Band Saw

The band saw is a cutting machine in which a thin, long blade — welded at both ends into a loop — is stretched and driven between two wheels. It's not counted among the pipe workshop's mandatory machines; drilling and shaping can be carried out without one.

Even so, it's regarded as one of the first "convenience" tools that speed up the work: it takes the excess off a square briar block in seconds and noticeably cuts down what's left for sanding or filing. For where cutting fits in the production flow, see the how a pipe is made entry.

Working Principle and Brief History

The machine's idea isn't new: William Newberry was granted a patent in England in 1809 for the concept of cutting with an endless band blade. But the steel of the day couldn't bear the strain, blades kept snapping, and the design remained on paper for a long time. The step that solved the problem came in France in 1846, when Anne Paulin Crepin's welding method was transferred to A. Perin & Company in Paris, and a usable blade emerged along with advances in alloy and tempering technique. America's first band saw patent is recorded as having been granted in 1836 to Benjamin Barker of Ellsworth, Maine.