Anyone know?

[SUAFOYT]

We used a recip saw this year for the first time to split a moose into quarters. It worked fairly well except for the blade. As we all know, bone is extremely hard. With the cost of a cordless reciprocating saw dropping like a stone(like my take home), I may get one to add to the basics when we're out there. The standard bi-metal blade for metal is too fine and too soft. The wood one we used worked but it was smokin'. Does anyone out there know if recip blades for bone are out there either in the Lower Mainland or maybe on-line. I've searched and have only come up with band saw or meat cutting blades for a hand saw which I already have. Thanks.

[The 'Hummer']

I have an old, but hardly used, Homelite XL-12 that my Dad gave me that serves a number purposes on a hunting trip. I cleaned out the chain lube oil tank and lube with Mazola oil so if need be, I can quarter 'Mr. Moose' with it.:) In addition, I use it for cutting the required firewood for our camp plus I also have a bolt on Lewis winch that I've used to yard Moose out of the bush and to pull out stuck vehicles. The old saw has become a very versatile and much used hunting season tool.:mrgreen:

[mark]

Chainsaw?? no, to many bone frags! The cordlesss sawsal is the way to go!! Get a long, very aggressive, wood blade. I think theryre called shark tooth blades but dont qoute me on that. Just go to the tool store and get the most aggressive blade you see! grab a couple! Ive quartered entire moose and elk with 1 battery, but i pack 2, and a charger which can be used on a quad if necessary! Very useful tool for lots of stuff! handy to have a metal blade on hand as well! Ive never had the wood blades smoking!

[Steeleco]

After the mess I made of our little moose back in the fall, a recip saw is on my list, any brand stand out more than others??

Sorry for the mini hijack :sad:

[SUAFOYT]

Chainsaw?? no, to many bone frags! The cordlesss sawsal is the way to go!! Get a long, very aggressive, wood blade. I think theryre called shark tooth blades but dont qoute me on that. Just go to the tool store and get the most aggressive blade you see! grab a couple! Ive quartered entire moose and elk with 1 battery, but i pack 2, and a charger which can be used on a quad if necessary! Very useful tool for lots of stuff! handy to have a metal blade on hand as well! Ive never had the wood blades smoking!

Thanks- I'll start checking KMS and Home Depot tomorrow!

[brotherjack]

I use the 18v cordless JobMate cheap-o recip-saw from CanTire. It will open up a ribcage in about 2 seconds flat, and legs and antlers come off no problem. :)

[Gun Dog]

Get a long, very aggressive, wood blade. I think theryre called shark tooth blades but dont qoute me on that. Just go to the tool store and get the most aggressive blade you see! grab a couple!In hand tools I've found that a course metal blade (18 tpi) is a lot better than an course wood blade (4 tpi) on bone. So I'd try a 18 tpi blade or a general purpose 10/14 tpi blade.

[Buckman]

I used a pruning blade on my mastercraft and it worked great. Not much for bone fragments either.

[mark]

In hand tools I've found that a course metal blade (18 tpi) is a lot better than an course wood blade (4 tpi) on bone. So I'd try a 18 tpi blade or a general purpose 10/14 tpi blade.

Each to their own, but i strongly dissagree with gundog!!! Ive tried both, and course wood blades kick-ass! I use a 18v dewalt!

[Schmaus]

$75 poulan chainsaw rips'em up good enough for me (with a bone fragment here and there) The chainsaw is just good for so many different things I think it is a better choice, just be careful and go slow and the fragments won't fly into the wrong spot.

[hunter1947]

I have always used a chain saw when quartering up big game animals ,never chewed on a bone ever. I empty out the oil in the saw ,then put Mazola oil in the chain saw ,then run it for a while to get ride of the oil. Then when you cut down from the rear of the animal keep the blade right in the middle of the back bone all the way down to the other end ,you see your just cutting bone and not the back straps. You end up cutting the back straps off the bones anyway when you butcher it up ,the bone chips go with the back bone when deboning the animal ,no problem's. hunter 1947.http://www.huntingbc.ca/forum/images/icons/icon7.gif

[Don in BC]

I tried the 'Demolition blade' from Home depot. Long blade, very thick, looked perfect. Thought it looked aggressive enough and it will cut metal and wood. WRONG !! Teeth clogged up and would not cut squat ! Need to go more aggressive.

Don

[Chuck]

I concur with the chain saw group. Because it is more versatile and will work on the carcass if used in a thoughtful fashion. Try to always keep the spray away from the meat. They actually use an electric powered chainsaw in the slaughter houses, but its not a common in use homelite or stihl. My 2 cents.

