So you’re in the market for a saw and have decided that it’s time to stop putting off the odd jobs and DIY around the house. The only problem is, your saw experience is limited to design and technology class at school, and you spent most of each lesson sticking stuff to the table with a glue gun.
When looking for a manual saw there are plenty to choose from but, depending on the task at hand, it shouldn’t be too difficult to narrow down your needs.
Crosscut saw
A crosscut saw is a fairly general term for any saw designed to cut across the woodgrain. You can get big ones, small ones and more specific ones but it’s the teeth design that makes these saws perfect for cutting across grain like a knife.
Rip saw
Another fairly general term, the rip saw does the opposite of the crosscut saw and has a tooth design that allows for cutting with the grain of the wood.
Hacksaw
A hacksaw is a very common type of hand tool and is widely used. Its blade is thin and held between two points of a U shape allowing for blades to be changed. With fine teeth, this saw can be used for cutting metal and plastic.
Junior hacksaw
You may remember this one from your school days; the junior hacksaw is about half the size of a hacksaw. It’s a useful cutting tool in a confined space or to cut small pieces from larger materials. Junior junior hacksaw operators should be supervised at all times. Just in case they start hacksawing at the furniture…
Coping saw
A coping saw is for those times when you need to cut intricate or curved lines. Similar in shape to a hacksaw, the coping saw has a thin blade that is slotted into the frame and can be removed quickly and easily. Coping saws are useful for cutting in the middle of material as their blades are thin enough to be removed, passed through a small, usually drilled, hole and attached to the frame of the saw, allowing for use.
Hand tools
Manual saws are very useful cutting tools for a huge variety of home DIY jobs. When power tools aren’t necessary, hand tools can be a safer and easier method of getting results. When looking for hand and cutting tools, look for businesses such as Buck & Hickman, who provide comprehensive products catalogues online and also offer a large range of branches to visit across the country.
If you’re unsure of exactly what you need then companies such as this should be able to advise you as to which product is best suited. Remember that a simple job with the wrong tool probably won’t get the results you were looking for so it’s important to find the right tool or to own a good range of DIY hand tools so you’re always prepared.
About the author – Kit Pascoe contributes to a range of blogs and websites about home development and DIY. She’s pretty handy with a hacksaw and has been known to wield a rip saw on occasion. This piece was researched using information found at websites including www.buckandhickman.com.