Choosing a saw

For most ‘around-the-house’ jobs you can probably get away with owning just two handsaws: a hacksaw for metal and a general-purpose, or panel saw that will make cross-grain and ripping (with the grain) cuts in wood. For home improvement jobs that require cutting holes in plasterboard, choose a plasterboard saw. If you plan to make joints in wood, you’ll want a tenon saw and, for complicated joints, a smaller dovetail saw. These saws make finer cuts because they have more teeth per 25 mm than a panel saw, ripsaw, or crosscut saw. (The more teeth, the smoother — and slower — the saw cuts.) In addition, the teeth of a tenon saw and dovetail saw are set to make a narrow kerf and so are essential for making neat, tightly fitting joints in cabinet making.

Japanese saws:
Unlike Western saws, which cut on the push stroke, Japanese saws cut on the pull stroke, General-purpose standard saws are made of heavy steel to keep them from bowing as they cut. But because the pulling action doesn’t bow the blade, Japanese blades can be extremely thin. These saws cut a very fine kerf that allows work to be very precise. The most common one, the Ryoba saw. has teeth on both sides of the blade: the coarser ones for ripping, and the others for crosscutting.

The right way to hold a saw:
Instead of gripping the handle with all four fingers around it, extend your index finger ind place it against the handle as though you were pointing along the saw blade, You’ll have better control and cut a straighter, truer line.

Don’t gum it up:
Sawing resinous softwoods such as pine clogs saw teeth with a gummy build-up that soon makes the saw seem dull. To remove the resin, apply oven cleaner. To keep the sticky stuff from adhering in the first place, spray silicone on the teeth. Or try polishing them often with hard paste wax or running a bar of soap across them. Note: Saws treated this way should be used only for construction work, not for finished pieces.

Keeping your (hacksaw) teeth clean:
If you cut soft metals with i hacksaw, the saw’s teeth will soon clog. You can avoid this problem by using a blade with bigger teeth, slowing down your strokes (so the metal doesn’t melt), and pushing down more gently on the saw.

How dull:
How can you tell if a saw is dull before you use it? Check the teeth closely to see if the points are rounded and the cutting edges show wear. (Use a magnifying glass to inspect fine-tooth saws.) If the saw appears dull, take it to an expert for resharpenlng,

Great cover-ups:
When you store handsaws, be sure to cover the cutting teeth. In lieu of a store-bought saw case, cover the teeth with a section of old garden hose that has been slit along its length. You can also use a section of rigid foam or a couple of slip-on spines from a plastic report cover.