# Tips for using a handsaw



## Korosu (Oct 16, 2014)

Looking for any words of wisdom someone has for someone like me, starting out in woodworking and (because of space restrictions) using hand tools. Specifically using hand saws and cutting a 45 degree angle without a mitre box. Yes. Without a mitre box. Cause most of the scraps I have are too big to fit into a mitre box. 

Thanks in advance.


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## Ghidrah (Mar 2, 2010)

If you could make a 45° jig to clamp to the work piece. For fine cuts a tech I learned was to scribe a line with a slicing knife then bevel slice the cut off side of the work piece to channel the saw.

Either way you look at it you need to be good with the tool, novice means way more mistakes than necessary. Practice with junk wood till confident.


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

It would be pretty inexpensive to get a back saw and a plastic miter box. They couldn't be simpler to use.


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## Korosu (Oct 16, 2014)

Thanks Steve. You didn't read my post carefully enough.


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## hwebb99 (Nov 27, 2012)

Steve Neul said:


> It would be pretty inexpensive to get a back saw and a plastic miter box. They couldn't be simpler to use.


He said his scraps were too large to fit in a miter box.


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## BernieL (Oct 28, 2011)

I have the luxury of power tools and workspace but one thing you might consider is a Japanese hand saw from Home Depot. I bought one a few years ago and I was amazed how well they cut and how much easier they are then the western back saws. They are very flexible but cut cut on the pull rather then on the forward push. This makes them more accurate and easier to control.


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## InnovativeSnC (Mar 12, 2015)

I would agree with BernieL 100%. And believe it or not, Harbor Freight actually sells a Japanese pull saw for only $10. I don't normally shop there, but the saw they have is actually very nice. It has two sides, one being for cross cuts and the other for vertical cuts. For very fine cuts I would recommend the smaller toothed side, if your cutting large pieces quickly and 'inaccurately' use the large toothed side. 

So check out your local Harbor Freight store if you have one, and pick up your Japanese Pull Saw today.

- Innovative Saunas & Cellars Inc.


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## eldonv (Apr 11, 2015)

Make yourself a mitre box out of the lumber you have large enough for the material you want to cut.
make a flat base wide enough for the widest board you want to mitre and make a front and a back for the base. make the back a little taller than the front. Attach the front and the back to the base leaving the back about an 1/2" below the base this will give you support when place the box against the saw horse or work bench or whatever platform your working on.
To make the mitre cuts in your mitre box sides use a carpenters framing square to make them out for a 45 deg angle use the 12" mark on both legs of the square and draw a line on the top of both the front and the back of the mitre box you are making now on both the inside and out side of front and back the box use the square to make a line from the top of both sides to the base of the box these lines are only there to help you keep your saw square and straight while you make these cuts. For the 90 deg draw a line at 90deg across the top of the box sides and make square lines down both sides the same as you did for the 45 deg cuts. I hope this is helpful to you and good success.


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## Toolman50 (Mar 22, 2015)

Korosu
The keys to hand saws: 
1. The number of teeth
* large wide spaced teeth cut fast and rough
* small narrowly spaced teeth cut slower but smooth. 
2. Sharp. A sharp blade makes all the difference. 

You can clamp another board at the angle you want to cut on your board. This will be your guide. Long smooth strokes will work much better than little short fast strokes. Keep your eye on the alignment for a straight cut. 
Good luck.


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## TimPa (Jan 27, 2010)

I find the arm motion critical for a straight cut. I place my shoulder in-line with the saw and the cut, so that my arm, hanging straight down, swings forward and backward in one plane.


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## Scinzon (Apr 29, 2015)

Korosu said:


> Looking for any words of wisdom someone has for someone like me, starting out in woodworking and (because of space restrictions) using hand tools. Specifically using hand saws and cutting a 45 degree angle without a mitre box. Yes. Without a mitre box. Cause most of the scraps I have are too big to fit into a mitre box.
> 
> Thanks in advance.


I am not good with hand saws, but what improves my cuts is going nice and slowly and having a saw that bends as less as possible.

You can probably make a DIY jig for making "perfect" cuts with hand saws, but in my opinion, your effort will be too much for what you will gain.

My workshop is probably smaller that yours. Mine is 2m³ or 21,5ft³.

For like 30-50 dollars you can buy a good Jig Saw. For a few dozen dollars more you can buy a good circular Saw. These tools are not much larger than a powered drill and hand saws of large size may cost way more than these powered tools and they might be a pain to store because of their long blades, while these tools often come in carry/storage cases.

I do have three Japanese type saws and I like them, but they cost me a bit over 30€. For 27€ I could have gotten a nice Black & Decker Jig Saw.
The only reason I bought those was to use with my Mitre Box and the larger one was also for cutting scraps fast and quietly.


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