Mrs. Fixit: Hand Saws

July 21, 2013 (WPVI) -- There are so many handsaws on the market...but which one is best? Well.. it all depends on what you're cutting.

A crosscut saw...cuts across the grain and has small teeth close together to provide a smooth cut in wood. The teeth slice thru the wood like a knife-edge... as opposed to a rip saw ...which tears along the grain... with a mini chisel.

The teeth on a ripsaw are wider set than a crosscut saw so the final cut is rough and usually needs to be sanded.

A backsaw is used in a miter box...it's shorter stiffer blade has closer spaced teeth like a crosscut saw. This saw is used for making angle cuts and for trim molding.

A keyhole saw has a 10-12 inch tapered blade. It's used to cut openings for pipes, electrical boxes...or anything that's too large for a drill bit or hole saw.

You can buy various blades for cutting everything from wood and plastic to metal and hardboard.

A coping saw has a thin blade secured with two pins at both ends. A variety of blades are also available and it's used to cut intricate shapes and cutouts.

A hacksaw is a fine tooth saw with a blade held under tension in a frame and usually has a pistol grip. It's used to cut metal or plastic. Mounting the blade for cutting on the pull stroke will give you greater control of the cut and a blade should last longer.

How you 'saw' how easy it was.. I'm Mrs. Fixit and it's just that simple!

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