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The Kodja Place Cultural Centre - Kojonup > Records

CIRCULAR SAW

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1950 - 2025

Overview

Toothed steel circular blade from a 'swing saw'. Engine powered blade was mounted horizontally on a wheeled heavy duty frame, This had wheelbarrow-type handles enabling the operator to Swing the saw through the tree. With the invention of the petrol engine the axe and cross cut saw were replaced by the circular swing saw. A heavy mallet was still needed to cut a wedge into the cut to keep the weight of the tree trunk off the rapidly spinning saw. Boscabel farmer Jim Harrison had the first circular saw in the district. It was sometimes referred to as the 'widow maker' because of its speed and also the user needed to be mindful of which direction the tree was to fall while also watching the saw. It vibrated terribly. It is still used today - dismounted from its petrol engine and fitted to a bench - to become a bench saw. Various adaptions have made it transportable either as a mobile timber mill or to cut firewood for winter months.

b/c: Photos of the saw in use - donated by W. Harrison - part of The Kodja Place collection.

Details

Details

Registration number

cwa-org-118-KPCW2025.6a-c

Item type

Objects

Keywords

Land Clearing

Year

Primary significance criteria

Historic significance

Last modified

Saturday, 28 February, 2026

Completeness

83

The Kodja Place Cultural Centre - Kojonup

The Kodja Place Cultural Centre - Kojonup

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