While hand saws are simple tools used to cut through various materials, including wood, metal, and plastic, one of the biggest drawbacks of using a regular universal hand saw is that it commonly produces rough and rugged edges that are not attractive at all. Furthermore, there are risks of slanted cut, considering that hand saws are commonly used free from any guiding tools. However, do you know that there are ways on how to cut straight with hand saw?
Types Of Hand Saws
Before we go and head on to how to cut straight with hand saw, we should first know what a hand saw is and the different types of hand saws commonly used today. As we know, hand saws are a simple and primary woodworking tool used to cut through various materials. It features a handle and a flat metal blade with teeth that grinds and cuts through wood, metal, plastic, and more.
Regular Universal Hand Saw
The regular universal hand saw is arguably what people often see in hardware stores and have in their homes. As considered to be the most versatile of all kinds of hand saw, a regular universal hand saw is built with a comfortable handle and steel blade that often differ in the size of the teeth and the length of the blade itself.
Bow Saw
Commonly used to cut through tree branches and logs, the Bow Saw is a fast and aggressive cutting saw that offers quick cuts but rough finished wood pieces. Like the shape of a bow, this type of saw features a steel frame and a saw blade with notably large teeth.
Coping Saw
Widely considered the most versatile type of hand saw, a coping saw is suitable for cutting through hard and softwood, plastic, ceramic, and non -ferrous materials. A coping saw’s key feature is that it’s characterized by a thin small blasé that is perfect for cutting clean curved edges and making intricate curved cuts that are practically impossible when using a different tool.
Teeth shape and count
Logically, the characteristic of your saw blade somehow defines the quality of the cut that you can produce. For hand saws that are blunt and dull, it would be harder to properly execute a straight cut. But how do the blade’s teeth shape, count, and length affect the cut’s quality?
One of the key features of any hand saw is the shape of the tooth of the blade. A rip saw teeth are shaped like a woodworking chisel and are the ones that cut along the length of the board’s grain and rips through the material. On the other hand, crosscut saw teeth are shaped like a knife that cut across the grain and cleanly severs the wood grain.
The number of saw teeth per inch or TPI also affects the cut of the hand saw. Generally, the principle behind is that the larger the teeth, the faster the cut, but the result would be rugged and rough. On the flipside, hand saws that have smaller teeth would produce a smoother and more precise cut but would notably take much longer and require more effort.
How To Cut Straight With A Hand Saw
Truth be told, learning how to cut straight with hand saw is fairly easy once you get the motion’s hang and feel. For professionals or enthusiasts who have spent thousands of hours doing what they do, it is safe to say that their mind and body have learned exactly how it feels to see through various materials properly. However, instead of sawing wood for thousands of hours just to learn the feel of a hand saw, find an easy way how to cut straight with hand saw.
- Start by preparing the material by making a cutline guide that measures the exact area and distance you would like to cut.
- The proper way of starting your cut would depend primarily on the type of saw blade or teeth you are using. It is ideal for crosscut saws to start cutting using the latter part of the saw closer to the handle and pushing out entirely as it offers better stability and control. However, for blades with ripsaw teeth that are notably finer and sharper, it is ideal to start your cut with the blade farther from the handle and create short slow strokes.
- One thing to be mindful of when using a hand saw is the correct angle placement needed to cut beautiful and straight. Again, depending on the type of saw you use, crosscuts saw needs to be kept at a 45-degree angle while ripsaw blades are at a 60-degree angle.
- Another aspect that affects your cuts’ quality is the angle your body has while you are cutting. To get that straight cut, you need to keep your elbows as close to your center to prevent unwanted tilting and twisting of the blade.
- The last fundamental aspect of how to cut straight with hand saw is the way that you hold and grip the saw. To saw better and accurately, the most effective and efficient way of handling the hand saw is to have your forefinger along the handle side with wrist strong and firm and your knuckles facing up. This is a fairly natural grip handle placement that allows you to have better control of the movement of the saw.
Conclusion
Learning how to cut straight with hand saw is extremely useful, and it’s a practical skill, especially for those who cannot buy power tools and are limited to basic woodworking tools such as a hand saw. With this skill, you would still be able to produce quality cuts and results without depending on power tools but instead maximizing the capabilities of the tools you have at your disposal. Here’s how to learn more about hand saws.