Shipsaw

Shipsaw. Built: 1930s. , The shipsaw is a type of bandsaw. The blade is a thin steel band that is turned at a high rate of speed by large wheels. Most bandsaws have a table that tilts to change the angle of the cut. This is convenient if the piece of wood is small enough to support on an uneven table. However, shipwrights cut large, heavy timbers, so they need a level table and a blade that tilts., Ship timbers often have complex shapes. Many are curved, and the angle on the face often changes along the length. With its tilting blade, a shipsaw can easily make a cut like this. As one shipwright passes the wood through the saw, another worker adjusts the angle of the blade, producing a cut that twists., This Fay and Egan shipsaw dates to the 1930s. It was last used at the Concordia Company shipyard in South Dartmouth, Massachusetts. Since its donation to Mystic Seaport, it has been restored for use through the efforts of Museum volunteers.