Paddy Roxburgh
Established Member
I’m curious to know how many of you use a carcass saw/back saw with cross cut teeth, or do you use your rip filed tenon saw/dovetail saw for the cross cuts in dovetails and tenon shoulders?
Do you use a back saw with crosscut teeth?
- Thread starter Paddy Roxburgh
- Start date
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I have a couple of crosscut backsaws I use mainly for cutting small boards to length. I use them in place of a mitre saw that I got rid of a year or so ago and haven't missed for a minute.
In fact they are probably the handsaws I use most. I use dovetail saws for intricate work and obviously dovetails. The back saw I use least is my rip cut back saw, though I'm glad I've got it.
I also have crosscut panel saws for larger boards.
I'd definitely use the crosscut backsaw for cutting tenon shoulders. But dovetail cuts tend to be small and I'll usually use the saw in my hand at the time - typically a dovetail saw.
I have quite a few hand saws. They are very cheap second hand. I bought a box of back saws for a fiver at an auction and have picked up most of my panel saws at a local house reclamation store very cheaply.
I'm trying to teach myself saw sharpening so having a few I don't mind junking is very handy.
My aim is to have two larger back saws (14"ISH) one cross and one rip cut. Then two dovetail saws, one 15 tpi and one 20 tpi. One day I hope my sharpening skills will be good enough that I can get rid of the extra ones I have.
In fact they are probably the handsaws I use most. I use dovetail saws for intricate work and obviously dovetails. The back saw I use least is my rip cut back saw, though I'm glad I've got it.
I also have crosscut panel saws for larger boards.
I'd definitely use the crosscut backsaw for cutting tenon shoulders. But dovetail cuts tend to be small and I'll usually use the saw in my hand at the time - typically a dovetail saw.
I have quite a few hand saws. They are very cheap second hand. I bought a box of back saws for a fiver at an auction and have picked up most of my panel saws at a local house reclamation store very cheaply.
I'm trying to teach myself saw sharpening so having a few I don't mind junking is very handy.
My aim is to have two larger back saws (14"ISH) one cross and one rip cut. Then two dovetail saws, one 15 tpi and one 20 tpi. One day I hope my sharpening skills will be good enough that I can get rid of the extra ones I have.
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Anything over 15 tpi can just be filed rip.
I end up using a 15 tpi crosscut backsaw for both tenon cheek cuts and shoulder cuts. One less saw. These are all for furniture, so rarely have even a three inch tenon. File it a bit on the aggressive side. I don't want to be the joker who stands in front of a display of fifteen + saws deciding which one I'll use today. A crosscut saw makes short rip cuts more than competently.
I end up using a 15 tpi crosscut backsaw for both tenon cheek cuts and shoulder cuts. One less saw. These are all for furniture, so rarely have even a three inch tenon. File it a bit on the aggressive side. I don't want to be the joker who stands in front of a display of fifteen + saws deciding which one I'll use today. A crosscut saw makes short rip cuts more than competently.
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Orraloon
Established Member
I dont have a crosscut backsaw as I find that a small toothed saw filed rip crosscuts reasonably well. Sharpening small teeth rip is a lot easier than filing them crosscut. Especially as the eyes get older.
Regards
John
Regards
John
scooby
Established Member
Agree with that.
Ive got a Veritas Carcass saw, which was originally 14tpi crosscut. I sharpened it a few times, keeping it crosscut, but I eventually started filing it rip with a progressive rake. Much easier to sharpen and even though its a tad coarser than 15tpi it still crosscuts very nicely.
I still like crosscut -- seems like 15 ppi rip would be a little too grabby on small mouldings and other assorted thin, narrow pieces when crosscutting. But whatever works for you.
scooby
Established Member
True. If I'm cutting something small/delicate (which isn't often) I'd use my one and only gents saw, which is something like 20tpi.
