Saw blades for longitudinal cutting. Circular saw blade: choosing the right one. Saw tooth shape

Almost every home craftsman has an electric saw in his work suitcase. But sometimes it is necessary to saw off a part or do some woodworking, for which there is no desire to unwrap the device from the suitcase. And in this case, it would be nice to get a hacksaw for wood. Its manual version will be an excellent assistant if necessary. Let's take a closer look at the question of how to choose a hacksaw for wood!

Characteristics of a hand saw for wood

There are many differences in this tool, such as: blade sizes, steel grades, tooth shapes, as well as the design of the handle itself. Let's look at each of them in more detail.

What should a hacksaw blade be like for wood?

This element is the main parameter of the hacksaw. And the main thing about it is its length. Depending on it, the tool can be used for different purposes. There is one caveat, which is that the longer the blade is, the more springy the tool is. This complicates the process of wood carving, especially if you need to work with maple, oak, or ash.

A length of 25-30 cm is quite suitable if you need to cut small elements of beams, slats, and baseboards. If it is necessary to carry out more serious types of work, then a hacksaw should be chosen with a blade of 45-50 cm.

The basic rule when choosing the length of the blade is that it should be twice as long as the elements being processed, otherwise it will be more difficult to work. Standard dimensions for the width of canvases are up to twenty centimeters. Too narrow models will quickly fail, while wide ones are completely inconvenient to work with.

Hacksaws are made from alloy tool steel, which contains a lot of carbon and silicon. Standard option The hardness of the material is 45 HRC, but for work it is still worth choosing a hardness with an indicator of 55-60 HRC.

Characteristics of hacksaw teeth

It is the size of the teeth that is the most important indicator. Their number per 1 inch shows the TPI, which determines the accuracy of the sawing process. In addition, these parameters are interrelated:

· If the blade has large teeth, then the speed is quite high, but the cut is sloppy.

· If the teeth are small, the speed of work is also low, but the cut is precise and very neat.

When faced with the question of which hacksaw to choose, focus on a TPI of 3-6 for garden work, or 7-9 for working on chipboard.

The teeth of a hacksaw can be ordinary or hardened. If the tool is used at home, the hardened teeth will not become dull for a very long time. But when it becomes dull, it can no longer be sharpened, and the tool will have to be thrown away.

Regular teeth can be sharpened using a file marked with an accident mark.

There are 3 types of hacksaws, depending on what teeth are used:

To cut longitudinally

· Sawing in a transverse manner

Mixed sawing

If you use a modern hacksaw, in which the teeth are trapezoidal, you can create a blade that is durable and wear-resistant. But it is very difficult to sharpen, which means the service life of such a product is much shorter.

How to choose a hacksaw? Types and purposes

Narrow saw version

The saw is small in size, narrow in shape, very effective when cutting raw wood. Wet chips come out very easily through the gaps of the teeth, so the movement of the saw is not hampered.

During the manufacture of saws of narrow shapes, their blades have triangular double-sided teeth. The only disadvantage of this tool is its ability to deviate from the desired direction.

It can have absolutely any teeth, as well as be equipped with replaceable blades.

Regardless, these types of saws are best used in the furniture manufacturing process.

Saws that are equipped with an axle can be said to have stiffening ribs. But when using hacksaws and increasing the rigidity of the materials being processed, they can bend. This is why drying is so important. Its main task is to prevent the cutting blade from passing deep into the wood, for which it controls the depth of the cut with the saw so that it is not wider than the blade itself.

Such devices are already more cumbersome. To some extent they resemble a jigsaw.

To begin with, you should decide on the purpose of using the tool, as well as the frequency of its use. Decide how uniform the canvas should be, and of course, what price you are willing to “accept” and buy hand saw.

The handles are ordinary, plastic. And the presence of a rubberized insert will help protect the master’s hands from the formation of calluses in the process of performing wood carving with a manual version of a hacksaw.

It is very difficult to manage on a private plot or dacha without hand hacksaw on wood. This tool is also called a hacksaw. With such a simple device you can cut down trees or branches in the garden, shorten fences and perform many other types of work where you need to change the length of some wooden product: boards, laminate, and so on.

It’s unlikely that anyone has seriously thought about this, but if you make the right choice of saw, its service life, as well as ease of use and cut quality will depend on this. That is why it is necessary to know all the basic parameters for the correct selection of such carpentry tools.

