Band Saw Deer Processing

[M.E.B.]

I have always thought about buying a band saw to cut frozen deer hams into steaks.

The only thing that has stopped me is that I figure the saw would be pretty hard to clean.

Does anyone have any experience with this?

[billinkb]

Yes. Tried it years ago. Still trying to get the saw clean.

Well, actually it took more time to clean the saw than it did to cut the meat.
I never used the saw for meat again.

[skipetex]

They are not toooooooooo hard to clean. I use HOT bleach water in a spray bottle. You can get most off that way if it's not dried out. That and a little dish towel work and it's good to go. Just remember the bleach to disinfect and cover with large unscented trash bag for atorage

[tkuehn5410]

Never tried a band saw, on deer. We do like to do our wild hog double loin chops that way, though, and even thawed it cuts really easily. I usually separate each cut (sirloin, round, eye of round, etc) in the hindquarters and cut them individually for chicken fry/fajitas.

[robert97dodge]

Tried it years ago and didn't care for it. Mostly the bone shavings left in the meat was not good.

[RodinaRanč]

If you're doing 2 or more critters at a time it's worth it, & toldeo or hobart (they have less nooks/cranny's to have to clean). Break it down & wash it off with water nozzle, then spray it down with a pump up sprayer of chlorox/water 3:1 mix. Little food grade grease on the blade after each use will give ya more blade life.

[Drycreek3189]

Tried it years ago and didn't care for it. Mostly the bone shavings left in the meat was not good.

That and all the marrow smeared on the meat. Marrow makes the meat rank after a while in the freezer.

[tpack]

I cut meat and ran a meat mkt. for over 20 years. You want to keep your fingers.....Don`t do it. Let the pros use the meat saws and you use a knife. All meat saws are hard to clean. We used hot water at high pressure with a de-greaser.

[RodinaRanč]

Bone scrapper will take care of any bone dust & the newer plastic ones work better than the older metal ones

[Bonesplitter]

Yup, split down the niddle, cut t bones, ribeyes and then ham steaks. Works like a champ. Takes a little cleaning afterwards but we'll worth it

[jerp]

I cut up a frozen deer ham on my band saw one time and I was very pleased at how easy it was. I was not so pleased at the funky smell that lingered in my shop for days. I took it apart and power washed it with bleach several times before the smell went away

[Texas Grown]

Pressure washer will make quick work of cleaning . Or you can take it to the car wash.
I've been known to come home with +500lbs of hogs. So I bought a meat band-saw. And sure glad I did! Also got a commercial grade vacuum packer, one #32 meat grinder I biult, And a #12 meat grinder that attaches to the side of the band saw. That little grinder is perfect for when ya get small chunks. I keep a 5 gallon bucket under it. I've also been known to use the #12 for whole quarters. Grinds pretty quick .
Back to the saw: If you like wild pork chops as much as I do, then it's great! I leave the back straps on the bone on bigger hogs. And after cutting the ribs off and running them through the saw to make multiple slabs, I lay the back bone with meat on, on the saw, and start slicing double sided "bone in" pork chops at 1.5-1.75" thick.
If your getting soot on the meat from bone, then the saw is running to fast. The meat can also be washed off if it's not burnt in. Saws are kinda like grinders: if the feed on a grinder is running to fast, the meat will start to burn while running through the plates. And needs to slow down the RPM on the grinder side of the gear or pulley system so the meat auger will slow down the meat feed into the plates. That should be around 160RPM or less.