When we speak of a saw, a picture of typical woodcutting saw flashes on our mind. If not, maybe more than one picture might pop up on the mind.
But, have you ever wondered how many types of saws are there in this world?
Worldwide there are different forms of saws having different properties following different traditions. This number is vast compared to what we usually imagine.
Each saw has its own purpose dedicated to specific tasks. You can’t use one to perform the task of another one. Each of the saw is made to do its own job.
14 Different Types of Hand Saws and Their Uses
The hand saws are those which are handheld and manually used for making desired cuts. This type of saws typically includes a stiff blade put under high tension with a solid frame or a handle.
It is just a category of saws. This category includes a large number of saws. Each saw has its own criteria and usability. Different types of hand saws are listed here including a short description for each of them.
1. Hacksaw
A Hacksaw is a hand tool used for cutting. It cuts nicely and precisely even though having a confusing name meaning ‘a rough cut’. It must have been named keeping it relatable to cuts. Hacksaws can be both rigid with fixed blades and can be adjustable. The blade of the adjustable hacksaws can be changed as per requirement. Blades must be chosen as per the thickness of the material that is to be cut. The blades of hacksaws consist of fine teeth. They remain very small and come in a wave set.
Hacksaw’s Uses
Hacksaws are primarily made for cutting metals. It is used for cutting threaded rods, bars or pipes, and so on. Not only limited to these, but various other materials like plastics, wood, and other related materials can also be cut with a Hacksaw.
2. Crosscut Saw
Crosscut saw is a specialized saw for cutting wood. At first glance, it might look like a rip cut saw due to their similar structure. However, it has different features than the rip cut saw. The most highlighting feature of a crosscut saw is its blade with beveled teeth. Some of them also include gullets and rakers. These teeth work as a bunch of knives cutting through the wood. The teeth remain angled with diverse patterns in different blades. Each patterned blade has its own purpose.
Crosscut Saw’s Uses
The saws with large teeth are used for log bucking and related works. Whereas the small teethed ones can cut with finer details and thus used for woodworking. The main purpose of the crosscut saw is to cut perpendicular to the wood. It is used for cutting across the log.
3. Japanese Saw
The Japanese saw is a handsaw originally made in and used in Japan for different cutting purposes. Due to its efficiency and popularity now it’s being used worldwide. Japanese saws come in different forms serving different purposes. But its mechanism is almost the same in every form. The Japanese saws use pull stroke for sawing instead of push stroke used by usual cutting saws. The pull stroke mechanism is more efficient than push strokes. They tend to leave narrower kerf while cutting through the wood.
Japanese Saw’s Uses
These saws are used for cutting comparatively lighter woods. They are constructed targeting the softwoods to be cut efficiently and with more details. They are widely used in Japanese carpentry and delicate woodworking. Other forms of Japanese saws can also cut through metals too.
4. Fret Saw
Fret saw is a C-frame saw with a very tiny blade. It is an efficient saw which can make quick cuts precisely. The blade of the saw consists of up to 32 TPI. It also has spiral blades which have teeth arrangement on all sides of the blade. The structure and function of a fret saw are similar to a coping saw. But the two have few differences which make them separate saws to be used.
The fret saw has a frame with a depth of about 10 to 20 inches which is not found in a coping saw. This unique feature of the fret saw makes it very useful while cutting through materials internally. It can fit in properly and make deep cuts without getting blocked.
Fret Saw’s Uses
It is used for woodworking and also jewelry making. The structure of the fret saw is made as such that it can be used to cut tight internal areas of the materials easily and precisely.
5. Rip Cut Saw
Rip cut saw is similar to crosscut saw in looks but different in purpose. The blade structure makes it different from a crosscut saw. Its blades consist of teeth a bit larger than the crosscut saws. All the teeth remain pointed straight up having a flat assembly. Each tooth act as a chisel to cut through the wood grain. These chisel-like teeth lift off small wood fragments while cutting through it.