[The 'Hummer']

Chainsaw?? no, to many bone frags! The cordlesss sawsal is the way to go!! Get a long, very aggressive, wood blade. I think theryre called shark tooth blades but dont qoute me on that. Just go to the tool store and get the most aggressive blade you see! grab a couple! Ive quartered entire moose and elk with 1 battery, but i pack 2, and a charger which can be used on a quad if necessary! Very useful tool for lots of stuff! handy to have a metal blade on hand as well! Ive never had the wood blades smoking!
Using any kind of tooth saw blade, you're going to produce 'bone frags'. Cutting from the outside of the back, especially when animal is hanging and with a reasonable amount of care cleaning up the meat after, those 'frags' have never been a problem. For the last 30+ years, it hasn't been for me anyway. Even when laying it on its back, when need be, & cutting from the inside, with proper clean up attention after, it's been OK.

[tuchodi]

We have always just used the Wyoming hand saw in the bush and never had a problem quartering Moose,Elk or Buffalo. Except for the Buffalo we pack all our animals out on our back. I have seen results from chain saws and the ones I have seen have had a lot of bone fragments in the meat(not what I want in my meat). We are lucky now when we get home we have a small electric table meat saw in our shop but for years we just used the old large butchars, hand meat saw.

[Allen50]

intresting subject, i'm butcher by trade, and any thing you use will work, rip saw, chain saw, hand saw of any type, a ax will also do the job if it is sharp, in the big slughter houses they all once used sharp axes, if you see a meat saw they all have fine tooth blade's, they work the best for smooth cuts in bone, the most importaing thing is were out there for the meat, so getting it in and hung up and cleaned and quarted is the most importain thing, what we use or how we do it does not realy matter, as long as we clean it when were ready to put on the cheese cloth, to bring it home to eat, my self i have a hand saw from a butcher shop, you can buy them through any butcher supply company etc, so get this new year of to a good start and get your hunting gear read early,, HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL ON THIS SITE,

[The 'Hummer']

The little power saw has worked well for me but as I mentioned, it's a tool that ends up serving about three purposes. In many instances where it's possible to drag or yard the animal out of the bush and 'horse' it into the back of a truck, I leave the quartering 'till we get to camp and do it with an old hand meat saw after it's hung. On a few occasions we've de-boned the animal and packed the meat out.
My Dad always did the quartering with an ax and I always marveled at his expertise. He told me "it's all in how you hold your tongue". That skill with an ax I don't have, so, for me, I probably make less fragments with my little Homelite.;)

[Sitkaspruce]

I have always used a poulan chainsaw for quartering moose and elk until this year, when I used the no-gut method. It is now the only way to go. You leave the main frame of the skeloton in the bush and you do not have to pay for all that bone that just goes to waste anyways. It also makes it easier to pack out and a lot cleaner to deal with.

Here is a link to the no-gut method.
http://home.att.net/~sajackson/guttless1.html.

I have changed a few things but here is the basics to follow.

[Birddog]

For the recipicating saw try a rescue/extrication blade. I believe Lenox makes them. They would probably work great for quartering an animal. If you can cut a car apart with them, bone shouldn't be a problem. We buy the blades from Ackland-Grainger, but a hardware store should be able to order them in for you.

Cheers Birddog

[Farmer]

We have used a reciprocating saw for splitting beef for 3 or 4 years. I Use a 12 inch wood blade. That was the longest blade I could find and it only came in a coarse tpi. It works quite well. It sure beats the hand meat saw for splitting. :lol: I have tried the chainsaw on a beef and while it was very fast with little effort, the cut was ragged where meat was contacted. If we have to split an animal in the woods, we use a swede saw with a meat blade(21 inch) or my 12 inch wyoming saw.
I have heated up the reciprocating saw and blade by the time I get through 7 feet of beef spine but it hasn't seemed to do any harm. I change blades every beef anyway.

Gord

[mark]

Anyone who thinks a metal cutting blade is the way to go, go ahead waste your money, Ive tried them all, long aggressive wood blade is the only way to go here. Chainsaw guys have a point, its cheaper and more versitile, but if you guys ever see what a neat and clean job a recip saw does youd never go back to chainsaws!

[Rainwater]

I know they sure looked at me funny when I asked at home hardware for a bone blade. I have heard of a stainless steel one designed for bone but have yet to find it. Maybe Lee Lynn.

[eastkoot]

Stihl with 24 inch blade and chisel tooth chain!!!

[srupp]

HMMMM my "suggestion" go get a LENNOX shatter resistant DEMOLITION bi metal blade for your recip saw...the 12 inch one..

model #106R.....6T.....4.2MM

I assure you this will kick ass, cut cleanly no big bone chips and wont clog up and beats the HELL out of CHAIN SAWS...SHUDDER....and 20x faster than any hand saw..been using these blades for about 6 years simply the best..IMHO....

Steven

[The 'Hummer']

Anyone who thinks a metal cutting blade is the way to go, go ahead waste your money, Ive tried them all, long aggressive wood blade is the only way to go here. Chainsaw guys have a point, its cheaper and more versitile, but if you guys ever see what a neat and clean job a recip saw does youd never go back to chainsaws!

They're slow as hell cutting up firewood and don't work worth a damn hooked up to my Lewis winch.:lol:

[elkguide]

Ain't nothin wrong with a good ol axe now is there? It's all I have ever used ( slicker'n snot once you get the hang of it).:)