Hand saws recommendations please.

[tflnemesis]

Hi all,

Sometime in the next month or two me and my youngest lad are going to be starting some projects in wood.

I have power saws (circular saw, jigsaw, compound saw, reciprocating saw) but occasionally a cut comes up where a handsaw is needed because I can't get in wiith any of the power saws or the cut would just be too rough.

I would like recommendations for a couple of hand saws. I am thinking a tenon saw and a crosscut saw, any rip cutting I can take care of with the power saws.

I am looking for something that will not bend easily and warp the blade and will hold a decent edge but can be resharpened/set if needed. I don't like spending money so the cheaper the better but, i am willing so splurge a bit if the quality is there.

The projects??

My lad wants to make his fortune as a youtube star, had the new camera etc for Christmas but couldn't think of what to make a video about. So I suggested we make some siege weapons (in miniature ofc) and he could document it all.

Our first project is going to be a Trebuchet

 

[brightspark]

just buy a hardpoint saw for about 8 quid . sharpening saws is old hat now and not economical to buy one even if available to sharpen .look in screwfix

 

[optima21]

as brightspark said, just buy hardpoint saws. I have got stanley jetcut saws for normal use, but a couple of years ago I bought a really cheap tenon saw from screwfix as I didnt want to damage my stanley tenon saw.....I was suprised at how good the cheap saw was. you wont notice much difference between expensive and cheap saws and if you look at screwfix etc you can see reviews of them

 

[brightspark]

i had a nice sandvic panel saw that u could sharpen 30 years ago they were the dogs dangles and cost 30 quid another good make was diston .some miserable joiner at work nicked it of me even if I still had it I wouldn't bother using it or sharpen times money

 

[eLuSiVeMiTe]

Really like the Stanley fatmax saws.
Would go one rough one fine and a tennon.

Also jap pull saws are handy. Ice bear are reasonably priced and stand the test of time. I have one with a spine and one without for flush cutting.


Edit
The stanleys are very stiff in comparison to others ive used. Hold a good edge too. When they get tired they get relegated to solid insulation as due to the stiffness they cut it true.

 

[daedalusminos]

A few months ago I purchased 2 Spear & Jackson panel saws from B&Q - they were on offer 2 for £8, they were also carp! Either the tooth offset was not great enough or they were not rigid enough, either way they repeatedly jammed. Go for one of the brands mentioned above.

 

[Ton-up]

Get a 14" saw, they are great. A lot of the time, unless you are doing big stuff, I find the 20" saws too unwieldy.

I like the Irwin and Bahco saws.

 

[rtbcomp]

I got a Sandvik fro B&Q some years ago, gave good service. I have Wickes' own brand tenon saw and cross-cut saw, both perfectly good.

 

[tflnemesis]

Thanks for the replies, the main reason I am asking is all the cheap as chips saws I have had over the years have either lost their edge in no time or the blade is that flexible after a few cuts they look like they have had a couple of goes through a ring roller...

 

[rtcosic]

Our first project is going to be a Trebuchet

Major digression but couldn't resist. Several years ago middle son was doing Medieval history and had to make something castle seige related.

We made a trebuchet from plans downloaded from the early days of the internet and scaled them appropriately. Many American university sites took this very seriously in the 90s. The mechanics of them is surprisingly complex. One used VW Beetles as ammunition, but was a little beyond our budget and available test range.

We used Land Rover wheel nuts as ammunition.

It punched holes through cardboard boxes at 5 metres range.

It could place the wheel nuts within a c.50mm radius at 5 meters.

It was EVIL!

It is still in the attic and comes out to play every few years.

Enjoy!

Edit - use roller or ball bearings on the pivot. Skate board ones are a handy size, depending on your scale. Use of decent bearings makes a huge difference to power, range and repeatably.

 

[Gritineye]

If you're not too good at keeping to a line try a pull saw.

 

[Gwil]

+1 on the pull saw. Japanese carpentry seems to be mostly done like that. My oldest pal is a fine cabinet maker and uses them for fine work- much more control he maintains.

 

[Burdekin]

I buy Bahco saws. I bought one and thought it was decent so have just stuck with buying Bahco.

 

[mike os]

Bahco, Jack or irwin..... cheap and work..... One lasts about a week on site , they don't last forever and don't do nails of grit....

 

[pedrobedro]

Bahco, Jack or irwin..... cheap and work..... One lasts about a week on site , they don't last forever and don't do nails of grit....

If you're just doing home projects any of these will do you fine. I've had Jack and Bahco saws for ages and use them for some rough stuff and they still do the job.

 

[grim_d]

A few months ago I purchased 2 Spear & Jackson panel saws from B&Q - they were on offer 2 for £8, they were also carp! Either the tooth offset was not great enough or they were not rigid enough, either way they repeatedly jammed. Go for one of the brands mentioned above.

Spear and Jackson were good a long time ago, but I also tried one of their saws recently and was less than impressed.

I think the jamming on mine was due to the thickness of the lacquer type stuff they dipped it in.

Been using their predator saws for years, I find them really good.

Most recently I easily ripped 2 sheets of 18mm plywood 3 times up their length plus any other cuts and it wasn't new to begin with.

I will agree the lacquer is a little thick and sticky but it's easy enough to get rid of, especially when they are £4 a saw.

The fine tooth for pvc is an absolutely excellent finishing saw.

 

[brightspark]

rub a bit of candle wax on your blades it stops them sticking

 

[Bryan Williams]

I had need of a new hand saw when fitting some kitchen cupboards and worktops recently.
I got a Draper venom hardpoint fine,£6.50.
Brilliant.
I even had to cut down a new white glossy cabinet door ,laminate on MDF , the finish was perfect, cutting the work top was fast and minimal chipping.
The range of saws have colour coded handles denoting fine to course.

 

[Parm]

Just my two Penith worth

Big standard saws for general work are excellent, easy to use and cheap enough to be disposable, but my favourite saw belonged to my grandad, he was a tool maker, he’s made a saw that cuts on the pull strike rather than the push. I can’t explain why but it just feels easier to use and control for me and gives minimum tear. I’ve got a saw set, needle files and a jig to sharpen it up

It’s my favourite saw

 

[brightspark]

cutting worktops kills the saw of quickly as there are bits of staples and allsorts in the woodchip best have a couple one for decent and one for crap wood