Seven Types of Saws Every DIYer Should Get to Know
Whether you want to build a rustic bench, install trim molding, or plumb a new sink, odds are that you'll need to cut some material to size--and there's a saw out there waiting to help you do just that. The following seven types of saws cover a spectrum of DIY scenarios, from wood to metal. Familiarize yourself with which specialties each possess, and you can tackle whatever project you have in mind.
It's All About the Teeth
As you go about adding saws to your toolbox and workshop, you'll find that many saw blades are rated by teeth per inch (TPI). These numbers range from 2 to 32. Blades with lower TPI numbers will cut quickly but produce rougher cuts. The higher TPI ratings will produce fine, smooth cuts in wood and similar materials.
Traditional Handsaw
No woodworker's shop is complete without a traditional handsaw, with its large blade and sturdy handle. Though the handsaw is 100 percent muscle-powered, it steps in when a power saw just won't do, such as when you need to cut through a post that is too thick for a circular saw blade.
Hacksaw
With thin, interchangeable blades ranging from 14 to 32 TPI, the C-shaped hacksaw is most often used for cutting metal pipes. Its range of TPI options, though, makes it useful for cutting sheet metal, PVC, and conduit as well--simply swap out the 10- to 12-inch blades, which are held in place by screw nuts on each end. A hacksaw also comes with a tension nut that allows you to stretch the blade taut for easier sawing.
Coping Saw
The U-shaped coping saw has only one purpose: coping or "back-beveled" cuts for trim installation around inside corners. While it resembles and functions like a hacksaw, the coping saw's frame is lighter in weight and the blade is shorter--typically 6- 3/4 "-long and anywhere from 10 to 32 TPI.
Jigsaw
A versatile saw for DIYers, the jigsaw can cut straight lines like a circular saw but its real claim to fame is the ability to cut curves. Considered one of the safer power saws, the jigsaw features a large flat base called a "shoe," which rests flat on the surface of the material you're cutting and surrounds the blade and offers some protection.
Circular Saw
Designed to cut straight lines in dimensional lumber, plywood, rigid foam board, and even concrete, the circular saw is one of the most popular saws for framing and can substitute on the jobsite for a table saw. It features an encased circular blade and a wide base that fits flat against the material you're cutting and, on most models, adjusted so you can vary the depth of the cut.
Circular saw blades are labeled for the type of material they're designed to cut: Wood blades cut plywood or lumber, masonry blades cut joints in a concrete sidewalk, and so on. Circular saws come in a variety of sizes, determined by the diameter of the blade they use.
Miter Saw
The main purpose of a miter saw is to make precision crosscuts when framing, installing molding, or even cutting siding strips. Today's miter saws make angled cuts based on the same principle as their manual "miter box" siblings, although they can perform even more complex cuts. A miter saw's heavy steel base can be mounted on a workshop table for stability, and a steel guide along its back edge, called a "fence," aligns the material to be cut.
Chainsaw
The chainsaw is designed to cut tree limbs or fell entire trees with its dozens of sharp teeth that rotate around the guide bar. Guide bars range from 14 inches long up to 36 inches long and can be interchangeable on some models of chainsaws. For most DIYers, a chainsaw with an 18- to 20-inch guide bar is sufficient. Keep in mind that a 16-inch chainsaw bar will fell a tree that's 32-inch in diameter by sawing systematically around the entire trunk of the tree.












