Steve Hoefer provides another basic skills tutorial that everyone should know.

Although electric saws are interesting, sometimes they are powerful, have insufficient precision, or are too heavy or inconvenient for cutting work. When this happens, it's time to reach for the hand saw.

Just because they have muscle strength does not mean they have to be painful. A properly selected and well-maintained hand saw is very pleasant to use.

Although the handsaw looks simple, there are few details to know before choosing.

The number of teeth per inch (or centimeter) is one of the factors that has the greatest impact on cutting ability. Larger teeth (and lower TPI) are generally used for softer materials, and smaller teeth (higher TPI) are used for harder materials. A coarse blade with 2-8 TPI is suitable for tearing cork with texture. A medium blade with 10-20 TPI is used for cross-cutting and medium hardness materials. The fine blade with 20-30 TPI is suitable for very hard materials and/or very precise cutting.

Larger teeth cut faster, but because they remove more material each time they pass, sometimes more than they make. If you have difficulty starting to cut or saw material, try a blade with a higher number of teeth. Attempting to push (or pull) the rough saw through hard materials will not only exhaust you, but will also damage the saw. A thicker blade also means a rougher cut. If you need a smooth surface, please use a thinner blade, but it will take longer to cut.

Teeth also have a "fix", that is, the distance they extend from the center of the blade. This makes the cut wider than the blade, which is important to prevent the saw from getting stuck in the cut. (The width of this cut is called the "cut.") Most saw blades bend each tooth in alternating directions to form serrations, but very fine saw blades, such as hacksaw blades, are only wavy at the edge of the saw blade.

The shape and direction of the teeth determine their cutting method and cutting method. For hand saws, there are two common layouts: longitudinal cutting and cross cutting. Cross-cut saws are used to cut wood grain. They have narrow, pointed blades with alternating sharp edges. These jobs are like small knives cutting along both sides of the incision. Cross-cut saws usually cut in the push-pull part of the stroke, but the cutting effect is better in one direction, depending on the angle of the saw teeth. Slitting saws are used to cut along the wood grain. The teeth are thicker than the cross-cut saw, and only the bottom edge becomes sharp. These are like small chisels that can chip off the wood as you can see, and can only work in one direction, pushing or pulling, depending on the saw.

• Use light pressure. Start slowly and let the saw do the work.

• Do not twist the blade. Keep it perpendicular to your work.

• Use the longest possible stroke. This will help you make straighter and smoother cuts, make the blade longer life, and help the blade effectively remove sawdust.

• Clamp your workpiece firmly and support it well. Check the area behind the material carefully so you don't see the sawhorse or anything you might regret. Make sure to remove any nails or staples that may be along the cutting line.

• If the 90º or 45º angle is important, use a miter box. If you want to make a long cut, please clamp a 2×4 along the cutting line to keep the saw on the track.

• To get a straight cut, pay more attention to where you want the saw to move, not where it is.

• To minimize chipping, put tape on both sides of the cut and run a utility knife along the cutting line before you see it.

• Keep your blades sharp and real. Before you start sawing, look down at the blade to make sure it is straight, flat, and that none of the serrations bend too far from the center. Sharpen or replace dull or curved blades.

• To protect the blade (and protect you from the blade), you can cut a section of garden hose or go to an office supply store to buy some slide bars to bind the report cover. These cheap U-groove plastic strips slide easily over smaller saw blades and help keep them straight.

• Keep the saw clean and dry. Dirty blades are more likely to rust and stick. Most saws will not rust when kept clean in climate controlled areas. Rust can be prevented by wiping the blades with light oil, but do not oil or wax blades used for fine woodworking. The oil can seep into the wood and cause blemishes.

• The saw blade can be sharpened and set by hand, but it requires special tools (or a lot of experience) to do it correctly. Doing it wrong will ruin the blade. But a dull saw will ruin your job.

The woodworking saw is a typical hand saw. A large carved handle and a long, slightly tapered blade.

Although they are the most common, they are usually not the best saw for the job. The one thing they surpassed all other saws on this list is to become the biggest. They have the widest cuts, and beginners often find them difficult to use. In other words, they are very popular, and most basic seminars will have one.

The blade is detachable, but it is difficult to find a real replacement blade. They come in two styles, rip and crosscut, although crosscut is more common because they are more versatile. You can tear it with a cross-cut saw, it will take longer. Trying to use a tearing saw for crosscutting takes a long time and will leave a very rough cut.

When using a woodworking saw, the cross-cut saw will be 45º to the workpiece, and the longitudinal saw will be 60º to the workpiece. Use the knuckles of your thumb to keep the blade vertical and follow the cutting line. Start cutting with a few slow back strokes. Once you start cutting, use long, consistent strokes.

Used for: general rough cutting of soft materials-if you don't have a better saw available.

Back saws are similar to woodworking saws, but are shorter and have a reinforced top edge to reduce bending. The weight of the spine helps to apply even, gentle pressure to the thinner, fine-toothed blades. These functions make control easier and produce more precise cuts.

Since the rear bracket is wider than the cut, it can't actually pass through its cut completely, so when cutting railroad ties or plywood, you must choose another saw.

Like a carpenter's saw, the blades can be sharpened, and most of them can be replaced-although it is difficult to find replacement blades.

Uses: To make tenons, dovetail tenons and other joinery products. Use a miter box.

Japanese see-saws are becoming more common in non-Japanese toolboxes, and Western manufacturers are beginning to sell their own versions of these traditional woodworking tools.

They are popular because they are easier to use than Western saws for most beginners. Unlike carpenter's saws, they do most of the cutting in the pulling part of the stroke rather than the pushing part. Although this is a small change, it has had a huge impact on the way they work.

