How to Choose the Right Saw for the Job

By Troy Griepentrog
Published on April 2, 2008
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Using a rip fence to guide a piece of lumber across a table saw makes a straight, accurate cut.
Using a rip fence to guide a piece of lumber across a table saw makes a straight, accurate cut.
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A coping saw is used for cutting circles or curves.
A coping saw is used for cutting circles or curves.
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For quick, rough cuts (such as cutting a tree limb), a bow saw is a good choice.
For quick, rough cuts (such as cutting a tree limb), a bow saw is a good choice.
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Jig saw
Jig saw

Choosing the best saw for a particular job involves several factors: the material you’re cutting, how precise the cut must be, whether you’re cutting a straight line or a curve, and how quickly you want to get the work done. Here’s a brief overview of some of the most common types of saws.

Handsaws

A crosscut saw
 (and a shorter version called a box saw) is the saw most people think of when they think of a handsaw. Its primary purpose is to cut wood across the grain. A rip saw looks similar but has larger teeth and is used for cutting with the grain (splitting a board length-wise, for example).

Coping saws are shaped like a “P” and used for cutting circles or irregular shapes in wood. The blades are quite thin and narrow so they don’t bind between the wood as the blade cuts a curved shape. Coping saws are often used to cut woodwork to fit together in the corners of a room. Because of the frame of the saw, cuts cannot be made more than about 6 inches from the edge of the wood.

If you need to make a precise, straight cut (such as those used for making a fine wooden joint), consider a back saw

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