Crosscutting handsaw help required

[Simon Morris]

More great comments. Thank you. If I use less pressure the saw will fall on the floor lol and I tried with index finger extended but very little difference. I am right handed and left eye is poor so I am looking to the left of saw with both eyes rather than one each side so may not be able to overcome that but I will try it this weekend..

Will report back!

 

[scooby]

Hi all

Thank you for all your replies. Most I have tried but I will try Transatlantics method this weekend and Mike G I have been coming to the conclusion that I should try a western tendon sawjust to see if the problem persists, oh well, there goes another £100 lol.

I had also thought as mentioned that the blade set could be off as ripping on the other side of the blad is fine. Should one expect cross cutting to be harder?

Also agree I should not yet be aiming for perfect cut along my marking lines. I know I am going to have to park or plane anyway, it’s just feels like a failure that I can’t figure this one out. Taught myself to use planes and chisels but this is bugging me

I will try Transatlantics idea and if no better results I will buy a tennin saw.......may be Japanese though

Will post results

Cheers

It doesn't have to cost you £100.

I would suggest looking on ebay but that'd probably require sharpening. With your own admission to being new to woodworking, that might not be something you want to jump into straightaway. It isnt difficult, and it is a skill well worth learning if you plan to try traditional saws.

If you really want something new, Veritas carcass saws a good place to start at around £60. Good size for smaller tenons, dovetails, etc. Veritas do tenon saw for around £100. I've got both, and rarely use the tenon saw as I find its a bit big for a back saw (imo.) The carcass is more like a small tenon/ big dovetail saw size.
Recall seeing a Footprint tenon saw on d&m tools that looked ok for 40 odd quid.

Alternately, go down to your local timber merchant, b&q, etc. and get a cheap hard point saw and practice cutting square on some scrap timber to see what you think.

 

[scooby]

I probably shouldnt mention this.. When I started my apprenticeship, a lot of the joiners used bow saws (not old style, but sandvik tree sawing 3 tpi things) to cut everything apart from sheet materials. This included skirting and architrave (softwood only). Their joints weren' t bad (annoyingly). I tried it once and it was disgusting lol.
After that, I was constantly ridiculed for using a proper hand saw. (hammer)
I recall telling my dad (who is also a joiner) and think 'wtf' was his first comment

Not sure what the point of this is actually..

 

[deema]

If your going to get a western saw, I’d like to suggest spending just £1 on a secondhand one. A while ago did a thread on how to select and restore car boot / auction site saws to be as good as the premium saws you can buy

hand-saw-restoration-and-re-teething-of-a-99p-saw-t98494.html

 

[MikeG.]

......I have been coming to the conclusion that I should try a western tendon sawjust to see if the problem persists, oh well, there goes another £100 lol.........

No way! You'll get a really decent one for £15 or £20 on the bay of E. If you have to get someone to sharpen it for you, £7 to £10 covers that.

 

[Jacob]

Doesn't have to be a curly handle either - later Spear & Jacksons are good. Tenner or so.
Rust is OK too, don't be put off.
Basically you have to take control of your saw situation and not let the tool rule!
The main thing to look out for is plenty of blade left e.g. this one here was good, is no longer: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vintage-SPEA ... 3698894964

 

[scooby]

If your going to get a western saw, I’d like to suggest spending just £1 on a secondhand one. A while ago did a thread on how to select and restore car boot / auction site saws to be as good as the premium saws you can buy

hand-saw-restoration-and-re-teething-of-a-99p-saw-t98494.html

Read that thread a while ago. Very well written.

 

[Callum]

Exactly the same for me, I’m new as well and I can barely follow a straight line :roll:
But I reckon just keep at it and it’ll click eventually.

 

[Jacob]

Exactly the same for me, I’m new as well and I can barely follow a straight line :roll:
But I reckon just keep at it and it’ll click eventually.

It's worth spending time simply sawing up scrap for practice. Mark stuff up and see how near you can keep to the marks, then try with different saws and ask yourself why it's not the same.

 

[eezageeza]

£100?!?! Noooooo!

Look on the Axminster site, you'll get a perfectly good saw for <£15.

 

[John Brown]

As a very part-time wood butcher, I also agree that a backsaw is easier to control. My pullsaw is sharp, and great for ripping thin stock, but if I want a right angle cross cut, I use a tenon saw. Mind you, it might just be what you get used to; I've been using backsaws for over 50 years(although very occasionally).

 

[Bodgers]

The single greatest tip that helped me on this was one demonstrated by the chair master himself - Jeff Miller.

You basically cheat. Find a flat square piece of material and clamp it along the cut edge of the work piece. Place the plate of the saw on the face of the clamped material and cut down. It is impossible to go wrong. You are square and straight. I used this technique to cut bare face tenons and lap joints on my bench, which had to be square across and down. I felt like a pro after finishing the cuts.

And just to throw flames on the fire - I much prefer Japanese pull saws. Western saws seem kind of prehistoric after using them

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