Shaping the wood: The sawdust-filled world of a Bandsaw

Posted on October 2, 2017

A bandsaw (also written band saw) is a saw with a long, sharp blade consisting of a continuous band of toothed metal stretched between two or more wheels to cut material. They are used principally in woodworking, metalworking, and lumbering, but may cut a variety of materials. Advantages include uniform cutting action as a result of an evenly distributed tooth load, and the ability to cut irregular or curved shapes like a jigsaw. The minimum radius of a curve is determined by the width of the band and its kerf. Most bandsaws have two wheels rotating in the same plane, one of which is powered, although some may have three or four to distribute the load. The blade itself can come in a variety of sizes and tooth pitches, which enables the machine to be highly versatile and able to cut a wide variety of materials including wood, metal and plastic.

Bandsaws in Kashmir refer largely, and roughly, to the entire enterprise of a small-scale factory which is involved in harvesting logs of wood, all the way to the final product, and the residue.

The final product, which is the furnished, finely chopped wood, is supplied to shops and manufacturers, ending up in our homes as furniture and ornamental decoration.

Here are a few pictures tracing the journey of a log of wood through the teeth of a bandsaw: