Band saw

Band saw

The bandsaw is the most useful tool in a wood shop. it can cut straight lines, and intricate curved ones. Bandsaws are measured in depth of the throat, which is the distance between the blade, and the supporting beam holding up the top part of the machine. Pictured here is the Tanewitz, a very large bandsaw with a throat of 36". Blades come in varying widths, but cut almost the same amount of material out of the wood. the smaller the blade, the tighter radius can be cut. The larger, the more accurate a straight line can be cut. Bandsaws are used for re-sawing, which is cutting a board of wood the thin way, to produce thinner boards of the same dimension. This is because the can cut through wide materials, and also are efficient and not removing too much wood. The bandsaw is also a relatively safe saw, all the force is put against the table, so the user is free to move the piece at their own pace with control. If an accurate, clean, straight cut is required, the table saw outperforms the bandsaw.