Rip Cut Saw’s Uses
It is widely used for woodworking. Rip Cut refers to a slit on the wood parallel to the grain. And the rip cut saws are used for serving this purpose. It is used for cutting wood logs in the direction of the grain.
6. Pruning Saw
Pruning saws have a slightly curved structure. They are made in such a unique way to reach unreachable areas for pruning trees. Such saws have blades slightly bent with several teeth per inch. The teeth come in a pyramid shape with a backside, top edge and cutting edge. It helps in cutting and trimming efficiently. Pruning saws are of different types. They come in different lengths and sizes for different purposes.
Pruning Saw’s Uses
The pruning saws are used for trimming live bushes and trees. It is mainly used for garden tree trimming works. The handy tool cuts through the small branches and stems for giving fine look to the decorative tree. It can also be used to some extent for cutting larger branches too. For larger ones, large pruning saws are used.
7. Bow Saw
A Bow saw is a framed saw with a high tension blade attached to the frame. Modern bow saw technically has a different structure than traditional ones. However, it still retains the same mechanism as the traditional one. The traditional bow saw is like a frame saw.
It has an H shaped frame structure with the blade held in tension by two long handles. On the other side, the modern bow saw has an advanced design which is smaller in size compared to the former. It is made of metal frame and retains a C shaped frame.
Bow Saw’s Uses
The saw is used for cutting wood. Crosscutting trees for shelter or making firewood is the basic purpose of this saw. It is also handy for woodworking and carpentry. It can make decent cuts for delicate woodworking too. But mostly it is used for chopping logs and branches.
8. Camping Saw
Camping saws are not different than any regular saw. The only difference is that these types of saws are made focusing on portability. These saws remain very light in weight and easy to carry. The size is also a factor for camping saws. They usually are made foldable to take as little space as possible.
The length of the blade and its sharpness are the core features for camping saws. They are made with the ability to cut through any material found in the wild environment. Safety measures are also important while carrying sharp items in a backpack. All camping saws ensures high safety with blade sheathes. They also usually have high grip handles for ensuring safety while cutting too.
Camping Saw’s Uses
The camping saws are used in the wild to cut through the bush or for cutting wood to make a shelter. There are a lot of usages of camping saws. These are made ideally for camping, for using in the wild.
9. Back Saw
Backsaw is a type of handsaw. Such saws have unique features for which they are separated from other saws. They have a thin but sturdy blade with a large number of teeth per inch. Usually, the blade remains of the same shape and angle from the holding edge to the cutting edge.
The handles of back saws remain stiff and have a rib-like structure to offer rigidity and firmness while handling the saw. It helps in better control of the saw to make precise cuts. Plenty of back saws can be found worldwide. Some examples are- dovetail saw, Japanese saw, Tenon saw, Mitre saw and so on.
Back Saw’s Uses
The back saws deliver accurate cuts with much efficiency. That’s why they are used for detailed jobs like woodworking and carpentry. Besides that, they are also used in jewelry making, metal cutting and other for other related works. They are used for making specific cuts that are accomplished by designated back saws.
10. Veneer Saw
The handy tool made for cutting veneer cuts is the veneer saw. This simple looking tool can accomplish important tasks in woodworking to acquire delicacy. It can be both double-edged and single-edged. The blade of a veneer saw normally remains 3 to 4 inches long and attached to a handle. The blade retains an arch shape to engage all the teeth for cutting without any miss.
Veneer saw consists of a tightly packed large number of teeth per inch to obtain precision while cutting. The teeth are arranged in different patterns in different blades. There are French style, German-style and also English style teeth patterns.
Veneer Saw’s Uses
It is used to cut through the edge to produce a long straight edge without any flaw. The hardboard or any thin boards cannot be cut using any electrical or other hardwood cutting saws. The thin wood piece will rip into pieces due to its flexibility and thinness. Veneer saw is just the thing made for performing this important task.
