Delta band saw.......surgical use

[jtbinvalrico]

A buddy of mine asked me to have a look at this band saw he found for sale. It was described to me as your typical 14" Delta. Price was $50. I told him to count on picking it up unless it was encrusted with barnacles or smashed flat. On arrival we saw this:

The seller tells us that this saw was used for medical purposes. Apparently, their company is contracted by area hospitals to take freshly deceased persons and part their bodies up per their organ donor wishes. This saw was used to cut bones up for grafting, and as such, it had to be "sterilizable." They took a regular Delta band saw and had all the sheet metal plated. All the cast parts were zinc-plated. They used some sort of "gas sterilization" on it. They have more of them in service.

After choking down the weirdness factor and briefly pondering all the humans who have passed under that blade, I recommended that he buy it. It's nonetheless a nice saw, especially for $50. It's been sterilized and only needs a wiping down to be put to work cutting wood:

 

[darkk]

That's a vintage saw you got there. You should check out these two sites a find out exactly when it was made and the model etc... $50? You really ****!

http://vintagemachinery.org/home.aspx

http://vintagemachinery.org/mfgindex/detail.aspx?id=1141&tab=4

 

[back2class]

More likely simply a meat cutting saw...but good story

 

[54FordPanel]

Very cool, I'd grab that in a second.

There are lots of saws in use that cut off body parts, and most aren't nickel plated.

And I agree it was used in a butcher shop, and not for cutting up human bodies. You'd have to cut a human up in small pieces in order to get the parts up on the "sterile" band saw.
So you'd cut off a person's leg, then use the sterile bandsaw to cut the leg into smaller pieces? I don't think so.

But a cool saw to have!

 

[automobiliben]

Hmm, I had one similar like that, was a late 90's machine (of course without the weird story).

Not sure the story makes much sense though, why not just BUY an actual meat band saw?

 

[geologist]

If he ever decides that it creeps him out too much and he wants to sell it, drop me a line.

 

[mooman]

Yikes! That story made me shiver.

 

[Busted_Knuckles]

Ive got a "Byrd" saw similar to the delta, smaller frame, not much smaller, its mostly stainless, it might have some aluminum on it. Its a meat saw, I got at an auction, for under $75, somebody had been cutting wood with it, for its full of saw dust.

Ive got steers, I grow my own meat, that's why I bought it. We butcher all our own small animals here at the house, but I pay to have my steers butchered, but in the event I need to do it myself, I thought it was "little" money for the mount of work it will do. I also have "hand saws" for cutting up animals, as well as lots of spare blades.

 

[blazemaster83]

Yeah the story behind it is sorta disturbing, but it's certainly an interesting one. Also, it looks as though X-zibit visited that thing, cause man it is pimped out. I bet nobody has a delta that nice. The price is a steal! Thanks for sharing.

 

[Outlander]

almost very saw I own was used for cutting human parts....mine! Same goes for my hammers, box cutters, half my screwdrivers and assorted other tools.

Nice saw BTW

 

[930dreamer]

Nice score for $50 bones.

 

[automobiliben]

Ive got a "Byrd" saw similar to the delta, smaller frame, not much smaller, its mostly stainless, it might have some aluminum on it. Its a meat saw, I got at an auction, for under $75, somebody had been cutting wood with it, for its full of saw dust.

Ive got steers, I grow my own meat, that's why I bought it. We butcher all our own small animals here at the house, but I pay to have my steers butchered, but in the event I need to do it myself, I thought it was "little" money for the mount of work it will do. I also have "hand saws" for cutting up animals, as well as lots of spare blades.

IIRC, don't meat saws not have very robust guide systems for the blade? I have seen people convert meat saws to cut wood, but I don't not think there is much positive benefit in doing so. Although, meat saws do usually have sliding tables...

 

[spongerich]

That's a major You **** score for $50.

 

[jtbinvalrico]

.....I think the story is legit. I can't imagine why he'd risk his sale popping a weird tale like that on us when we show up. I think a real meat cutting saw would be stainless.....this one had the normal Delta parts you'd see plated and zinced, and other parts custom fabbed out of aluminum.

I sure hope my buddy is happy with that saw.....the more I think about the more it creeps me out.

