricky than wood due to the strength of the material but a band saw can still cut through it cleaning and with little effort.
This means that people can use a band saw to cut clean straight lines and curves into sheets of metal simply by using a band saw.
Trying to use a traditional saw could result in rough, jagged edges – but not with a band saw. So, many metalsmiths will also own a bandsaw as well as a woodworker or carpenter.
Butchery
It’s not just DIY workshops where you can find a band saw – it’s so versatile that even butchers will own one in slaughterhouses to help cut up pieces of meat into clean cuts.
Whether it’s bones or frozen meat, a band saw can still be used to divide up a large chunk of meat into smaller portions for the market.
With this in mind, it’s super important that you mind your fingers and hands when using a band saw. If this saw is capable of cutting through animal bone and frozen meat, imagine what it could do to you!
Final Thoughts
Band saws are super versatile and useful tools to use, which is why they can be found in all kinds of workshops across the world.
They are used to help improve efficiency and speed up projects by cutting through all kinds of materials and providing a clean edge. This makes them an integral part of the workshop, no matter what material the craftsman uses!