Halving an animal with a saw....

[BelchFire]

It’s a job to cut an animal top to bottom through the backbone with a meat saw (by hand anywa). I’ve seen people do it with a Sawzall, but didn’t pay enough attention to the blade when they did. I know you guys have done it with a power saw before. What blade do you use to cut a backbone stem to stern? Length and tooth count, please.

 

[Speckmisser]

I don't remember the tooth count (been out of that line of work for a long time), but the guys I remember doing it used a regular metal cutting blade.

Are you splitting one for the cooker? I don't know why else you'd need to do it with a saw. I usually pick one side or the other and pop the ribs out down the backbone with my heavy knife. One side gets the spine, the other gets the ribs only. Works OK.

 

[SDHNTR]

A Sawzall (especially cordless) works great for just that. Makes it fit in the cooler a lot easier. I've used a medium blade. Not a fine one for metal, and not a coarse one for rough cuts on wood, but something in between.

 

[MJB]

I've used a long wood blade. The bimetal blades the teeth are too small and they get filled with tissue really fast. If you can freeze the meat first that also helps.

 

[Redneck75]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Speckmisser @ Feb 22 2007, 05:50 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

I don't remember the tooth count (been out of that line of work for a long time), but the guys I remember doing it used a regular metal cutting blade.

Are you splitting one for the cooker? I don't know why else you'd need to do it with a saw. I usually pick one side or the other and pop the ribs out down the backbone with my heavy knife. One side gets the spine, the other gets the ribs only. Works OK.[/b]

Specks got it right...don't bother sawing down the spine when you're in the field. Saw through the ribs where they meet the backbone. Cutting the meat with your knife first helps keep the blade from clogging. Most pigs you can get through with the ribs with your knife. I've only had one where I needed the saw. It only takes about 8-10 minutes to get through an elk or a big pig by sawing the ribs. I've seen guys waste a couple hours trying to saw through the whole spine by hand.