Residential and light industry Many
workshops in residential
garages or
basements and in
light industry contain small or medium-sized bandsaws that can cut wood, metal, or plastic. Often a general-purpose blade is left in place, although blades optimized for wood or metal can be switched out when volume of use warrants. Most residential and commercial bandsaws are of the vertical type mounted on a bench or a cabinet stand. Portable
power tool versions, including
cordless models, are also common in recent decades, allowing building contractors to bring them along on the truck to the jobsite.
Meat cutting Saws for cutting
meat are typically of all
stainless steel construction with easy to clean features. The blades either have fine teeth with
heat treated tips, or have plain or scalloped knife edges.
Metal fabrication shop and machine shop models Bandsaws dedicated to industrial metal-cutting use, such as for
structural steel in
fabrication shops and for
bar stock in
machine shops, are available in vertical and horizontal designs. Typical band speeds range from to , although specialized bandsaws are built for friction cutting of hard metals and run band speeds of . Metal-cutting bandsaws are usually equipped with brushes or brushwheels to prevent chips from becoming stuck in between the blade's teeth. Systems which cool the blade with
cutting fluid are also common equipment on metal-cutting bandsaws. The coolant washes away
swarf and keeps the blade cool and lubricated. Horizontal bandsaws hold the workpiece stationary while the blade swings down through the cut. This configuration is used to cut long materials such as
pipe or bar stock to length. Thus it is an important part of the facilities in most machine shops. The horizontal design is not useful for cutting curves or complicated shapes. Small horizontal bandsaws typically employ a gravity feed alone, retarded to an adjustable degree by a coil spring; on industrial models, the rate of descent is usually controlled by a
hydraulic cylinder that bleeds through an adjustable valve. When the saw is set up for a cut, the operator raises the saw, positions the material to be cut underneath the blade, and then turns on the saw. The blade slowly descends into the material, cutting it as the band blade moves. When the cut is complete, a switch is tripped and the saw automatically turns off. More sophisticated versions of this type of saw are partially or entirely automated (via
PLC or
CNC) for high-volume cutting of machining blanks. Such machines provide a stream of cutting fluid recirculated from a sump, in the same manner that a CNC machining center does. A vertical bandsaw, also called a contour saw, keeps the blade's path stationary while the workpiece is moved across it. This type of saw can be used to cut out complex shapes and angles. The part may be fed into the blade manually or with a power assist mechanism. This type of metal-cutting bandsaw is often equipped with a built-in blade welder. This not only allows the operator to repair broken blades or fabricate new blades quickly, but also allows for the blade to be purposely cut, routed through the center of a part, and re-welded in order to make interior cuts. These saws are often fitted with a built-in air blower to cool the blade and to blow chips away from the cut area giving the operator a clear view of the work. This type of saw is also built in a woodworking version. The woodworking type is generally of much lighter construction and does not incorporate a power feed mechanism, coolant, or welder. Advancements have also been made in the bandsaw blades used to cut metals.
Bimetal blades with
high speed steel teeth, including cobalt grades, are now the norm. The development of new tooth geometries and tooth pitches has produced increased production rates and greater blade life. New materials and processes such as
M51 steel and the
cryogenic treatment of blades have produced results that were thought impossible just a few years ago. New machines have been developed to automate the
welding process of bandsaw blades as well.
Timber cutting Timber mills use very large bandsaws for
ripping lumber; they are preferred over
circular saws for ripping because they can accommodate large-diameter timber and because of their smaller
kerf (cut size), resulting in less waste. There are also small
portable sawmills consisting of a shop-size bandsaw mounted on a guiding table, which are called bandsaw mills (band saw mills, band sawmills). Like chain saw mills (a
chainsaw on a guiding table), they can be used inexpensively by one or two people out in the field. These tools may be used by off-gridders and those doing small scale lumber processing in remote areas. In a full-size sawmill, the blades are mounted on wheels with a diameter large enough not to cause metal fatigue due to flexing when the blade repeatedly changes from a circular to a straight profile. It is stretched very tight (with fatigue strength of the saw metal being the limiting factor). Bandsaws of this size need to have a deformation worked into them that counteracts the forces and heating of operation. This is called "benching". They also need to be removed and serviced at regular intervals.
Sawfilers or sawdoctors are the craftsmen responsible for this work. The shape of the tooth gullet is highly optimized and designed by the sawyer and sawfiler. It varies according to the mill, as well as the type and condition of the wood. Frozen logs often require a "frost notch" ground into the gullet to break the chips. The shape of the tooth gullet is created when the blade is manufactured and its shape is automatically maintained with each sharpening. The sawfiler will need to maintain the grinding wheel's profile with periodic dressing of the wheel. Proper tracking of the blade is crucial to accurate cutting and considerably reduces blade breakage. The first step to ensuring good tracking is to check that the two bandwheels or flywheels are co-planar. This can be done by placing a straightedge across the front of the wheels and adjusting until each wheel touches. Rotate the wheels with the blade in position and properly tensioned and check that the tracking is correct. Now install the blade guide rollers and leave a gap of about 1 mm between the back of the blade and the guide flange. The teeth of blades that have become narrow through repeated sharpening will foul the front edge of the guide rollers due to their kerf set and force the blade out of alignment. This can be remedied by cutting of a small step on the rollers' front edges to accommodate the protruding teeth. Ideally the rollers should be crowned, (see
belt and pulley systems) a configuration that assists in the proper tracking of bands and belts, at the same time allowing clearance for the set of the teeth.
Head saws Head saws are large bandsaws that make the initial cuts in a log. They generally have a tooth space on the cutting edge and
sliver teeth on the back. Sliver teeth are non-cutting teeth designed to wipe
slivers out of the way when the blade needs to back out of a cut.
Resaws A resaw is a large bandsaw optimized for cutting timber along the grain to reduce larger sections into smaller sections or
veneers. Resawing veneers requires a wide blade—commonly —with a small kerf to minimize waste. Resaw blades of up to may be fitted to a standard bandsaw.
Double cut saws Double cut saws have cutting teeth on both sides. They are generally very large, similar in size to a head saw. ==Construction==