When cutting in the pulling stroke, the blade is automatically straightened during cutting. This will produce a straighter, more accurate cut. Unlike push cutting, users tend to put their weight on cutting (novices often have trouble, bending the blade), and pulling ensures gentle downward pressure on the saw, thereby reducing binding.

Pull blades are also thinner than push blades because they do not have to withstand pushing pressure when cutting. Thinner blade means smaller cut. As less material is removed, you can reduce fatigue.

The downside is that cutting during the pulling stroke puts most of the sawdust on top of the one you are cutting. This may blur the cutting line, although an experienced carpenter knows that the secret to straight cutting is to pay more attention to the final position of the saw you want the saw rather than the current position.

There are several different types of saws in Japan, but the most common are ryoba and dozuki.

Ryoba is functionally equivalent to woodworking saws, but they are shorter and double-sided. There are coarse teeth for tearing on one side, and fine teeth for crosscutting on the other side. The small size and dual blades make it an excellent multi-purpose saw. The blade is replaceable and the length is 200-300 mm (8-12 inches, not including the handle).

Dozuki is comparable to a back saw, with a single fine-toothed cross-cutting blade and a reinforced back edge. They have the thinnest blades you can find (0.3 mm or 0.01 inches, with 0.5 mm or 0.02 mm cuts), making them a favorite for carpenters who work in fine joinery.

Purpose: Cut accurately and easily. When you want to impress people with the cosmopolitanity of your toolbox.

Hacksaws are often humiliated by their power cousins, because cutting steel by hand can be tiring. In other words, the hacksaw is cheap, light and easy to keep in your toolbox for light or occasional metal cutting. And they fit where their power cousins ​​can't.

They have two popular shapes. The more popular bow is used for severe sawing because it can hold a longer blade and tighten the entire blade. They can adjust the tension of the blade, and many models can be adjusted for blades of different lengths. Mini hacksaws-essentially just the handle of the hacksaw blade-are suitable for very narrow spaces, but are more difficult to use in other ways because they only apply tension to a part (or none) of the blade, making it more difficult to pass through Material.

Although the blades can be installed to cut when pushed or pushed, they are usually installed to cut when pushed to gain more power during the stroke. The full-size hacksaw has thumbscrews to tighten the blade. It should keep turning until the blade is firm and firm, and does not bend when pushing it into the material. Avoid over-tensioning, which will make the blade more likely to break.

The blades are affordable and easy to replace. Pair the blade with the task. The universal blade is suitable for copper and mild steel. Use bimetal blades for harder metals and special blades for other hard materials such as bricks, tiles or glass.

Uses: cutting metal, masonry, ceramic tiles and glass. It can also quickly process very soft plastics such as PVC and Styrofoam.

The top saw is the first choice for cutting fine details. Their name comes from one of their common uses: processing molds (for example: shaping the edge of a piece of wood to match the complex contours of the mold.) Cutting straight lines is bad, but when you need tight or complex curves.

The blades can be oriented so that they cut when pulled or pushed on the stroke, but cutting when pulled will generally damage fewer blades. If you need to cut a completely closed shape, please drill a 1/4" hole in the center of your workpiece, then pass the blade through the hole, and then fasten it to the saw. Don't bother to sharpen these blades. Press to buy And replace them as needed. They often break.

Turn the handle to tension the blade. When the frame is tightened, the tension will be the correct tension, and you can perform sawing without significant bending of the saw blade. Don't be overly nervous, or you will break the blade. Because the handle controls the tension, it is difficult to saw without holding the handle, so the tension should be checked regularly when sawing.

For highly detailed work, look for a wire saw, which is like a top saw, with a deeper frame for processing larger workpieces, and a thinner blade for turning sharper corners.

If you are using metal, look for a jeweler's saw. It is smaller for finer control and has more blades suitable for cutting metal. They are usually used with table pins, which are wooden tongues that cut out the gap and are used to support and guide the metal when sawing.

Used for: tight curves and fine details.

The flat-cut saw is a special purpose saw used for flat-cutting without damaging the cutting surface. They are commonly used to cut protruding parts of pins and other joints and fasteners.

They look a lot like a small Japanese ryoba with a thin double-sided blade, but they are subtle and important. The blade is particularly thin and designed to be curved, so it can slide along the surface even when the handle is angled. More importantly (and why you shouldn't use ryoba for flush cuts) bade usually has no or very small settings. This will prevent the teeth from scratching the surface you are cutting. But this also makes them unsuitable for longer cuts because the narrow cuts can stick to the blade. Their flexibility also makes them incapable of cutting without guidance from a flat surface.

Check that the teeth are all aligned before use. Curved teeth will quickly scar the surface you are cutting. The blades are disposable and cheap to replace.

Used for: cutting off pins and any time you need to make shortcuts in confined spaces. They are also small enough to fit in a toolbox for quick, small-scale cuts on most soft materials.

The keyhole/compass/bayonet saw are very similar: the thin wedge of the blade, used to cut free-form holes in thin materials. They are often used to cut holes where top saws cannot be used-such as deep in drywall or plywood. The main purpose is to make holes for fittings and pipes.

The thin blade can turn moderately narrow corners. The blade is usually rough and suitable for roughing, but not for finishing woodworking.

The "jab" type has a sharp tip that is used to pierce the drywall, so you don't need to drill first to start cutting. The blade is easy to replace and comes in many types, depending on what you need to cut. And the blades are cheap, which is good, because these saws are prone to rough handling and damage to the blades.

Purpose: Cut coarse holes for fixtures, pipes, etc. on drywall or plywood. Their small size also makes their toolbox friendly.

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