Unit 113: Maintain and use carpentry and joinery hand tools

© 2013 City and Guilds of London Institute. All rights reserved. 1 of 18
Level 1 Diploma in Carpentry and Joinery
PowerPointpresentation
Handsaws
Unit 113: Maintain and use carpentry and joinery
hand tools

Aim
Introduce learners to handsaws.
Objectives
• Identify at least one type of
handsaw.
• State the required TPI for each
type of hand saw.
• Select at least one type of
handsaw for a given scenario.
• Explain the method for correctly
holding and using a handsaw.

Handsaws
There are four basic types of saws which carpenters and joiners use on
a daily basis. These are:
• rip saws
• crosscut saws
• tenon saws
• dovetail saws.
Other saws include, pad, fret and coping saws.

Parts of a handsaw
Heel
Teeth
Blade
Handle
Back
Toe

Handsaws continued
• Blade: This is made from good-quality tool steel, hardened and spring
tempered all over.
• Handle: Usually made from hardwood or plastic. The handle is fixed
to the saw blade with brass screws and nuts.
• Teeth: The teeth are cut along the edge of the blade. They vary in
size and shape according to the type of saw.

Size of handsaws
The size of a handsaw is the length of its cutting edge and also the
number of teeth points per 25mm.
This number is always one more than the number of teeth per 25mm
because the first and last points are counted.
Most handsaws have this number stamped on the heel of the blade.

Teeth per inch (TPI)
REMEMBER: When counting the number of teeth, count the first and
last tooth.
Rip saw TPI Crosscut saw TPI

Identifying saws
Hand saws vary in length from 450mm
up to 650mm.
• Rip saws are generally 650mm in
length, with a tooth size of 5 teeth per
25mm.
• Crosscut saws range from 450 to
600mm in length, with teeth sizes
ranging from 8 to 10 teeth per 25mm.
• Crosscut saws of 500–550mm in
length with 10 teeth points per 25mm
are commonly known as panel saws.
These saws are used to cut plywood
and thin boards or large joints.

Blades and TPI
The table below shows the different sizes of blades and teeth for
various of handsaws.
Saw type Length (mm) Points per
25mm/inch
Rip 650 5
Crosscut 650 6, 7, 8
Crosscut 600 7
Panel/universal 550 8 or 10
Panel 500 10

Rip saws: use and shape of teeth
Rip saws are made for cutting timber along the grain. The teeth of this
saw are large and flat, shaped to cut like chisels.

Crosscut saws: use and shape of teeth
Crosscut saws are designed to cut across the grain. The teeth of this
saw are different from those of a rip saw.
The teeth resemble knife points, each being sharpened at an angle
across the blade to produce knife edges.

Pitch of teeth
To make saws cut smoothly, the front faces or edges of the teeth slope
forward.
This slope is called the pitch and varies from 30 for rip saws up 140 for
crosscut saws.
Rip saw Crosscut saw

Tenon saws
Tenon saws are specialist tools. They are used for sawing tenons and
small pieces of wood.
• Blade: Thin, short length of high-quality tool steel, hardened and
spring tempered all over.
• Teeth: Similar in shape to those of a crosscut saw, but smaller and
pitched at 16°.
• Back: Made of steel or brass
and fitted tightly to the back
of the saw blade to hold it
rigid.
Image courtesy of www.axminster.co.uk. Reproduced with permission.

Tenon saws continued
Tenon saws are made in the following sizes:
• 200
• 250
• 300
• 350mm
with teeth points ranging from 13 to 15 per 25mm.
Brass-back saws are more
expensive and are heavier
than steel and they do not rust.
Image courtesy of www.workshopheaven.com. Reproduced with permission.

Dovetail saw
This saw is similar to the tenon saw but with smaller teeth.
These saws are usually 200mm in length, with 20 teeth points per
25mm.
The teeth are pitched at 16° and are flat faced to cut like rip saw teeth.
This is because its main purpose is to saw along the grain for
dovetailing.
Image courtesy of www.axminster.co.uk. Reproduced with permission.

Pad saw
Pad saws have no frame, so can be used where coping saws cannot
reach.
They tend to have a single handle with interchangeable blades to carry
out a range of tasks, especially for cutting key holes and large internal
shaped work.
Key hole saw handles are usually in line with the blade.
Traditional knife type pad sawUtility knife type pad saw

Coping saws
The coping saw is used to cut along curved lines or for small work.
• Tension is created in the steel saw frame by means of a turn screw
and bolt in the handle of the saw.
• Frame: made of steel and the blade is kept in place by means of
tension.
• Blade: 165mm long. Very flexible
and can be turned to any position.
Its teeth may be positioned to cut
in any direction.
• Teeth: rip saw pattern because
this saw is used to cut wood
across the grain as well as with it.
Image courtesy of www.workshopheaven.com. Reproduced with permission.

Any questions?

Unit 113: Maintain and use carpentry and joinery hand tools

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Unit 113: Maintain and use carpentry and joinery hand tools