Hacksaw on wood — how to choose the best tool. 70 photos of the best canvases and basic characteristics
Suppose you have a need to process a tree or some kind of wooden product with a hacksaw. It seems that there are no difficulties, take a hacksaw and start working, but it is necessary to clarify which type of tool is suitable for a particular job. There are dozens of models, and their difference is not only in price and manufacturers.
The tool is not complicated in application, but it has several nuances that should be taken into account. In this article we will try to sort out the main details that you need to pay attention to.
The hacksaw itself consists of a blade and a handle. It is worth paying attention to the brand of steel for the canvas, the quality and convenience of work will depend on it. Nuances such as the length of the blade, the size of the teeth, the type of steel and the type of handle are the main ones when choosing a hacksaw.
Canvas size
Depending on your task, you can choose a different length of the canvas. For simple boards and small bars, a length of twenty-eight centimeters to thirty is quite suitable. If construction work is underway, it would be wiser to take a canvas from forty-five centimeters to fifty.
The basic rule: the length of the product should be half as long as the hacksaw itself, otherwise you can forget about the convenience of work.
Sharpening and the size of the teeth
The size and sharpness of the teeth is one of the main criteria when choosing a hacksaw. The bottom line is that the small teeth on the hacksaw are designed for neat work, and the long ones for rougher work, they are well suited for working in the garden, where neatness does not matter.
Taking a look at the photos of wood hacksaws with a variety of teeth, you will see which hacksaw you need.
In the hacksaw market, there is a TPI unit, on which the accuracy of the cut directly depends, it determines the number of teeth per 1 inch. For example, you need to cut a couple of chipboard boards, in this case it is recommended to use hacksaws with TPI in the range from seven to nine, then the cut will be smooth and neat.
If you need to work in the garden, cut branches, for example, then accuracy is not so important, you will have enough hacksaw with a TPI of three to six. The pitch of the teeth can be from two and a half to six and a half millimeters and from one and a half to five millimeters.
The shape of the teeth of a classic saw is triangular and it can be easily sharpened. However, in modern realities, it is more common to find hacksaws with trapezoidal teeth. It positions itself as a stronger and more durable saw.
But proper sharpening with such a tool will be impossible, because the steel from which the hacksaw is made does not lend itself to a simple file, and it will be almost impossible to repeat this form. As soon as the saw is blunted, either we change the canvas, or we go and buy a new one.
Sharpening a hacksaw on wood with your own hands is not a difficult task, but it is not simple either. Before starting sharpening, it is necessary to conduct wiring so that the canvas does not jam during sharpening. To do this, we use a special tool, which is called sharpening.
The sharpening itself requires a completely variety of tools.
Instructions for proper sharpening of a hacksaw
Before starting work, you need to tightly clamp your canvas in a vise so that it does not wobble. Having fixed the canvas, take a file and start sharpening the left edge on the first tooth. At the same time, you need to hold the file at an angle of sixty degrees.
Work with a file with uniform and smooth movements. In exactly the same way, you should sharpen all the left parts of the odd teeth, and then the right ones. After that, we turn the canvas over, fix and sharpen the teeth of an even row.
After finishing the work, it is necessary to clean the canvas from burrs with a specialized velvet file.
Hacksaw handle
A hacksaw with a handle, when used correctly and selected, is a very convenient tool. Handles are divided into folding and ordinary, the only difference is that there is an opportunity to change the canvas in the folding handles.
The right approach to choosing a hacksaw
The works in which hacksaws are used are divided into carpentry and carpentry. In carpentry, accuracy is more important, in carpentry, speed is more important.
First of all, it is worth paying attention to the quality of the metal of the canvas, for this we take a hacksaw in our hands and bend it by 30-45 degrees. It is necessary to do this as carefully as possible, since low-quality metal is very easy to break.
After performing this operation, let's look at the place of the bend, if there is a slight deviation, then the metal of this product is of very poor quality.
The most important criterion when choosing your hacksaw is the price. Naturally, the choice is in front of you — a cheap Chinese hacksaw of poor quality or an expensive saw of a well-known brand. However, having overpaid once, you no longer have to change the canvas forever or buy a new tool. Major brands closely monitor the quality of steel and hardening used in their canvases.
The main tasks of the teeth are the removal of sawdust and, directly, the cutting of the tree itself.
Teeth with a TPI parameter of up to seven are high-speed and easy to use. Therefore, the choice of a hacksaw should be entirely out of your own needs.
Types of Hand SawsNarrow hacksaw
A small, narrow hand hacksaw consisting of a straight thin blade and a handle. It mainly serves for various thin ones. She, most often, has a canvas with triangular double-sided teeth.
One of the main disadvantages of this type of hacksaw is the possibility of deviation during your work with a wooden product.
Classic saw
A simple hacksaw is undoubtedly equipped with absolutely various types of teeth, as well as various cloths that can be changed.
Hacksaw with butt
Many saws have a major problem — bends during operation. By choosing a hacksaw with an edge, you completely relieve yourself of this difficulty. However, you will not be able to make a cut deeper than the width of the canvas.
Beam-shaped saws
This is a hacksaw of a weighty size. The main advantage of working with this type is the ability to work with the product you need from absolutely any angle. Using a beam saw, you can process the material from any side, along and across, and make complex workpieces alone.
A small hacksaw is perfect for small work in the garden, it is not recommended to use it when sawing large materials.
Brands
The best wood hacksaws are provided by brands: Gross, Stanley, Irwin, Bahco.