 

[91bronc300]

If it starts turning itself on and off, dripping blood when you use it, and whispering dark thoughts to you from the corner of the garage, then maybe $50 isn't such a good deal after all. Here's hoping though.

"Nice score for 50 bones" LOL good one!

 

[BJ42LX]

A lot of people would give an arm and a leg for that deal.

 

[Givl Reggin]

A lot of people would give an arm and a leg for that deal.

A lot of people already have.

 

[fivespdcat]

$50? I wouldn't think twice, the cash would be out and I would be figuring out how to get it home!

 

[Busted_Knuckles]

IIRC, don't meat saws not have very robust guide systems for the blade? I have seen people convert meat saws to cut wood, but I don't not think there is much positive benefit in doing so. Although, meat saws do usually have sliding tables...

You pretty much nailed it, when was the last time you heard of someone using the wrong tool for a job ?

 

[scott917]

No, no, no, you guys are doing it all wrong you use a chainsaw you got at a pawnshop and a wood chipper you rent from a rental store on a stolen credit card to get rid of bodies.

JK

nice saw you have there.... i spend some time in an operating room at work and we have nothing like that up there. they do have some air drills and battery operated drills. and while they may be good for surgical use, i don't think i would want to use any of them at home.

S

 

[tribbles]

The seller didn't have a hog farm by any chance?

 

[mrbreezeet1]

That's a vintage saw you got there. You should check out these two sites a find out exactly when it was made and the model etc... $50? You really ****!

http://vintagemachinery.org/home.aspx

http://vintagemachinery.org/mfgindex/detail.aspx?id=1141&tab=4

the saw is not that old, 90's maybe.

 

[jtbinvalrico]

The guy said it was about 15 years old......15 years of parting out the dearly departed.

 

[JDS968]

This is the funniest thing I've seen on GarageJournal yet!

Also, isn't there some rule about needing to kill it because it's tasted human flesh and is now dangerous?

 

[cowboy73]

I once heard of a guy that used a cranial bone saw for trimming quitar necks!

 

[Givl Reggin]

When I was a kid (this was a long time ago) my father had a friend that has a shop and in it he has a blood table - I think they call them embalming tables today - basically it a table with an edge on all 4 sides that slopes to a drain at one end... he used to clean engine blocks on it. Now, I'm not the kind of guy to get creeped out at things, but an embalming table and a surgical saw are two things I would never own.

 

[vintagefan]

Awesome... I'm not sure how I would deal with finding mystery material in the nooks and crannies if I ever took the saw apart though. Sterilization means everything is dead, but it doesn't always mean everything's gone.

Actually, a thought... I'd tell your friend to NEVER dissassemble that saw. Who knows what he'd find.

 

[JDS968]

Jeez, would not have expected you guys to be such a squeamish bunch!

Everybody dies eventually, and there's always a large pile of meat left over!

 

[iancoletx]

That is a sweet grab for $50.

 

[TwoInch]

Awesome... I'm not sure how I would deal with finding mystery material in the nooks and crannies if I ever took the saw apart though. Sterilization means everything is dead, but it doesn't always mean everything's gone.

for things to be medically sterilized, there would be no debris left on or in the saw. tools that are sterilized for medical use must be COMPLETELY cleaned, before sterilization will be attempted. a piece of flesh somewhere hidden could shield some microorganisms from the sterilization process.

my guess is a butchers saw. but i imagine if it was a saw for bone grafts, or laboratory use, there would be work tables level and adjoining the sides of the saw, so there would be no lifting body parts up to the saws table.

i would imagine any medical company would use medical specific tools.

 

[Ghost11]

Had to revive this thread. How did that saw ever work out? What a great story

 

[txbonds]

I think I would put a new, clean blade on it if the story holds any truth.

 

[Hawk]

If it starts turning itself on and off, dripping blood when you use it, and whispering dark thoughts to you from the corner of the garage, then maybe $50 isn't such a good deal after all. Here's hoping though.

"Nice score for 50 bones" LOL good one!

If it does, I will double the price. lol

 

[Parabellum]

Super creepy especially after I watched Bone Tomahawk last night.

 

[Dick in Wisconsin]

I would be worried about "spirits".

I wonder if John Goodman had one of these in the bunker that was portrayed in the documentary movie "10 Cloverdale Lane".