Choosing a saw

Available in markets and shops big variety hacksaw for wood. They all differ in several parameters:

shape and size of teeth;
canvas size;
grade of steel from which the blade is made;
shape of the handle.

If one of the specified parameters changes, then the hacksaw will radically change its original characteristics. All these factors must be taken into account when purchasing tools for different tasks. You should also always ensure that the saw sat very well in the hand of the master, because this will make the work much easier. A person who has big hands. Such a hacksaw will be very inconvenient to use, and therefore the quality of the cut will suffer.

Teeth size

This parameter will greatly affect the speed of work, as well as quality. To make it convenient to determine the size and number of teeth, the designation TPI was specially introduced, which should indicate the number of teeth in one inch. This parameter can always be found in the tool description, and this value is often drawn directly on the canvas.

Wood saw with large teeth will provide a rough cut, as well as high speed. This parameter will be needed for sawing large boards, firewood and branches. The TPI of such a tool is 3...6.
If there is a need to make a neat and even cut, then you need to buy a saw with small teeth - T PI 7...9. This hacksaw is ideal for cutting chipboard, fiberboard, and laminate. But it is worth noting that the productivity will be much less than that of a coarse-toothed hacksaw.

The carpenter's saw is selected according to the size of the teeth. To process ordinary wood, you can buy a large or small saw, but for delicate materials such as fiberboard, it is better to purchase a fine-toothed saw. There are several designations in stores: for drywall, for wood, and so on. The difference lies in the same size of teeth. The optimal size will be selected for each material.

The teeth can also vary in shape, and this will affect the purpose of the tool:

For rip cutting the cloves are made in a triangular shape with oblique angles. Their appearance will resemble hooks that are sharpened on both sides. A saw like this will slide along the grain of the wood and make the cut very smoothly, without leaving any nicks.
For cross cutting teeth are made according to the shape isosceles triangle. This type of hacksaw cuts when going back and forth, but it is advisable to use it only on dry wood.
Sometimes it is necessary to apply mixed type sawing, and for this option, two types of cloves, which are alternately located one after another, are ideal. Long curved ones will cut materials in the forward direction, and triangles, when moving in the opposite direction, will expand the channel and catch sawdust and shavings behind them.

Steel

No one wants the saw to fail after just a few uses, so it is advisable to choose the highest grades of steel. The teeth can be regular or hardened. Ordinary ones are sharpened at home.

Saws with hardened teeth are disposable, because once they wear out, you can’t do anything with them yourself. This species is very easy to spot dark color. It is advisable to choose a saw that is made of of stainless steel, since garages can often be very damp, and therefore the saw will become covered with unnecessary corrosion. And there are often situations when work is carried out on the street, but after use the saw is forgotten on the site, then it rains, after which the tool also becomes covered with rust.

Blade length

This parameter will be determined by the pitch of the teeth and the size of the saw.

Small hacksaws are equipped with small and frequent teeth; the length of the blade will not exceed 350 mm.
Universal hacksaws are available with a medium tooth size, and the length of the entire tool is no more than 550 mm.
A wide hacksaw has large teeth and an increased pitch; the blade length is usually no more than 600 mm.

The canvas can vary not only in length, but also in shape. A traditional saw is usually tapered on one side of the rectangle. This means that you have purchased a universal tool that can be used to saw various objects. The rounded blade is usually used for cutting branches or other objects at a distance. This hacksaw is very light and glides efficiently through wood without damaging special troubles to the owner.

Lever

Thanks to the handle, it is convenient to carry out any work. The tool should fit perfectly in your hand and also be very comfortable. To make a handle, different plastics are used that will be pleasant to the touch. When choosing, you need to make sure that the material will not slip if your hand gets sweaty while working. It is for this purpose that special grooves and recesses are made in the handle, as well as rubberized linings. It is these parameters that all manufacturers take into account, and therefore produce products that differ in a wide variety of handles.

Varieties

In modern stores and markets there is a huge variety of saws for any purpose. Therefore, in order to understand which tool is useful for you, you first need to familiarize yourself with all their types.

Selection by purpose

As we have already found out, there is a wide variety of saws, but the choice of a hacksaw should also be carried out in accordance with certain types works:

For rip cutting you must use a swing saw.
The transverse one will cope well with wood where there is a transverse arrangement of fibers.
The tenon tool can be used to cut various grooves and tenons, as well as technological recesses in the wood.
The round cutter cuts out holes of various shapes.
A folding hacksaw is used on trees.

