How to Choose the Right Hacksaw: Looking for the Best Hand Saw for Wood Practical advice on how to choose a hacksaw for wood. The subtleties of choosing a hand saw for wood: blade length and width, steel grade, tooth size, handle shape
How should a hacksaw blade be?
The main part of the tool is a hacksaw blade. The first thing you should pay attention to when choosing a product is the length of the canvas. The possibilities of its application largely depend on this parameter. At the same time, the longer the blade, the more spring it is, which also complicates the process, especially when working with hard types of wood, such as ash, maple or oak.
Long stroke enables less effort when sawing, since more teeth are cut in one stroke
For sawing small elements such as plinths, bars or narrow slats, you can do with a hacksaw with a blade length of 25-30 cm.When planning to use the tool for more serious construction work, choose a product with a blade of 45-50 cm.
When determining the length of the hacksaw blade, be guided by the rule that the length of the saw is 2 times the diameter of the processed elements. If you do not follow this recommendation, you will only complicate your work. The teeth of a short hacksaw will jam inside the wood, and each will have to make a lot of effort to advance the tool to free the sawdust. Uncomfortable work will cause premature fatigue.
Traditionally, the width of the fabric of the product varies in the range of 10-20 cm. Models with a narrower fabric are not allowed for technical reasons, since they fail at the slightest bend. But it should be borne in mind that too wide canvases are inconvenient for manual work.
Of no less importance is the material for making the canvas, which is most often the role of alloy steel, as well as its degree of hardening
Tool alloy steel with a high silicon and carbon content is used for hacksaws:
- 65G, 60 C2A;
- 8 HF, 9 HF, 9 XC;
- U7, U7A, U8, U8A, U8G, U8GA, U9A, U10
Metal hardening is carried out due to the action of an alternating magnetic field on it, in which an electric current of high frequency appears. Spreading over the surface, it heats the surface layer of the metal, which is quenched after cooling.
The standard parameter is considered to be the hardness of the metal at 45 HRC, but it is still preferable to choose products, the hardness of the fabric of which is 55-60 HRC. A hacksaw with a blade of high hardness will have sufficient flexibility, but at the same time high tooth stability. On visual inspection, such a tool can be identified by the darkish shade of sharpened teeth.
How to choose the right hacksaw: looking for the best hand saw for wood
There is always a functional and easy-to-use circular saw in the home craftsman’s arsenal. But there are situations when you need to saw off a part and perform a small amount of woodwork, and there is no time or desire to unfold and connect the unit. In these cases, a hacksaw is excellent. But how to choose a hand saw for wood, so that it is convenient to use and easily gnaws through any type of wood, we will consider in more detail.
Option # 4 bow
Bow-type saws are more bulky devices that act as an analogue of a jigsaw.
The main purpose of saws of this type is to create an accurate cut when working with surfaces located at any angle
Due to the solidity of the design and the threaded connections of the handles, the bow-type saws are able to easily overcome knots, cutting along radii and curved patterns.
Depending on the purpose and design of the saw, there may be:
- Swinging for slitting;
- Transverse for cutting blanks across the wood fiber;
- Vykruznye for cutting holes, making rounding and curly sawing;
- Thorns for cutting connecting spikes, as well as cutting out simple geometric shapes on the workpiece.
Only an onion-type hacksaw can cut the material up and down, sawing blanks with complex fishing lines and performing the work alone without involving an assistant.
Double-sided hacksaw Matrix 235709
Saw blade for miter box MTX 231489
Universal hacksaw Intertool HT-3121 150mm fine tooth
Armero A531 / 400 400mm light weight and comfortable grip
This woodworking saw for the home workshop has a two-piece handle with an aluminum guard. The saw is hardly felt in the hand due to its light weight. At the same time, she quickly makes a cut and leaves behind an even cut.
The tool is made of tool steel and has medium-sized hardened teeth. The 3D sharpening makes the blade very sharp and will work even with hard wood.
The three cutting edges of the Armero A531 / 400 ensure fast cutting and no large amounts of sawdust when working. The anti-slip surface of the ergonomic handle prevents accidental slipping during heavy sawing.
The tool is designed for cross-cutting. This hacksaw is easy to store. For this, a hanging hole is made on its upper part.
- Conveniently lies in a hand;
- Middle tooth;
- Easy.
- On the handle there is no rubberized insert under the arm.
Hacksaw material
Most often saw blades are made of steel. It can be cold rolled, alloyed or instrumental. The latter is the most popular. Some hand tools are coated with a thin layer of Teflon. This material removes friction during sawing and protects the metal from rust.
The quality of the teeth is also important. A hardened cutting edge is best for raw wood. The hardness of the teeth of such hand saws is 7-8 times more than usual.
Therefore, these hacksaws do not blunt for a very long time and give an even cut. Such models cannot be re-sharpened, which is very inconvenient. This means that after the service life has passed, the tool will have to be thrown away.
Vira 800 245 450 mm graduated scale on the blade
This hand saw is made of hardened steel. This material provides it with high strength. The tool will quickly cut even damp hard wood.
The manufacturer has provided the hacksaw with a comfortable grip to securely hold the tool during operation. Suitable for cutting both across and along the grain.
The Vira 800245 canvas has a special marking scale that will replace the ruler if it is not at hand. The optimal length will allow you to cut more wood in a short time. The tool is equipped with 7 teeth, which allows you to get a cleaner cut when cutting.
- Sharp sharpening;
- There is a marking scale;
- Price.
- Inconvenient cover.
What is a jigsaw and what is it used for
On the Internet, you can find a very abstract and obscure interpretation of the concept of a jigsaw. Thus, virtual dictionaries and encyclopedias claim that a jigsaw is a device for curvilinear cutting of materials of varying degrees of density. However, as practice shows, sawing is also carried out using electric, hand saws and even special discs for a grinding machine.
Jigsaw structural elements:
- Working blade, which is used for cutting;
- Metal (sometimes with plastic or rubberized elements) frame;
- Screw clamps used to adjust the degree of tension of the working blade.
The main purpose of the jigsaw is the so-called curly cutting. over, the classic jigsaw cannot be used for 90 degree cuts.
Only models equipped with a set of guides can cut at right angles. However, they are heavy, so they are often not very convenient to use.
Depending on the configuration, jigsaws are classified into manual and electric. Also, according to their functional purpose, tools can be divided into household, industrial and professional.
What is the difference between a jigsaw and a hacksaw: briefly about 2 fundamental differences
Choosing a tool for home use is quite a difficult task (especially for an amateur craftsman). To assemble a basic set of devices necessary for performing various everyday tasks, you need to carefully study the materiel.
So, some tools visually resemble each other, but perform completely opposite functions. Often there are devices that are completely different in appearance, but identical in purpose.
For example, jigsaws and hacksaws have obvious similarities. However, they also have obvious differences. Which ones? on this below.
The main differences from a hacksaw
A jigsaw and a hacksaw have 2 significant differences that every home craftsman should know about:
- First, as mentioned above, a hacksaw can be freely used for straight cutting without additional accessories, and a jigsaw cuts at an angle of 90 degrees only if guides are used.
- Secondly, to cut any material with a hacksaw, it must be pushed away from you (this is due to the location and inclination of the teeth on the blade), while the jigsaw must be directed towards you during cutting.
However, both of these tools will definitely not be superfluous in the household. For example, a hacksaw can be useful for cutting down trees or removing dead branches, while a jigsaw can be useful when creating decorative frames or decorations for homemade furniture.