Microsoft Word - Woodshop 101 Part 1 of 3

Items You’ll Need

Handsaw- See text for

deciding which kind to buy

Sturdy work surface

Coping saw

Clamps for holding work

piece securely (see lesson

on Step Stool for more on

clamps)

Scrap wood

Safety glasses

Lesson 4

Using Handsaws

Saws have been around ever since man started making things from
wood. He needed a way to cut trees down and then to cut the wood into
smaller more usable pieces, which are the basic uses for handsaws.

Sawing involves two strokes, the push stroke and the
pull stroke. Saws will cut on either the pull or the
push stroke depending on what kind of handsaw it is.
Western saws, or American saws, cut on the push
stroke, Japanese saws cut on the pull stroke.

Western Saws
Western saws have a thicker blade and are less likely
to bend if they get stuck in the wood. Most also have
a traditional handle that the hand fits around like
you’re shaking
hands with it.
Western saws cut on the push stroke
so the sawdust that is generated is
pushed out the back and doesn’t
cover up a line that you’re using to
guide the cut. Western saws overall
do take more energy to use than their
Japanese counterpart.

Japanese Saws
Japanese saws have a very thin blade.
They cut on the pull stroke, which
stiffens the blade as its being pulled