The choice should always be made according to the main purpose for which a certain tool is purchased. A saw with replaceable blades is suitable for household use, and it is also advisable to have several types of cutting tools at home.

It is very difficult to master all the information and choose exactly the saw that is suitable for a particular situation. That is why it is advisable to learn a few more tips that will help you choose the right hacksaw.

Which hacksaw is better for wood? You shouldn’t ask such a question, because each tool is useful for a specific situation. Therefore, you need to know how to choose a hacksaw for wood depending on the purpose. Sticking to these simple rules, you can easily choose the right tool that suits you.

Life modern man impossible to imagine without a saw. It is necessary both in industrial production and in households. The owner always has a hacksaw at hand, while the professional has a whole arsenal of them. There are many types of saws depending on their purpose.

Classification

Saws are divided into hacksaws (hand and electric), circular saws (mostly electric, but there are also manual ones), miter saws, chain saws (with a lateral and longitudinal engine), jigsaws, band saws, and circular saws. In addition, there are diamond and spiral saws. The listed types have different purposes.

Classification of hand saws

Hand saws with rip or cross cuts are called hacksaws. They are divided into tools for metal and wood.

By purpose they are allocated the following types hand saws:

classic - with a longitudinal or transverse cut,
tenon - used for cutting connecting tenons,
round - used for cutting holes.

Hand saws are classified according to blade size:

for mini-hacksaws (with a blade length of up to 350 mm, with frequent small teeth, mainly intended for carpentry work);
universal (blade length - up to 550 mm, medium teeth, intended for both joinery and carpentry work);
wide (the length of the blade is more than 600 mm, the teeth are large, used for carpentry work).

In addition to hacksaws, types of saws for hand use include:

Bow saws, which are designed for making point cuts because their blade is thin and flexible. If large cuts are made with hacksaws, small cuts are made with bow saws.
Circular, designed for making cuts in any direction, chamfering, making workpieces, making cuts.

Circular saws are characterized by the presence of a long, narrow blade.

Tenon saws (tenon saws) are similar to a plane with two handles. Designed for cutting tenons and grooves.

Hand saws also include back saws (with a rectangular blade limited at the top by a blade that limits the cut by the width of the blade, the handle is located at an angle of 45°), folding saws (with a folding blade and fine teeth) and garden saws (a blade in the form of a saber, used for pruning trees in garden).

For the purpose of metal processing, only one type of hacksaw is used with blades of different widths and fine teeth. The blade is fixed in the bow holder and secured with a screw.

Characteristics of hand saws

Longitudinal cutting is intended for cutting wood along the grain. The teeth of these saws are sharpened on both sides, so they cut equally forward and backward.
Cross cutting is designed to cut wood across the grain. Their sharpening is similar to rip saws, so cutting is carried out both forward and backward.

The following types of saw teeth are distinguished: small, medium and large, they are marked according to the TPI standard. The finer the teeth, the better the quality of the cut they provide.

They can be with transverse, longitudinal cutting or universal. Today on the market you can find saws with gaps between the teeth. This type hand saw is designed for cutting raw wood.

The hacksaw is designed for making rough cuts. If you use a miter box, you can use it to make cuts at a certain angle.

Electrical

These types of saws are characterized by quiet operation, lightness, absence of gases (unlike chainsaws), and the ability to start in any room if electricity is available. It's theirs positive traits, however, there are also negative ones. These include, first of all, the need for an electrical network, which is not typical for absolutely any conditions. In addition, these saws can be used at a certain voltage level and their service life is limited to 5 years.

The following types of electric saws are distinguished: circular, circulating, miter saws (characteristics are given below), chain, reciprocating, and electric hacksaw.

Electric chain saws can be used in the garden. They can be longitudinal or transverse.

The reciprocating saw fits tightly to the material being cut. She also performs roofing work.

The blade of an electric hacksaw moves along two guides. It is characterized by good safety and cutting accuracy.

Carbide-tipped discs are used for working with hard wood, plastic, and thin metal.

Disk

Here, the reciprocating movements of hand saws are replaced by circular ones, mainly due to the use not of manual force, but of the power of an electric motor.

The following types of circular saws are distinguished by design: geared (the motor operates due to a gearbox on the shaft of which there is a disk) and gearless (the disk is fixed to the motor rotor shaft).

