# best hand-saw to cut heavy oak table-top?



## woodquestion (Feb 16, 2018)

Hello,

I'm hoping one of you can tell me what the best hand-saw would be for cutting through an oak table-top? I'm sawing off two "slices" of a round table-top to turn it into a corner table. The table is labeled "Made in Honduras" underneath, and the top looks like it's about an inch thick. It's incredibly heavy. This will be only the second time I've ever needed a saw for anything, so I don't want to spend a ton on it. I don't mind if it's a rough cut either, as I intend to sand it and paint it when done.

Thank you for your help.


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*not worth purchasing a new cross cut saw....JMO*

Since you really have little use for a handsaw, I would consider renting one... either a sharpened handsaw or a circular saw with a sharp blade.
The other choice is to shop around at the home stores and look for a crosscut saw like this:
https://www.lowes.com/pd/Kobalt-Handsaw/1000255407


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## amckenzie4 (Apr 29, 2010)

You might look for a pull saw, probably a ryoba. (Not Ryobi... they make power tools.) Something like this: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Vaughan-10-in-Pull-Saw-with-Double-Blade-BS250D/100373697

They have small teeth on one edge, big teeth on the other. They're impulse hardened, so they stay sharp quite a long time, and I initially found it much easier to cut a straight line with a pull saw than a western style saw.


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

If you are going to buy a handsaw anyway, you might go to a pawn shop or a second hand store and buy what ever is available. It doesn't have to be a special saw to cut oak. It just may take a little extra elbow grease. To buy a brand new handsaw you might be able to purchase a circular saw from harbor freight. The main thing is get something you can get some other use for.


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## Jig_saw (May 17, 2015)

You can get this one:
https://www.amazon.com/GreatNeck-N2...rd_wg=bpy21&psc=1&refRID=BA73JG9AXAZJ140AC91V

It will cut through 1" oak like Stormy Daniels.


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## Chris Curl (Jan 1, 2013)

Stanley Sharptooth.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Stanley-15-in-SharpTooth-Hand-Saw-with-Plastic-Handle-15-579/203787159


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## hawkeye10 (Feb 18, 2015)

I maybe wrong but it seems they way your talking you have very little experience with woodworking. If this is true I would have someone else do it. You might fine a woodworker in your town that would do it for you. You could also look in your town for a woodworking club and ask there. To make your table look nice there is more to it than just cutting it off. :smile2:


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## FrankC (Aug 24, 2012)

Chris Curl said:


> Stanley Sharptooth.
> 
> https://www.homedepot.com/p/Stanley-15-in-SharpTooth-Hand-Saw-with-Plastic-Handle-15-579/203787159


If you do any type of construction that saw should be in your tool box, you would be surprised how many times it will get you out of trouble.


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## johnep (Apr 12, 2007)

My handsaws cost less than $5, but I would certainly go for a circular or jig saw. I have both but you could hire. .
johnep


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## Jim Frye (Aug 24, 2016)

If this were my project, I'd just use my old Craftsman hand saw that I inherited from my Father-In-Law. Of course I would ensure that it was sharp, and set properly, but the biggest issue I see is technique. You didn't say how large the original table is, nor how long the cuts would be, so knowing how to properly hand saw a long cut might be an issue. As mentioned earlier, having a good hand saw available is always a good tool to have around, no matter how many power saws you have. I often reach for a hand saw and my bench hook to cut off a board instead of the table saw or band saw. Making a good cut with a hand tool is especially satisfying.


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## GeorgeC (Jul 30, 2008)

amckenzie4 said:


> You might look for a pull saw, probably a ryoba. (Not Ryobi... they make power tools.) Something like this: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Vaughan-10-in-Pull-Saw-with-Double-Blade-BS250D/100373697
> 
> They have small teeth on one edge, big teeth on the other. They're impulse hardened, so they stay sharp quite a long time, and I initially found it much easier to cut a straight line with a pull saw than a western style saw.


Absolutely agree 200%. I have never been able to make good cuts with a standard style hand saw. However, with the Japanese style I do much better.

George


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## GeorgeC (Jul 30, 2008)

hawkeye10 said:


> I maybe wrong but it seems they way your talking you have very little experience with woodworking. If this is true I would have someone else do it. You might fine a woodworker in your town that would do it for you. You could also look in your town for a woodworking club and ask there. To make your table look nice there is more to it than just cutting it off. :smile2:


I agree. I read his limited experience the same way you do. 

George


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## FrankC (Aug 24, 2012)

If the cuts are going into the corner it is a good project to practice on considering it will be painted.


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## woodquestion (Feb 16, 2018)

Thank you all for your help. I'm a she, to clear that up, 5'2" tall so likely won't buy a saw that's that big/hard to work with,  and yes...limited experience. I live in an apartment and just want to convert a round table I bought on craigslist into a corner-table. Years ago, I used a hand-saw to cut a bookcase in half so I could add a hutch to the remaining base of the bookcase, and that worked well--a lot of elbow-grease that time too, but it worked--but I thought maybe this heavy oak table would require something specific saw-wise. Anyway, I'll try to post back here to show you the table when it's done, however I cut it. Thank you again for your help.


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## Sawdustmaker99 (Feb 1, 2018)

I’d way rather use a circular saw and a straight edge. With that you’re likely to end up with a cut that needs 5 minuets of sanding and is ready for paint. With a handsaw you’re likely to end up with a cut that needs an hour of sanding and still isn’t straight. Hiring someone to make 2 cuts sounds like a better plan. That sounds like a 0-20 dollar job.


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## Tool Agnostic (Aug 13, 2017)

Sawdustmaker99 said:


> I’d way rather use a circular saw and a straight edge. With that you’re likely to end up with a cut that needs 5 minuets of sanding and is ready for paint. With a handsaw you’re likely to end up with a cut that needs an hour of sanding and still isn’t straight. Hiring someone to make 2 cuts sounds like a better plan. That sounds like a 0-20 dollar job.


I agree. Hopefully you know someone who has an ordinary circular saw and a long straight board to guide it. That will get you the easiest, straightest, best-est cut. Many (most?) homeowners have a circular saw. I would be surprised if you can't find a friend with a circular saw, but you never know. Use clamps to hold the board in place. Use pads (scrap wood or a couple layers of cardboard) to protect the table from being marred by the clamps. 

Buy your friend a new carbide-tipped blade to use. It will cut cleaner than whatever they have and they can keep it afterwards as a thank-you.

If you use a powered circular saw, think about how you can reduce tear-out from the cut. You could put a thin sacrificial board on top of the table and cut them together. The sacrificial board will help prevent the table's wood from tearing as the blade exits the cut. You might consider cutting the table from the bottom to reduce tear-out on the "pretty" top side. It depends a lot on how the table is made and how you plan to cut it.

Good luck! Can't wait to see the photos.

P.S. Make sure that there are no metal pieces where you are going to cut, such as nails, screws, tabs, pins, etc. There should be nothing but wood (and dried glue) along the cut line.


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