Last Updated on October 11, 2021
black “Saw” – whenever we hear the word, we merely have an impression that it is a vicious killing machine and also an image of terrifying red and white-masked folk flashes in our mind!
But the enactment of saws is way more valued than just a serial killer movie. Mankind took their very first step towards the creation of civilization when they started using hand cutting tools which eventually led them to invent the wheel – the game changer of the progression of mankind!
A saw is a carpentry tool with sharp-toothed edge mainly used for cutting through materials, mostly wooden material.
In the modern era, there are varieties of saws available such as a circular saw, bandsaw, reciprocating saw, jigsaw and what not! But in today’s discussion, I will be focused only on the comparative analysis of bandsaw and jigsaw.
What Is A Band saw?
Band saw was invented in 1808 by Mr. William Newberry who at that time specified it as a machine to saw wood or split animal skins. Then it went through many evolutions and continuous patent snatching. By 1900 band saw became an accepted tool for engineering constructions.
A bandsaw consists of a long sharp blade that runs across two or sometimes even more wheels to distribute the loads. It is suitable for cutting the thickest wood and also at the same time, multiple pieces of wood.
Apart from wood, it can also cut metal and plastic. It uses a slightly thicker and larger blade that functions continuously through circular bands.
What Is The Use of A Bandsaw
Below are the popular uses of this tool;
- Resawing Resawing means when large bandsaw is used for cutting large, thicker timber into smaller sections.
- Quick, Repetitive Cut If you are working with multiple thick wooden piles that require the same cut, bandsaw can do it in a single cut.
- Residential And Light Industry Many residential workshops use bandsaw as it is suitable for both wood and metal cutting.
- Meat Cutting The meat industry uses it, as its sharp teethed blade is suitable for neat meat cutting.
Advantage of Bandsaw
- Unlike other sawing tools, the bandsaw is not restricted to cut one type of material only. It can cut wood, timber, plastic, and metals.
- It is easy with this tool to make the straight cut, even for multiple wooden piles at the same time.
- Compared to other tools, the outcome using bandsaw are smoother and neater. It gives a smooth finishing.
- The bandsaw has a smaller blade than other tools which leads to a reduction in wastage.
Disadvantage of Bandsaw
- The bandsaw is not suitable for beginners. For each type of cutting, you need to change the blade accordingly.
- The work surface of a bandsaw is smaller which makes it difficult to wide, long wooden piles.
What Is A Jigsaw?
A jigsaw uses a reciprocal blade that is suitable for working in an up and down motion and mostly used for making significantly accurate curves. It was invented in 1946 by Mr. Albert Kaufman, a Swiss engineer when he replaced his wife’s sewing machine’s needle with a saw blade.
Then in 1954 the company Bosch bought the patent, and since then they have made a lot more modifications on it. The blade teeth are designed delicately to be able to bring out a smooth curve finishing in woods and plastics.
What Is The Use of A Jigsaw
Here are some common uses of the saw;
- The Versatility Of Curves When you require to make precise curves, jigsaw should be the first consideration as it can cut the curves easily and bring out the best outcome.
- Safer Application It can be the best option for beginners as it is easy to use and also safer.
- Portability Nowadays jigsaw comes cordless! So it is very convenient to carry it to your workplace.
Advantage of Jigsaw
- Upon choosing the right type of blade, the jigsaw can work on various materials like wood, fiberglass, and drywall.
- Jigsaw ensures the accuracy of design on a boutique wooden piece. It results in a masterpiece with neat curves and designs.
- It is very easy and safe to operate. On adult supervision, even kids are allowed to use it.
- This tool is convenient; it comes both corded and cordless making it easier to carry to the work station.
Disadvantage of Jigsaw
- The blades are weak at the lower end; hence, it requires a good grip of control to obtain the desired outcome without damaging the blade.
- It cannot work on more than one piece at a time which makes the work time-consuming.
Similarities Between Bandsaw And Jigsaw
- Both the blades of bandsaw and jigsaw can work in up and down motion.
- Are suitable for straight cutting.
- The best-suited tools for making curves and corner-cutting.
Differences Between Bandsaw and Jigsaw
- There is a huge difference in the size and weight of the two tools. The bandsaw is massive and immobile, whereas jigsaw is very handy, can be handled with one hand as well.
- The blade of the jigsaw is reciprocal which means the only top of the blade is attached to the machine and the lower part is unattached. Whereas, in bandsaw, the whole blade is connected between two wheels which ensure continuous passing through of materials.
- Jigsaw is excellent for rough work where precise curve cutting is required. The bandsaw can also do curving, but it is focused on large scale cutting.
- Jigsaw can work on a single piece of wood at a time. The bandsaw can make a straight line on multiple pieces of wood at a time.
- The bandsaw is ideal for resawing which jigsaw is unable to do.
Conclusion
To sum up, it is not possible to state which particular one is better than the other as both the tools are unique based on the functionality possessing.
Instead, it can be said based on your intended work, the type of machine can be chosen between bandsaw and jigsaw.
For light work and beginners, the jigsaw can be the best option. But for heavy large-scale work, there is no alternative to the bandsaw, and of course, it should be operated by experienced personnel only.