Geared saws are characterized by deep cuts compared to gearless ones. In the latter, the disk may have teeth having a direction coinciding with the direction of movement. In this case, the disk is called active. Otherwise, it is called passive (inclination of the teeth against the direction of movement). The first discs are used for sawing wood, the second - metal.

A small number of manufacturers produce hand-held circular saws that can be mounted upside down on a table and used as circular saws.

Some circular saws have a handle for comfortable operation, while some are table-mounted and do not have a handle. The fixed part can rotate up to 60 o. This allows it to be used in the manufacture of slats, linings, and plinths.

Circular saws should come with rulers to ensure the most accurate cutting.

An electric circular saw allows you to prepare tenons and remove quarters from wood products.

Circulating

These types of saws are used for sawing fairly hard materials such as wood or plastic.

U different types circular saws, you can change the cutting angle and depth. They can be used to make longitudinal, transverse, and inclined cuts.

The more teeth there are on the disk, the better the quality of the cut. However, these disks reduce the performance of circular machines. Therefore, carbide-tipped discs are now used.

Compared to a jigsaw, circular saws provide greater precision but are heavier.

Types of circular saws are distinguished depending on the blades used. Thus, carbide-tipped discs are used when it is necessary to cut hard wood, nails, thin metal, and plastic. When using discs without soldering, clean (unlike the previous type) and even cuts are obtained, however, such discs are intended only for soft wood.

Stationary circular saws can be with a closed cast base, lightweight or hybrid. Lightweight circular saws are mainly used at home. The bed can be made of steel and cast iron, but is always open, unlike professional models. It also uses a lightweight suspension. Professional models allow you to make cuts up to 250 mm, and lightweight ones - up to 90 mm. The vibration of the latter types is much higher; the power is supplied from a 220 V network, while the professional ones are powered mainly by 380 V.

Hybrid circulation saws have a closed frame, are low in cost and operate on household power. The maximum workpiece depth for the main saw models does not exceed 75 cm. Hybrid and lightweight circular saws have a power of up to 2 kW, and professional ones - above this value.

Jigsaw

To very quickly move the blade up and down, an electric jigsaw is used, with which flat curved workpieces are cut. Using this tool, you can cut porcelain, wood, metal, OSB, plastic using special files that differ in the frequency and inclination of the teeth. These types of jigsaws are characterized by stroke frequency, cutting depth and power.

Tape

The band saw is a continuation of the jigsaw. Its canvas is represented by a belt with teeth, which is closed and driven by an electric motor. Compared to a jigsaw, it provides greater precision and cleanliness of the cut. The cutting depth can be 8-50 cm. Neither a circular saw nor a jigsaw can achieve the maximum cutting depth with a band saw.

The following types of band saws are distinguished:

According to the material of manufacture - carbon and alloy saws. The latter are characterized by increased wear resistance.
According to the manufacturing technology and hardening of the teeth, the tapes are classified into saw blades with cut unhardened teeth and cut hardened teeth.

The first saws are inexpensive and allow you to cut wood that has various inclusions. It is logical that low speeds and small amounts of work are used here. Second saws have a high cost, but also high wear resistance.

For figured cutting, 3/8 inch blades are used, for ordinary work on wood - 1/2 inch.

There are also band saws for cutting metal, similar in design to a woodworking band saw, but allowing only cross-cutting of rolled steel. This cut can be made at various angles.

Miter saws

With these saws you can cut at various angles in vertical and horizontal planes. Used for cutting wood, plastic, metal.

There are two types of miter saws: conventional ones with the functions inherent in miter saws, and combined ones, which combine the functions of a circular and miter saw. The last type of saw has a sawing table under the disc. These tools are characterized by the presence of a broach, which increases the cutting depth. The disc is protected from jamming by a splitting knife.

Finally

Thus there are different kinds drank. Their choice is determined by the purpose and frequency of use, as well as the opportunity to take advantage of electric shock when using electric saws.

Let's say we need to adjust a wooden plinth or trim the garden. It would seem that we take a hacksaw and saw. What kind of hacksaw do we use for wood? No, the question is not an idle one at all. To be convinced of this, just go to any construction supermarket or online store that sells tools. Dozens of models are presented to our attention. And their differences are not only in logos and prices.

It seems like a simple tool, but no, if you make the wrong choice, at best, you won’t get the expected pleasure from your work. At worst - as the author of the comment on the forum: “It seemed to me that the saws were sold ready for use, i.e. already sharpened and divorced.” So how to choose a hacksaw for wood? What should you pay attention to: brand, length or price? We will try to answer this question in this article.

