A hand saw, or handsaw is perhaps the most common tool in a carpenter’s workbox, alongside hammers and measuring tape. If you’re a budding carpenter looking to better your skills in handling tools, you’ll find dexterity with hand saws a useful competency for newbies. But hand saws come in various shapes and specifications, which can be confusing. Here’s to shed light on what are the different types of hand saws, and their specific uses to make sure you use the right saw for the right job.
Parts of a Hand Saw
Before we delve into knowing what are the different types of hand saws, it pays to know its anatomy first. Knowing the parts will allow the user to observe proper dynamics for a more efficient sawing.
- Handle – It’s what the user holds to grasp the tool tightly, thrust the saw backward and forwards to make a cut. Different types of hand saws have distinguished handle shapes designed to promote ease of use.
- Saw blade – It’s made of steel and has four parts.
- Front – The bottom portion of the blade where the teeth run through.
- Back – The edge opposite the front and is the non-sharpened portion.
- Heel – The border of the blade proximal to the handle.
- Toe – The border opposite the heel.
- Saw frame – This part is present in some types of handsaws, such as the hacksaw. It sticks out from the upper part of the handle and joins at the other end at the toe.
Hand saws with frames have removable blades.
Guide to Hand Saw Types
Hand saws are capable of cutting different materials like wood, plastic, metal, and composites. However, you will need a specific type of hand saw to cut a particular element. So what are the different types of hand saws according to use?
General-Purpose Hand Saw
Panel saw, rip saw, and wood saw all belong to this category of broad application saws. They’re used in various industries such as fabrication, pipework, electronics, woodworks, gardening, farming, and even DIY tasks. They’re best at trimming through plastics, metals, wood, plasterboard, and other light construction particulars.
- Rip saw: If you’re looking for a hand saw that works well in cutting wood along its grain, experts recommend rip saw.
- Panel saw: A lightweight hand saw having finer teeth to easily cut through solid wood, laminates, melamine sheets, and even aluminum.
But even with a general-purpose hand saw, you can’t paint with a single brush. You will need to consider the TPI or the teeth-per-inch measurement of a specific hand saw to determine which materials it can cut through.
The rule of thumb with TPI is, the higher the TPI number, the finer the cut it makes.
TPI Categories
Coarse-toothed: TPI is less than 7. It’s suitable for thicker materials.
Medium-toothed: TPI of 7-11 best is for cutting materials that aren’t thick nor thin.
Fine-toothed: TPI is 12 or more makes excellent cuts on thin surfaces.
Hardpoint Saw
Hardpoints are medium cut saw with rigid teeth for quick and precise cross and rip cutting in average-thick woods. Handsaw, pull saw, and toolbox saw belong to this category.
- Hard point handsaw has triple ground teeth for quick sawing. Use high TPI count for thin sheets and a lower TPI for thicker lumbers.
- Pull saw has a blade hardened by induction and is ideal for sawing timber, board sheets, vinyl, and plastic boards.
- Toolbox saw is a pretty handy saw that’s designed to fit perfectly in a portable toolbox. It has a delicate handle for a comfortable grip, and with its ample length, it allows high-efficiency cutting wherever it’s used.
Plasterboard Saw
Drywall saw and jab saw are in this category. Generally, they’re best used for cutting wallboard and plasterboard. It has a sharp tapering tip for jabbing the surface before cutting.
Backsaw
It can be any saw with a rib to toughen the back, for greater control and more accurate cutting than other saw types. If you’re looking to cut dovetails, miters, or tenons, this hand saw does the job.
Fine-Finish Saw
There are two hand saws under this category.
- Coping saw- It’s a type of bow saw specially designed for cutting interiorly on woods, such as when working on intricate shapes.
- Fretsaw- Another bow saw for more complex cutting works such as when dealing with tight curves. It’s better than coping saw when cutting areas with closer radii and elaborate designs.
Hacksaw
Do you want to know what are the different types of hand saws for cutting metal? A hacksaw works well for this job as it has finer teeth that penetrate on rigid objects. Most hacksaws are designed with a C-shaped walking border that secures a blade under strain. Hacksaw is the metal cutter counterpart of a bow saw, and unfortunately, there isn’t much of a variety of hand saws that can cut through metals.
Conclusion
Hand saws are an integral part of carpentry and other wood and metal works. It truly pays to know what are the different types of hand saws if you’re venturing into woodworking or just fancying a DIY craft. One of the secrets to successful carpentry projects is using the right tool for the right job. Hence, you’re in the right to try to build expertise in handling different hand saws. Know more about hand saws.