Fret-Saw /Coping Saw

[tablesawtom]

I was looking through Lee Valley's online catalog and saw that they had coping saws listed and fret saws listed separately and I am wondering what the difference is. I assume that the coping saw blades are a little more robust but it has been pounder in my head to never assume anything, check everything. And since I just watched Derek's video I thought I would ask. Derek demoed the Knew Concepts fret saw, and Lee Valley is where I was looking. I was also wondering if the blades are interchangeable.[url=http://www.leevalley.com/us/Wood/page.aspx?p=69090&cat=1,42884,42902&ap=1][/url]

Tom

[Joe Bailey]

I was looking through Lee Valley's online catalog and saw that they had coping saws listed and fret saws listed separately and I am wondering what the difference is. I assume that the coping saw blades are a little more robust but it has been pounder in my head to never assume anything, check everything. And since I just watched Derek's video I thought I would ask. Derek demoed the Knew Concepts fret saw, and Lee Valley is where I was looking. I was also wondering if the blades are interchangeable.[url=http://www.leevalley.com/us/Wood/page.aspx?p=69090&cat=1,42884,42902&ap=1][/url]

Tom

Google: "coping saw vs fret saw"

[Handplanesandmore]

Coping saws and fret saws use different blades (http://www.leevalley.com/us/wood/page.as...2884,42902), and fret saw blades are easier to break as they are thinner and narrower.

The main differences lie in 1 - fret saws can cut tighter curves; 2 - coping saws remove materials quicker.

I use the coping saw when working with thick stock or when gang cutting the tails. While we are at it, I cut on the pull strokes (Sellers tells his students otherwise).

Simon

[MichaelMouse]

I was looking through Lee Valley's online catalog and saw that they had coping saws listed and fret saws listed separately and I am wondering what the difference is. I assume that the coping saw blades are a little more robust but it has been pounder in my head to never assume anything, check everything. And since I just watched Derek's video I thought I would ask. Derek demoed the Knew Concepts fret saw, and Lee Valley is where I was looking. I was also wondering if the blades are interchangeable.[url=http://www.leevalley.com/us/Wood/page.aspx?p=69090&cat=1,42884,42902&ap=1][/url]

Tom

Some saws, like people, fret all the time.  Others can cope with what life brings.

Your replies are correct, coping is for "rougher" work, and features a more robust blade.  Doesn't turn quite a quickly.

[Timberwolf]

I was looking through Lee Valley's online catalog and saw that they had coping saws listed and fret saws listed separately and I am wondering what the difference is. I assume that the coping saw blades are a little more robust but it has been pounder in my head to never assume anything, check everything. And since I just watched Derek's video I thought I would ask. Derek demoed the Knew Concepts fret saw, and Lee Valley is where I was looking. I was also wondering if the blades are interchangeable.[url=http://www.leevalley.com/us/Wood/page.aspx?p=69090&cat=1,42884,42902&ap=1][/url]

Tom

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Coping saws traditionally had "pin end" blades...and the tension was non-adjustable...Fret saws had blades that were without the pins and were designed to be clamped to the frame with wing nuts or thumb screw clamps. Some fret saws could utilize broken blades if they were not too short because the frame was adjustable for length..In contrast to what some may think, both types of saws were intended to cut on the pull stroke, chiefly because they were less likely to bend when pulled to cut and were stronger in tension... Bending usually resulted in a broken blade...Just my two cents.

[Derek Cohen]

Here are, left to right (at front), 8” fretsaw (latest version with rotating blade holders), coping saw, and 5” fretsaw (titanium, with custom handle). At rear, 5” titanium fretsaw with original handle …



The difference between the blades on the fretsaw (left) and coping saw (right) …





Regards from Perth

Derek

[tablesawtom]

I understand the difference in blade sizes. But in on the Lee Valley web page they listed one frame as a fret saw and a different frame as a coping saw. Timberwolf mentioned pin blades verses non pined blades. Why would a new company like Knew Concepts list two different frames if the only difference is blades.

I am considering getting one and I would not like to make a poor choice, especially if I can get one that can hold both types of blades.  But if a frame can hold the two different blades then I am back to the question,   Why list two different saws. After I wrote this I went back and looked at the method of clamping the blade and there seems to be a difference.  Can a person buy the different ends so I can have the best of both worlds or does frame style matter also?

I guess I will have to research this latter on today. But if someone has experience with this situation it would maybe help others reading to post to get information for possible future purchases.

Tom

[tablesawtom]

Derek  posted while I was writing my last reply and I will now have to wait until latter to read his responce.

Tom

[bandit571]

Or..

   
One by Stanley

had a Millers Falls No. 2 fret saw for a while.....never really found a use for it...and gave it away. 

   
Added thumbscrews to help hold the pinless  blades..
 

   
Was more of a hand-powered scroll saw, to me.

[Bill_Houghton]

The difference between the blades on the fretsaw (left) and coping saw (right) …





Regards from Perth

Derek

Don't you have that reversed?  It looks to me like the coping saw is the one on the left in the first pic, top in the second.

And, to Bandit's comment about the fretsaw he owned being more of a hand-powered scroll saw, it's my understanding that fretsaws were developed for the fine pierced "fretwork" on certain styles of furniture, like the work at the top of this piece:


Michael Mouse's puns were terrific - but I was surprised to find out, looking online, that the verb "fret" as he used it and the noun (and adjective, I guess) "fret" as applied to the saw and to its original uses, although spelled and pronounced the same in English, come from very different words, and even from different languages ("fret" the verb is from Germanic roots; "fret" the noun is from French roots).