Main characteristics

The canvas is of primary importance in this tool. The ease of use of the product and its service life will depend on the grade of steel, the correct hardening procedure and successful sharpening. The choice of a hacksaw for wood is based on four basic characteristics:

blade length;
tooth size;
steel type;
handle type.

The first criterion is the length of the canvas. It depends on the needs of the buyer, for small bars, boards, etc. A 280 - 300 mm hacksaw is quite sufficient. For construction or summer cottages, a sheet of 450 - 500 mm is more appropriate. There is more. When selecting a model, you must clearly know what size wood you are going to cut. The rule is this: the length of the hacksaw should be twice the length of the largest workpiece for which it is intended. You can do less, but ease of use will be lost. This is due to several reasons:

This ratio allows all the hacksaw teeth to completely come out of the log during cutting, and this effective removal sawdust (will not clog);
It’s easier on the hands; with more sweeping movements the hand doesn’t get so tired.

The size of the teeth and their sharpening. The accuracy of the cut and its speed will depend on this characteristic. The pattern is this: a small tooth means a clean and precise cut, but less speed; larger - a rough cut at much higher speed and less fatigue. This characteristic on hacksaws is referred to as “TPI,” which stands for the number of teeth per inch (almost 30 mm). The higher the TPI value, the more “delicate” the cut will be. For example, for working with chipboard and fiberboard, this value should be at least 7 - 9. The cut surface will be smoother without a “ragged” edge.

For garden work, cleanliness of the cut is not so critical, especially for trimming or sawing logs. A more important characteristic for such work is the cutting speed and the effort to be expended. For this we need a hacksaw with a TPI value of 3-6, the distance between the teeth is from 4 to 8 mm.

The classic tooth shape is a triangle. As a rule, such saws are of the sharpened type. Last generation hacksaws with hardened teeth have a trapezoidal shape. They are initially designed with increased strength and wear resistance. When it gets dull, we go buy a new hacksaw or change the blade. No matter how hard you try, you won’t be able to sharpen it: repeating the sharpening angles is extremely difficult, and such steel cannot be filed. Provided that the production technology is followed.

Steel type. The standard metal hardness for a wood hacksaw is 45 HRC. Steel with a hardness of 55 - 60 HRC is used for the teeth. This type of hacksaw combines the flexibility of the blade with high resistance to tooth wear. They are easily recognized by their characteristic appearance- the teeth have a darker shade than the rest of the surface of the blade. These hacksaws are of the non-sharpenable type. If the teeth are not hardened, they can be straightened and sharpened.

Lever. The number of calluses on your hands depends on its ergonomics. There are two handle options: reversible or classic. The first option allows you to change blades, for example, in the Bahco Superior EX-19-XT9-C wood hacksaw model.

How to choose?

First of all, it is necessary to determine what type of tool is needed: carpentry or carpentry. Joiner's cut has a more precise and clean cut and is used primarily for dry wood. Cutting speed for of this type the instrument is not the main characteristic.

When choosing a length, focus on your needs, i.e. what size timber or log are you going to cut? If the tool will not be used often, for example, in a summer cottage, choose one with hardened teeth. The service life of such a saw is long. In addition, properly sharpening and setting teeth is its own science, and mastering it for seasonal work in the garden may not be advisable.

The quality of the canvas can be checked upon purchase. To do this, take a hacksaw and see how smooth the canvas is. Next, bend the canvas until you feel resistance and release. The bending force should be slight, do not break it. After this, look at the evenness of the blade at the bend; if the deviation is more than 2 mm, the steel is not of very high quality.

The teeth of a hacksaw have a dual role:

cut wood;
remove sawdust.

The smaller the number of teeth per inch, the faster the cutting speed and the less clogging with sawdust. Hacksaws with up to 7 teeth provide high productivity with little user effort. True, accuracy will suffer from this. But even here it is necessary to look for a middle ground, because The greater the distance between the teeth, the smaller the cutting surface. Accordingly, productivity will decrease. The best option there will be the following rule: the minimum thickness of the bar must be greater than the pitch of three teeth. Otherwise it will be torment, not cutting.

