More often, you get saw wood in your own household. Be it to cut firewood or assemble a skirting board, and you often have to deal with the popular natural material. However, you can saw wood in quite different ways. Therefore, in this post, I will explain which saw is recommended for woodwork and which I like to work with.
Table of Contents
The hand saw – for small jobs & handicrafts
Everyone has a handsaw at home in some way or another. Be it as a foxtail or as a fine saw – in my opinion, the two most common hand saws for woodwork.
The hand saw is actually only suitable for smaller jobs. As with other saws, the key is the tooth geometry of the saw, which teeth are at the saw blade’s distance.
Large teeth with a large spacing are very suitable for rough cuts.
Small teeth and small tooth spacing mean the opposite: So slow sawing progress and precise cut. A classic fine saw is a prime example of such a saw. With this, it is possible, for example, to cut skirting boards to length by hand.
All in all, one of the first options for me is always the handsaw. Here is another sketch on which you can see how to saw correctly with the handsaw and how to start the cut:
The start of the hand saw cut in three easy steps.
The fretsaw is a very special hand saw. This can be used very well for small hobbyist jobs and especially for fine round saw cuts. Other saws would reach their limits.
The electric counterpart to the fretsaw is the so-called scroll saw.
You may come in contact with this saw if you have children because it is often used in elementary school.
For the sake of completeness, the hacksaw should also be mentioned (see picture). This is very suitable for cutting branches or simple boards. The tooth geometry is mostly designed for a quick and rough cut.
Related: Best fine woodworking portable table saw
The jigsaw – practical and versatile
Another very popular saw is the jigsaw. This is suitable for work that would take much too long by hand.
Due to a large number of different jigsaw blades available to buy, you are also very flexible in terms of the way you work and the material. In addition to wood, you can also saw metal or plastic and even tiles.
Nowadays, the saws are mainly produced with a T-shaft. Therefore, blades from different manufacturers also fit into any commercially available jigsaw with this holder.
The jigsaw actually works very simply: The saw blade is pushed through the wood with a lifting movement (up and down). The progress of the saw is also determined by the pressure you exert on the saw.
One variant is the pendulum jigsaw, in which the pendulum function can also be switched on. In addition to the lifting movement, there is also a pendulum movement (back and forth). With this function, you can get through the wood faster, but you can only use it for straight cuts.
Related: DIY wood wine rack
The circular saw – precise and quick cuts
A saw that probably not everyone has at home is the circular saw. In contrast to the jigsaw, this has a circular saw blade.
There are several different types, such as the hand-held circular saw, the table saw, or the chop saw. What all saws have in common is that they are ideal for processing and sawing off the wood.
Depending on the number of teeth and the diameter, such a saw blade is more suitable for longitudinal cuts or cross-cuts or soft or hardwood.
I have a table saw, and a hand-held circular saw at home. The former has a great advantage in that you can make very long cuts very precisely. In contrast to the jigsaw, these cuts are really exactly straight.
The hand-held circular saw is mobile and can therefore be used flexibly, for example, for cutting parquet or laminate floorboards.
Here you can see the difference between a hand-held circular saw and a table saw concerning the direction of the blade.
Related: Miter saw vs circular saw
Which saw for woodwork – conclusion
Wood is a popular material, and thus more and more types of saws and saws have been developed for woodworking over time.
Ultimately, you can only decide for yourself which saw is recommended for woodwork in your home.
If you like to work by hand, a range of hand saws for wood is certainly very practical, and a jigsaw may be an advantage as a supplement.
In my opinion, you don’t necessarily need a circular saw unless you are a constant hobbyist and DIY enthusiast – then this can’t do any harm.
