PSA: Had a band saw blade snap on me while breaking down a side of beef

I was at the shop last Thursday, working on a 600-pound side of Angus, when the 144-inch blade just popped. It whipped back and scared the hell out of me, but luckily the safety guard caught most of it. I had to stop everything, put on a new blade, and recalibrate the whole machine, which took about 45 minutes. Has anyone else had a blade fail like that, and what's your usual check routine before a big breakdown?

3 comments

3 Comments

grant.anthony11d ago

Check the gullets for cracks and always run the blade slow for a minute first.

williamw7511d ago

Yikes, that's a good rule for power tools and honestly most of life.

williamw7511d ago

Holy crap, that's terrifying. Glad the guard did its job, man. I always check for hairline cracks and give the tension a test run first.