Hacksaws can be used with longitudinal and transverse cutting methods. Longitudinal blades can be easily recognized by the angle of the teeth; such saws cut only from themselves. Usually their length does not exceed 50 cm, they have an acute cutting angle - 75 - 800. Most of the models presented in stores can be classified as cross-cut hacksaws. They have sharpening on both sides of the tooth. This allows you to cut both forward and backward.

One of the determining criteria for choosing a hacksaw for wood is price. As with everything else, quality products from leading brands will cost more than Chinese brands. This overpayment, in fact, guarantees the durability and wear resistance of such a tool. And with hardened teeth this is very important, it will depend on shared resource operation of such a tool. It cannot be sharpened. Leading manufacturers exercise more stringent control when choosing steel grades and hardening technology. And as we discussed above, even the shape and pitch of the teeth of such a tool will influence a lot. Starting with convenience and effort expended, ending with the accuracy and evenness of the cut.

Models you should definitely take a closer look at

The models below deserve very good feedback both according to the results of specialized tests of the tool, and according to the opinions of the users themselves. For convenience, all models will be in increasing price categories, from budget to professional wood hacksaws.

Wood saw Bison Expert, has a very comfortable plastic handle. The teeth are hardened, triangular in shape with two cutting edges. Suitable for both longitudinal and cross cuts. The length of the blade, as well as the number of teeth per inch, is selected by the user independently; there are different variations of this model. It cuts any type of wood well. This tool is suitable for carpentry work because... controllability and cutting accuracy are excellent. For the garden, you can choose a model with a lower TPI value. Cost from 12 to 15 USD.

Wood saw Gross Piranha also available in several versions. Blades Available in different lengths (from 400 to 550 mm) and different amounts teeth The saw is made of hard steel 52 HRc, teeth, hardened 66 HRc with triangular laser sharpening. It cuts smoothly and cleanly. The Piranha wood hacksaw has a Teflon coating, which significantly improves the glide of the blade and allows you to get clean cut edges. The cost of this tool is 12 - 15 USD.

Stanley General Purpose wood hacksaw. This instrument is produced by a French company, has good quality and is not a high price (about 12 USD). Designed for both longitudinal and cross cutting. Length 500 mm with TPI 8. Hardened teeth. The cut is easy, without additional effort. An excellent purchase for a summer cottage.

Irwin Xpert hacksaw. A very good tool for a reasonable price, from 20 USD. The cut was easy, the cut was even and smooth. When sawing hardwood, the force on your hand does not increase significantly. Good ergonomics of the handle. Length 500 mm, teeth, hardened with proprietary geometry, TPI 8.

Sandvik wood saws(in the past), and now it is a well-known instrument under the Bahco brand. Bahco saws with proprietary XT geometry have practically no equal; this is already a category of professional tools. The Bahco ProfCut PC-19-File-U7 model is noteworthy. This is one of the few saws that can be sharpened. Convenient, 475 mm long hacksaw. Sawing smoothly and easily. Cost from 20 USD

By the way, you can get Bahco quality and save money by purchasing a hacksaw under the “Tescha” brand. This instrument comes to Russia from two countries. If you purchase one marked “made in Sweden”, you will have in your hands a tool from the Bahco factory, with its level of quality.

Take saws away from humanity and progress will stop. This statement is not a joke. Without a tool capable of cutting wood and metal, concrete and stone, the functioning of industrial enterprises and other areas of commodity production is impossible.

In the household, too, it is impossible to do without saws. Every man has at least one hacksaw, and a good craftsman can find a whole arsenal of “toothed helpers.”

We will look at the most common types of saws to get an idea of their operating capabilities and application features.

It all started with a simple hacksaw

It is this saw that is the ancestor of the family of hand tools designed for wood processing. As soon as the first ingot of iron was smelted, a person had the idea to forge a tool from it for cultivating the earth.

It can be assumed that the ax became second after the hoe. The third was probably a saw with a handle, known to us today as a hacksaw. Over the centuries since its invention, it has acquired numerous “brothers and sisters” performing dozens of different jobs.

The accepted classification divides this type of hand saws into two groups:

Wood saws;
Hacksaws for metal.

Depending on the direction of cutting, hand saws for wood are divided into three categories:

For rip sawing cutting;
For cross cutting;
Universal (longitudinal-transverse).

The difference between them is in the shape of the cutting teeth: on a rip saw they are inclined forward, while on a cross saw they are straight.

The universal hacksaw tooth is also inclined forward, but has a special sharpening. It allows you to cut along and across the fibers.

