Pendulum saw

Pendulum saw or Swing saw is a mechanically powered circular saw.

Pendulum saw or Swing saw, side view, a circular saw hung from a swinging arm, for cross cutting wood. Shown in the cutting position

A swing Saw is often used for rough cross cutting wood in a sawmill. Also for cutting ice out of a frozen rivers. The saw is hung on a swinging arm, some times with a counter balance weight. Swing saw is also sometimes called a Cut-Off Trim Saw in a mill for cutting right angle to the direction of the wood grain. Swing saw is a very dangerous tool, even with a blade guard. Early models were driven by a belt, usually made of leather, that was powered by a water mill or later a steam engine. Today the power source is an electric motor or a gas engine

A swing saw is used to get ice out of the river for the Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival each year. The swing saws carve ice into blocks, from the frozen surface of the Songhua River.^[1] Many Ice sculptures are made from the ice.

See also

• Saw chain
• Saw pit
• Sharpening
• Two-man saw
• Watersaw
• Diamond tools
• Ice hotel
• Ice palace
• Ice harvesting

References

• osha.gov use of Swing Saw
• btsrr.com Model of a Swing Saw
• americanartifacts.com homemade Swing Saw
• flickr.com Swing Saw plans
• westernscalemodels.com Cut-Off Trim Saw model
• chestofbooks.com early Pendulum saw, not circular
• The Encyclopædia Britannica: a dictionary of arts, sciences, Volume 29, page 12 gbook, Pendulum saw
• Hand held power saws - Has a section on handling kickback
• Circular Saw Safety Procedures
• NIOSH Power Tools Sound Pressure and Vibrations Database
• How To Choose A Circular Saw Blade Best For You