All About Hand Saws: A Woodworker’s Guide
A hand saw is an essential tool for any serious woodworker. It is the go-to tool for making cuts in wood, and there are different types of hand saws designed specifically for different kinds of projects. If you are looking to invest in a quality hand saw for your next woodworking project, this article will give you all the information you need to know.
Types of Hand Saws
The most common types of hand saws are rip saws, crosscut saws, backsaws, and coping saws. A rip saw is designed for cutting with the grain of the wood and is best used when making long straight cuts. A crosscut saw, on the other hand, is best suited for cutting across the grain and can be used to make shorter angled cuts. Backsaws have stiffer blades than other types of handsaws and also feature a thicker handle that offers better control while cutting. Finally, a coping saw has a thin blade that allows it to make curved or intricate cuts in tight spaces.
The major difference between a rip saw and a crosscut saw is the shape of the teeth. The rip saw has a square edge chisel type tooth that is good for cutting with the grain of the wood, but does a poor job of cutting across the grain of wood. A tooth with a beveled or knife type of cutting edge does a much better job of cutting across the grain of wood, but a poor job of cutting with the grain.
Rip Saw – A rip saw is used for cutting with the grain of the wood. It has a square edge chisel type tooth.
Crosscut Saw – A crosscut saw is used for cutting across the grain of wood and has a beveled or knife shaped tooth that does a good job of cutting across the grain.
Back Saw – The back saw is a crosscut saw designed to cut a perfectly straight line across the face of a piece of wood. A heavy steel backing along the top of the blade keeps the blade perfectly straight. Back saws are used with miter boxes.
Dovetail Saw – A dovetail saw is a special type of backsaw with a thin, narrow blade commonly used to cut dovetail joints in wood and for other wood joinery purposes.
Compass Saw – A compass saw is a long, narrow, tapering rip saw designed for cutting out circular or nonrectangular shapes. It is usually used by boring a hole near the cutting line to start the saw.
Coping Saw – A coping saw is used to cut along curved lines.