According to their purpose, hand saws are divided into several types:

Classic hacksaws (transverse or longitudinal cutting);
Circular saws (for cutting holes);
Tenon saws (for cutting connecting tenons).

When choosing a hand hacksaw, not only the shape but the size of the teeth plays an important role.

There are three types of incisors:

Fine tooth – 2.0-2.5 mm (for high-precision sawing and cutting small products);
Average tooth – 3.0-3.5 mm (for medium-sized parts);
Large tooth – 4.0-6.0 mm (for rough cutting of timber and logs).

The international classification divides hacksaws not by the height of the teeth, but by their number per 1 inch of cutting blade. This standard has taken root here too, so don’t be surprised if you see the letters PPI or TPI on the instrument label. The number behind them is the number of teeth per inch of length. The larger it is, the finer the tooth (for example, PPI 8 or TPI 14).

Today you can see a modernized type of hacksaws on the market. They are easily distinguished by the gaps cut into the canvas. As a result, the teeth are arranged in groups of 6-7 pieces.

This tool is designed for cutting raw wood. The spaces between the teeth are needed so that wet chips do not clog the cut and can be easily removed during work.

In addition to the usual hand hacksaws, users today are offered an electrified version of the tool. A powerful electric hacksaw can easily cope with a large volume of work on cutting lumber without tiring the owner too much.

Its versatility is achieved by being equipped with saws with different lengths and widths of blades and tooth sizes. This allows you to successfully work not only on wood, but also on plastic and metal. Another name for this tool is a reciprocating saw.

The main parameter characterizing the capabilities of electric hacksaws is power. It ranges from 400 to 1600 W. The cutting depth directly depends on it, which ranges from 90 mm for household models to 200 mm for professional models.

Hand tools for metal working are not so diverse. There is only one type of hand saw that can cut this material. Its working body is a wide or narrow blade with small hardened teeth. It is inserted into the bow holder and tightened with a screw.

Circular saws

The idea of replacing the back-and-forth motion of the cutting blade with a circular one can rightfully be called revolutionary. It arose after the advent of the electric motor and significantly increased the speed and productivity of work.

A typical tool that uses this principle is a circular saw. Its main advantages - mobility and high power - have overshadowed the modest capabilities of a hand hacksaw.

By design, circular electric saws are divided into geared and gearless. In the first case, the electric motor rotates a gear reducer, on the shaft of which there is saw blade. The second option is to mount the disk directly on the rotor shaft of the electric motor. Both designs have a mechanism for adjusting the cutting depth and tilt angle.

The advantage of gear mechanisms is the ability to make deeper cuts. Gearless saws have two advantages: lighter weight and affordable price.

In the passive one, they are tilted against the stroke (negative sharpening angle).

Passive discs are indispensable when sawing metal. Active ones are used for wood processing. The teeth of the disc can be tipped with carbide. They make it possible to cut harder materials, but have a negative effect on the cleanliness of the cut.

The operating capabilities of the tool depend on the power of the electric motor (from 0.65 to 2.5 kW). Manufacturers also indicate the maximum depth of cut that can be made using a circular saw (from 25 to 85 mm).

A variation of this power tool is a circular saw, which is mounted on a stationary frame. This solution allows high accuracy cut long and wide materials.

Some manufacturers offer an interesting compromise - hand-held circular saws that can be turned over and mounted on a table, turning them into a stationary “circular saw”.

When answering the question of what types of saws there are, one cannot fail to mention cross-cutting devices. In this case, the circular saw is mounted on a pendulum arm. A rotating plate with transporter (angular) markings is used as a bed.

The advantages of a miter saw over a circular saw are obvious: you can make perfectly precise cross cuts at any angle. This operation is especially important when joining various wooden parts (platband, plinth, lining, timber).

Chainsaws

Often when working with wood, it is not the cleanliness and accuracy of the cut that is important, but its depth. This is exactly the problem that a chain saw solves - a powerful device with an electric or gasoline motor, designed for felling forests and cutting firewood.

It has two main interrelated technical parameters:

Engine power;
Tire length.

A bar is two flat plates connected to each other with a small gap for installing a saw chain. At one end it has a driven sprocket, and at the other there are cutouts for the tensioning mechanism.

The power of electric chain saws ranges from 1.5 to 4 kW. When choosing a device for household work on the site, it is better to choose a power of 1.5 to 2 kW with a saw bar length of 30 to 40 cm. This is quite enough not only for sanitary pruning of the garden, but also for preparing firewood.