11. Coping saw
Coping saw is a kind of bow saw but much smaller in size. The coping saw also has a ribbed handle, unlike the bow saw. It is compared to a bow saw because of its frame structure. The coping saw has a deep C shape frame with the blade put in high tension attached to it. A convenient handle is included in one end to hold the saw to make the precise cut. The blades of this saw are usually quite thicker. Their teeth remain much coarser and efficient for cutting through hard surfaces.
Coping Saw’s Uses
The coping saws are highly used for woodworking. It can be used to create coping and moldings. Using a cope saw circles can be cut too. Not restricted to only woods, it can also cut through aluminum and other soft metals.
12. Keyhole Saw
The Keyhole saw is a specialized saw with a triangular-shaped blade. It is a small saw with around 10 to 12 inches long blade. The edge of the blade remains pointed to fit tight spaces to make the cut. The blade consists of finely sharp teeth which are very small and pointed. It is held by a cast iron, wooden or plastic handle. Keyhole saws come in two forms- retractable blade and fixed blade.
Keyhole Saw’s Uses
This saw is used for making internal cuts. It is designed and constructed in this special way to be compatible for use in tight spaces and make precise cuts. It is handy for cutting through materials like plastic, hardboard, wood, and metal. It works on pull stroke mechanism delivering fine cuts even on hard to reach areas.
13. Wallboard Saw
Wallboard saw is a small handy tool. It is pretty small in size like a keyhole saw. At first glance, it might look like a keyhole saw but is totally different than that. It has a different arrangement of teeth on the blade with a shorter blade than a keyhole saw. The handle is usually made of firm rubber grip for easy handling.
Wallboard Saw’s Uses
It is used for cutting through hardboard or drywalls. It can also be used for thin wood pieces, plywood and other soft materials. It is used to penetrate through the material and cut internally. The thin blade is constructed likewise to fit tight space is to accomplish the task.
14. Bone Saw
A bone saw as the name suggests is a bone cutter. It is basically a surgical tool. The bone saws come in different forms. They differ in structure and properties based on their purpose. But the main purpose of the saw is to cut through animal flesh and bone. Thus, it is made accordingly to be compatible to serve its purpose.
Bone saw is made durable to retain its quality even after the rigorous cutting of animal bones and being in contact with animal blood. It usually has a thin blade with sharp teeth to make precise cuts through the hard bones.
Bone Saw’s Uses
The main purpose of this saw is to cut through the bones efficiently. It is widely used during surgeries. Its most use is found in orthopedics. Besides medical treatment, it is also used in butchery too.
15 Different Types of Electric Saws and Their Uses
The saws which are powered by direct electricity or an electric motor are included in this category, they are commonly known as electric saws.
Such saws require less manual labor. Once the saw is powered, it cuts by itself without much hassle. The user has to only control the machine in order to make precise cuts. Different types of power saws have different properties.
The following list includes a short description of all types of electric saws with their uses.
1. Band Saw
A band saw is named after its structural design. It consists of a band blade which continuous and stretched between two large wheels at two ends. The blade rotates along its path through the designated material. Mostly the band saws are made of cast iron construction with cast iron built wheels. Varieties of blades are available for band saws to cut through varying thicknesses. The blade is kept under high tension with the mechanism of spring tension. The whole machine is powered by a highly powerful electric motor.
Band Saw’s Uses
The bandsaw is used mainly for woodworking. It used for resawing, shaping wood, cutting circles or notches and so on. Bevel and miter cuts are also made using a band saw. Not only limited to woodworking, but it is also used for metal and plastic cutting too. For cutting metals separate blades are used having the required number of TPI.
2. Circular Saw
A circular saw is a small electric powered device. It is circular in structure as the name suggests. It has a circular blade with large teeth. The teeth set remain arranged in different forms in different blades for diverse purposes. The blade with large sharp teeth spins in a circular motion to cut through designated material. Though this saw is mostly powered by electricity, its power is also sometimes generated by gas or hydraulic motor. It is a very handy handheld device. If necessary, it can be mounted to a fixed place too.
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Circular Saw’s Uses
The circular saw is used in multiple arenas. This saw can cut through wood, metal, plastic, stone and various other materials making it very versatile to use. It is used for woodworking and carpentry, metalworking, construction works and so on. It is capable of making rip cuts, cross cuts, miter and plunge cuts.
