Update: I gave up on the old band saw for breaking down whole lambs

For years I stuck with my old 14-inch band saw for everything, even whole lamb breakdowns. It worked, but it was slow and the blade would wander on the spine. My buddy at the shop in Springfield kept telling me to try a good hand saw for the initial cuts, saying it gave more control. I finally listened last week on a 60-pound lamb. I used a 22-inch breaking saw for the spine and ribs, then went back to the band saw for the primals. The difference was huge. The hand saw went through the bone clean in about two minutes, no binding, and I could feel the joints better. The band saw work after that was way smoother because the pieces were already separated. I feel dumb for fighting it for so long. Anyone else switch from all-power to a mix of hand and power tools for certain animals?

2 comments

2 Comments

coleman.karen15d ago

That 60-pound lamb breakdown really proves the point. I should try that hand saw method on my next hog.

gonzalez.stella15d ago

Karen's right about hogs, the hand saw trick works there too. I use a bone saw to split the chine before going in with the cleaver, saves a ton of wear on my electric saw. You get a cleaner cut through all that fat and gristle.