If necessary, you can use this tool to dismantle a board, log or beam, although you will not get high quality and precision cutting.

There are two subtypes of electric chain saws:

With lateral (transverse) engine placement;
With longitudinal installation of the motor.

The first type is simpler in design and cheaper in price. But the second one is more convenient to use, although it is more expensive due to the introduction of a gearbox into the design.

The main thing that a chainsaw gives its owner is autonomy. With such a tool you can go into the forest and cut wood there. For such a significant advantage you will have to pay a price: chainsaws are more complex in design than electric ones. This difference is especially noticeable when purchasing a cheap “no-hire” device. Problems with starting, carburetor, rings and spark plugs are frequent companions of such a purchase. Therefore, it is better to purchase a more expensive chainsaw than to lose money when using an economy option.

Jigsaw

Circular saws and chain saws cannot replace a device that uses a narrow cutting blade that moves up and down at high frequency.

Thanks to this arrangement of the working body, the jigsaw allows you to quickly and accurately cut curved flat parts. Plywood, ceramics and plastic, OSB and soft metal - all of this can be cut with a good jigsaw with a quality file.

Jigsaw

For each material, manufacturers make special saws that differ both in the inclination of the teeth and in their frequency.

For example, a saw with a large tooth cuts wood better. A blade with a fine toothed notch can handle sheet metal with confidence. Special recommendations We will not give information on choosing saws for a jigsaw, since the manufacturer indicates the recommended type of material on each of them.

Basic technical specifications jigsaw - engine power, saw speed and maximum depth cutting (indicated for different materials).

For household models, these parameters are within the following limits:

Power from 400 to 900 W;
Speed (with the possibility of smooth adjustment from 0 to 3000 rpm);
Cutting depth (wood - 45-80 mm, steel from 4 to 20 mm).

A useful jigsaw option is laser pointer. It helps to clearly see the direction of the cut when the marking line is hidden under a layer of sawdust. When choosing an electric jigsaw, pay special attention to the attachment in which the file is attached. It should provide the most reliable clamping possible. Otherwise, the file will regularly jump out of its weak “embrace.”

The logical development of the jigsaw design was the compact band-saw. Its working body is a closed steel belt with teeth, which is rotated by an electric motor.

Sawing with it is easier than working with a jigsaw, which vibrates strongly and tends to break out of your hands. The cleanliness and precision of the cut of a band saw is ideal. This not only reduces waste, but also produces a cut surface that does not require sanding.

Here the workpiece can be held with both hands, which increases the accuracy of operations when cutting curved elements.

The main indicator of band saws for wood is the cutting depth, which can range from 8 to 50 cm. A jigsaw and a circular saw are not capable of cutting such thick material.

The remaining characteristics relate to cutting blades.

There are two categories here:

Carbon saws (manufactured steel C75 and analogues);
Alloy saws made of D6A steel (have increased wear resistance and resistance to alternating loads).

Depending on the manufacturing technology and hardening of cutting teeth, blades are divided into two types:

Saw blades with a notched, unhardened tooth;
Blades with cut hardened teeth.

The advantages of saws of the first type are low cost and the ability to cut wood with foreign inclusions: nails, stones, splinters. This blade is used for small sawing volumes (2-4 m3 per day) and at a minimum feed speed (6-10 meters per minute).

The main advantage of a saw blade with a hardened tooth is its high wear resistance (2 times higher than that of saws with non-hardened cutters). Disadvantages - high cost and sensitivity to foreign inclusions.

The remaining parameters of band saws are summarized in a simple list:

Web width;
Number of teeth per inch of length (TPI).

For standard wood sawing jobs, a 1/2″ wide strip is ideal. Narrower blades (3/8") are used for shape cutting.

The number of teeth of the cutting band directly affects the evenness of the cut (the more teeth there are, the smoother the cut). Coarse saw blades (2.3 TPI) are used for cutting wood and logs up to 200 mm thick. For cleaner work, saws with 6 TPI are used, and for precise cutting, a size of 10-14 TPI is used. Optimal size to achieve high performance and good quality cutting – 8 TPI.

A table saw for metal is similar in design to a device for cutting wood. However, its capabilities are more modest. This tool can only perform cross cutting of rolled steel (pipes, angles, fittings, channels) at different angles.