Types of hand saws

Hardpoint, coping, tenon and hack saws used for carpentry work

So many different types of hand saws available for Carpenters to choose from. Having and knowing the right saw for the job will save you loads of time and effort!

Angled Compound Mitre saw.

Hardpoint panel saws

The most common of all types of hand saws, panel saws are available in 20 or 22 inch length. I prefer the 22, you get more teeth for your money :-)

TPI stands for teeth points per inch. The more teeth there are the finer and slower the saw will cut. For fast and rough work around 8tpi is good, and for fine work 12tpi+. A good all round saw has 10tpi.

Saw set refers to the angle the teeth are bent over in either directions (out to the sides). This is so the cut is wider than the blade itself, and is important in order to prevent the timber pinching the blade making cutting much more difficult. Blades are also 'taper ground' which means they are thinner at the top than the bottom - also to prevent binding. I use a new type of Bahco hand saw with interchangeable blades and an 'ergonomic' handle thats shaped much more like the inside of your hand than a regular saw. It's much more comfortable and easier to control. It's not cheap though and most reasonable quality handsaws are ok for day to day use, my only recomendation would be to choose the right one for the job, a fine saw for finish work and a rough one for framing jobs for example. Neither works well for long in the wrong environment. If you are cutting laminates get a saw purposely designed to be used with them because man made boards with glue etc in them take the edge of blades really quickly.

Coping Saw

A coping saw has a small thin blade that can be rotated so the frame doesn't get in the way whilst cutting. It's great for tight turning and intricate cuts, the most common job I use it for is when scribing internal corners on mouldings like skirting boards.

Some people prefer to cut on the push stroke, whereas I put the blad in so the teeth are pointing toward the handle and it cuts on the pull stroke. This ensures as I cut the blade is being pulled tight at the same time so it stays more rigid. Eclipse and Stanley both make good coping saws for 2nd fix work.

Pad saw, keyhole saw or sabre saw

A wooden handle with a blade directly attached and used like the name suggests, when cutting keyholes for mortice and other types of locks.

Hack saw

A hack saw is used for cutting metal, and is available in the size pictured above or as a junior version for smaller jobs. I use mine mainly for cutting bolts and things, and carry a small portable vice to hold them in while i'm cutting. If you don't have one of those, you can drill a hole in a piece of batten or other siilar timber and push the bolt through that to hold it still while cutting.

Types of hand saws related pages