A Special Bandsaw

My bandsaw is like no other. I was so lucky to get it and appreciate it every time I use it. It is thanks to Huw that I have it. He spotted it when it had been dismantled from its old job and saw the potential and restored it for me. Everyone who uses a bandsaw is admiring or even slightly envious when they see it. This bandsaw is the machine I would find hardest to replace if anything went wrong with it.

So what is so special about the bandsaw?

What makes it so usable to me is the size of the table and the throat. The throat of this bandsaw is 4′ which is much wider than normal. It makes it easy to saw a sheet of plywood or similar. But most importantly for me having such a big table means that as long as I have the strength to heave a lump of wood onto the table I have a chance of sawing it into a managable blank to put on the lathe! It does have its disadvantages. The blade is 19’8″ long amd there are 4 separate guards to take off when changing the blade as well as a couple of other fiddly pieces to remove. However it is all worth it. In theory the depth of cut is about 15″ which is very deep but Huw suggested I didn’t attempt this depth since the saw wasn’t originally designed for wood.

The History of the Bandsaw.

The bandsaw started its life as a material cutting bandsaw in a local garment factory. The factory closed when M. & S. decided to use a factory abroad leaving 300 people out of work (a lot in a rural area like this). The social cost of cheaper clothes is high!

Perhaps bandsaw is the wrong word as originally there was a knife edge rather than a saw blade. This photo shows the grinder attachment which could be brought up to the knife as it was running to sharpen it. This table is only about a quarter of the original table which I have, though sadly I never saw it all set up. Because it was a knife edge it didn’t have the bearings behind and on either side of the blade just below the table and at the bottom of the blade guard which stop the blade wandering too far. Huw made these for me and also bought and set up a new motor and switch for the bandsaw.

So not only do I have a wonderful bandsaw to use but I have a bandsaw which has so much history attached to it. See more of  Thos Beecroft machines here.