Band saws can be divided by the orientation of the blade during the cutting operation into vertical, horizontal, and chop stroke, where the line-of-cut moves through an arc as the blade passes through the work piece. On modern band saws, the saw blade is twisted through guides mounted after passing over the trailing wheel and before passing over the driving wheel to cut, and pass through, the work piece at an angle of 45 or 90 degrees to the surface of the supporting wheels. The throat, which defines the maximum size of product that can be cut on a band saw, is limited by the diameter of and the distance between the two large wheels that support and tension the endless saw blade, known as the band. The accuracy, or straightness of cut, is dependent on spacing between the guides and the blade tension. As Nussbaum pointed out, "The greater the distance between the guides, the greater the probability of a crooked cut. The solution is to reduce the cutting pressure. But if the work piece is hard or tough, cutting may stop altogether. A compromise... must be found."~1A minimum of three teeth should be in contact with the work piece during cutting. The line of contact between the cutting blade and the work piece ensures that each tooth carries a constant load during its contact with the work piece. The cutting rate of a band saw is stated to be virtually constant throughout its life. The life, measured in square inches of work piece cut, is highly dependent on the material(s) used in blade construction, their temper, and the blade temperature control during cutting. However, aluminum often cuts better without coolant.
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