3. Chain Saw
A chain saw is a device that cuts using a cutting chain. The blade of such saw is made of a chain with sharp and angled cutting tooth which remains surrounded on the guide bar. The chain rotates along the guide bar to cut through materials. It generates power from its electric motor to rotate the chain uninterruptedly. The faster the blade can move the efficient the cut is. Teeth of the chain blade remain very sharp for doing the work effectively. It’s held in high tension with the saws adjustable tensioning mechanism.
Chain Saw’s Uses
The chainsaw is very useful for cutting and trimming trees. It is mainly used for crosscutting trees and logs. The highly efficient chainsaws can cut through stones and masonry. It is also used for sculpting ice.
4. Miter Saw
A miter saw is a circular saw that is mounted on the place and also has a flexible cutting head. It is compared to a circular saw due to its similar cutting mechanism. Its circular blade spins to make cuts through the material just like a circular saw. The highlighting feature of the miter saw that makes it different from a circular saw is its flexibility. The cutting head of the saw has a bevel capacity or more precisely said miter index. At the standby position, it retains a 90o angle and it can be tilted to a 15o, 22.5o, 30o and 45o angles. In many saws, the head can be tilted 1o at a time to achieve more accuracy.
Miter Saw’s Uses
The miter saw is used for making miter cuts. It is the main purpose of this flexible saw. Besides that, it is capable of making straight cuts and thus used for crosscutting.
5. Jig Saw
A jigsaw is a very common tool in a wood worker’s shop. This handy device is very easy to use and handle. This saw has a small-sized blade with the motor attached to the main device. They can be both corded and cordless. The blade of this saw comes in various forms. This difference is caused by the differences in the arrangement of teeth. There are ground teeth, milled teeth, taper-ground teeth and other forms for making designated cuts in designated materials. Its tool-free blade changing system makes it very convenient for switching among blades to make the required cut.
Jig Saw’s Uses
The jigsaw is primarily used in woodworking. It is built to efficiently cut through wood. It can make straight, miter and plunge cuts. It also can cut through plastics to crop plastic pipes or tubes.
6. Wet-Tile Saw
A wet tile saw is a tile cutting machine. This power generated device cuts through tile using the help of water. While cutting tiles, the temperature of the blade increases. It requires running water to maintain the temperature and provide a smooth cut at that time. Such saws have water reservoirs on them to continuously deliver water to the blade while cutting tile. The structure includes a tabletop to place the tile on it and a cutting head.
Wet-Title Saw’s Uses
The wet tile saw is a specialized saw solely used for cutting tiles. It can make a plunge, miter or bevel cuts to tiles. The wet tiles are the most efficient form of tile cutters.
7. Chop Saw
Chop saws are similar to circular saws in terms of size, cutting mechanism and structure. The highlighting difference is that the chop saw has a flexible cutting head. As the miter saw can tilt at different angles, the chop saw can move its cutting head up and down. This saw is very efficient in its work and can cut through multiple materials with a designated blade.
Chop Saw’s Uses
The chop saw is used for making straight cuts. It can deliver accurate cuts for wood and other materials too. Woodworkers use this tool for making precise squares.
8. Track Saw
A track saw is an exclusive type of electric saw that uses a track line for making cuts. The saw comes with a long track line along with the main saw. The saw slides on the track line to accomplish the cutting task. It has a circular blade that is pushed in the material to cut through it. Thus, by pushing the blade into the material while sliding it along the trail, gives a straight edge cut on the material.
Track Saw’s Uses
Track saws are used by woodworkers to make long straight cuts. It delivers maximum accuracy in cutting straight cuts. It can be used to cut shallow grooves on designated material too.
9. Pole Saw
Pole saws are saws that have a long pole attached to the main cutting head. The pole saw gives the capability to reach high spots which are normally unreachable for normal saws. The pole is basically chain saw attached to a long pole. Its blade and the sawing mechanism are similar to a chainsaw. The blade remains surrounded by chain teeth which makes the actual cut. It rotates at a high speed with the help of a power generating motor to make the required cut.
