Inexpensive Saws

[stav]

I had one of those modern handsaws a while back.  It would cut great for about the first inch of depth and then the saw would get progressively harder to push through the wood.  It felt like the plate was shaped like a wedge and the deeper you cut the harder it got.  I finally put it in a pile of free stuff on Craigslist.

[AHill]

I had one of those modern handsaws a while back.  It would cut great for about the first inch of depth and then the saw would get progressively harder to push through the wood.  It felt like the plate was shaped like a wedge and the deeper you cut the harder it got.  I finally put it in a pile of free stuff on Craigslist.

That's usually caused by very little set in the teeth, coupled with wet wood.  As you cut, the friction from the teeth in the kerf heats up the moisture in the wood, causing the wood to expand.  The expanding wood closes in on the saw plate, making the saw harder to push, or seizing the saw altogether.  This happens a lot with cheap landscaping saws, where there's very little set in the teeth.  It can be exacerbated by the gullets filling up with sawdust and not being cleared when they exit the cut.  Again, this happens a lot with wet wood.

I learned a lot of this taking a class from Ron Herman, who did historical restoration work with original tools.  His jobsite saw tills probably numbered 20-30 different saw types, with various tpi, lengths, and tooth sets.  Cutting wet wood is a lot different than cutting seasoned or dry wood.

[bandit571]

Hmmm..

   
reclaimed 2 x 4s   Ends?

   
Saw used?  
 

   
Part of a 3 saw set from Aldi's.....broke 3 teeth when it tried to cut a Pine knot....and the "back saw"  wasn't much better...avoid at all costs..

[bandit571]

Not sure where the drywall saw went and hid....and this was still hanging up in my shop...

   
Hmmm...

[Bill_Houghton]

Is the name because it's a lot of work to use it?

[bandit571]

Actually it reads "WORK ZONE"   along with 
Ovibell GmbH & Co.  KG
Steineshoffweg 2
D-45479 Mulheim an der Ruhr

Just found the Drywall Saw....wicked looking beast....more like a weapon...a Dour Scot would be jealous...
 

Not much one can do about those HARDen teeth....they may have gotten them a bit too hard...I think I paid maybe $8 for the 3 piece set...so, I wasn't out all that much..

[stav]

That's usually caused by very little set in the teeth, coupled with wet wood.  As you cut, the friction from the teeth in the kerf heats up the moisture in the wood, causing the wood to expand.  The expanding wood closes in on the saw plate, making the saw harder to push, or seizing the saw altogether.  This happens a lot with cheap landscaping saws, where there's very little set in the teeth.  It can be exacerbated by the gullets filling up with sawdust and not being cleared when they exit the cut.  Again, this happens a lot with wet wood.

I learned a lot of this taking a class from Ron Herman, who did historical restoration work with original tools.  His jobsite saw tills probably numbered 20-30 different saw types, with various tpi, lengths, and tooth sets.  Cutting wet wood is a lot different than cutting seasoned or dry wood.

This saw would do that with any wood, not matter how old or dry it was. Even very old ply. It seemed like it was honestly wedge shaped.

[Pedder]

Most inexpensoive saws do a quite ok job in crosscutting. But I've yet to find an inexpensive well rip cutting saw.

[AHill]

Most inexpensoive saws do a quite ok job in crosscutting. But I've yet to find an inexpensive well rip cutting saw.

  
There are pretty cheap ryoba saws out there.  One side rip.  Lee Valley sells one version for $32.50 USD.  I've seen them as cheap as $26 on Amazon. and Harbor Freight sells them as cheap as $9.99.  I used to carry one in my car to break down long lumber that wouldn't fit in my car.

[Pedder]

It even has a lamb's tongue

Trés chique!