Saws, Choosing The Right One For The Job

The best tool for wood-cutting or any other material is a saw which consists of a blade that is serrated and worked by hand or in a mechanized manner. The make of a saw is such that the tooth of a saw is bent at angles with each angle being known as set. The cut which the saw is intended to make influences the set of tooth. For example, rip saw whose teeth is used to rip the material apart, has a set of tooth that is not different to the ones used in a chisel.

What are different terms related with a saw?

• Heel - This part of the saw is the end nearest to the handle of the saw.

• Toe - This part of the saw is the end farthest to the handle of the saw.

• Front - The teeth of the saw comprises of the front side.

Other components like Rake, Gullet and Kerf are known to make up the design of a saw.

What are the types of Saws used for industrial purposes?

For starters, saws are differentiated between hand-powered saws and mechanized saws. The objective of any saw is the same - to cut a large piece to smaller units.

• Hand saws - The technique of holding the blade stiff to get an even, quality cut differentiates hand-powered saws into three types - Hand saw, jigsaw and saber saw. Handsaws are saws operated by the hands as opposed to the mechanized technique used by the mechanized saws.

• Back saws - This type of saw allows the stiffening of the inner blade by reinforcing it with steel or a brass back. The length of the blade is the biggest differentiating factor for back saws. The list of back saws has but not limited to Mitre Saw, Carcase Saw, Tenon Saw, Dovetail Saw. Most of these saws have a handle which is vertical relative to the blade of the saw.

• Mechanically Powered Saws - These are saws used for many industrial purposes. The tooth of the saws is moved past the wood while the saw does not move itself. The technique of wood cutting is done by any of the following three methods - 1) The perimeter of a flat, circular blade has the tooth on it, 2) The Blades are so designed that they move up and down and 3) A continuous band is provided on the saws which has the tooth of the saw.

Reciprocating, Scroll, Dragsaw and Radial Arm Saw are some of the other types of saws available in the market.

What are the materials used for Saws?

Saws are made of Brass, Steel or Diamond, each having its own specifications. Brass is generally used in back saws as they are not expensive and the ease of casting the material. Saws made using brass as a material do not have a pulling motion which allows them to be used as a saw without any backward pressure. Steel, like Brass is commonly used to manufacture saws as they are cheap and durable. Diamond is used to manufacture very expensive saws which can be used for concrete cutting purposes.