Pole Saw’s Uses
The pole saws are used for trimming and pruning works. It helps in reaching the high spots of the tree for making desired cuts. The saw is highly capable of cutting through thick branches and help in making logs.
10. Reciprocating Saw
Reciprocating saw is a different type of saw than typical woodworking saw. This saw has a unique cutting technique. The blade of the saw is made to operate in a push-pull mechanism. It has a short, flat and sharp blade that reciprocates through the material in order to make a cut. The machine is backed by the handle on the end opposite the cutting end.
Reciprocating Saw’s Uses
The reciprocating saw is mostly used in woodworking. It is used to makes cut through plywood, hardboard, drywall and so on. This saw can easily make cuts on vertical surfaces. The thin blades allow it to pass through the surface and make internal cuts.
11. Table Saw
Table saw is a category of saws. It denotes such saws that have a structural design consisting of a tabletop. The tabletop works as the main working space where the material is placed to cut. At times such saws include a sliding table that pushes the material towards the blade. Not only the table, but many table saws also have a flexible cutting head that can be moved up and down or can be titled at desired angles.
Table Saw’s Uses
The table saws are extensively used for woodworking. It is very useful in fitting and holding large wood pieces to make precise cuts. Table saws are very beneficial for making accurate cuts.
12. Oscillating Saw
The oscillating saw is called so because of its oscillating functionalism. It is a multipurpose tool. It has a wide range of attachments that can be swiftly changed to perform multiple tasks with a single device. Hence it is also called multi tool or master tool. It has a narrow angle of oscillation. It does not have a kickback problem like other spinning saws.
Oscillating Saw’s Uses
This saw is used for performing multiple functions. It can be used for cutting, rasping, sanding, polishing or even grinding. Changing the attachments can be transformed into a whole new tool for a specialized job. It is very useful for construction works. It is very handy for carpentry too.
13. Panel Saw
Panel saw is a large-sized table saw. It has a vast worktable to fit large wood sheets to chop them in the required length and size. The table’s sliding capacity drives the plywood to move toward the blade. The panel saw is of different types. it can be both vertical and horizontal. The vertical panel saw holds the wood piece upright vertically and slides it horizontally. The cutting techniques of both types are the same.
Panel Saw’s Uses
The panel saw is widely used for cropping plywoods. It is very efficient in edging wood pieces. Both longitudinal and transverse cuts are made using this tool.
14. Radial Arm Saw
A radial saw is a kind of table-mounted arm saw. It has a circular blade for cutting through materials. It has a sliding feature. Its cutting head can slide along the fence to make a cut parallel to the wood log. The sliding cutting head includes a beneficial handle to slide the cutting head swiftly. The blade remains covered by a safety guard to ensure maximum safety while cutting. It also includes an anti-kickback tool to tackle kickbacks while cutting bulky substances.
Radial Arm Saw’s Uses:
The saw is very useful for woodworking. For its sliding capacity, it is widely used for making rip cuts. It is also used for making dado cuts, dovetail lap cuts, cross lap cuts and others.
15. Rotary Saw
Rotary saw or spiral cut saw is a type of saw which follows the spinning blade mechanism. It has a circular blade that spins at a very fast pace to cut through materials swiftly. This is a handy device with small circular blades. It has a handle feature for single-handed action.
Rotary Saw’s Uses
The rotary saw is used for cutting through softwood thin wood. It is used to make cuts in wallboard and plywood. It can make precise plunge cuts without the need for any premade holes. Due to its small-sized blades, it is used for delicate cutting tasks. This saw is also useful in the medical sector too.
Final Words
These are only two categories of saws discussed briefly among numerous other types of saws. This vast number of saws have been made to achieve accuracy while cutting a material.
Precision is very important for delicate works. And it can be found only by using the right tool. In search of this precision in work, a huge number of saws are used by perfectionists worldwide.
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