Hacksaw frames

[Kram]

I need a decent one. Have a couple but the way they hold the blade allows it to twist both have bent inwards a bit after a lot of use so don't give enough tension.

 

[doubleboost]

I have a Snap On frame
Not expensive & nice to use

 

[balmerchris]

I got a bahco one for the same reason you are describing and it seems to be pretty rigid so far. been using it for about 6 years now.
http://www.bahco.com/en/professional_hand_tools/hand_hacksaw_frame.html

 

[cumbriasteve]

Get one of the old style British made one's off ebay, usually listed as vintage but they go for less than a fiver, mine must be over 40 years old and beats the new rubbish hands down.

 

[brightspark]

ive got a bahco one a sandvic a Stanley james niel and 4 others all 4 quid each from autojumbles . I collect em

 

[GW8IZR]

My technique is poor and I cause all blades to bend very near to the back fixing pin, I think I drop my hand at the last second but unless I really concentrate it happens all the time..

Sooo.. I bought what I consider to be an expensive frame made by Facom and its disguised my bad technique and the issue has gone away.

So my vote would be for the very stiff and comfortable Facom.

HTH

 

[WorkshopChris]

+1 on a Bacho for new or as cumbriasteve said eBay used probably a Eclipse.

 

[brightspark]

all the decent new ones have an ergonomically friendly- handle and are much better than the old -thin framed ones

 

[gordon stephenson]

I have Bahco,Sandvic and a couple of good old Ding Dong saws.

 

[rtbcomp]

I've got an Eclipse that my dad bought in about 1950 but the frame (flat section) has bent sideways. I suspect one with a round section frame would be better.

 

[gordon stephenson]

Some of the more decent hacksaw frames are nice and stiff and even have a hollow top tube for keeping a few spare blades

 

[Parm]

I've just restored an old Starrett Hacksaw, it's much better than my new Stanley Fat Max special.

I was told that the trick is to store the saw with the tension taken off the blade

 

[MattF]

I was told that the trick is to store the saw with the tension taken off the blade

Doesn't generally make much difference. I never detension mine apart from changing the blade, and I truly can keep a blade usable long enough to get the absolute last breath from a blade. Unless it's a really crappy frame, most hacksaw problems are simply due to technique. Applying too much pressure, going at it like a loon else twisting the blade whilst sawing are the main culprits. Steady strokes with just enough pressure to cut is all that's needed, whilst also making sure you're not waggling the frame all over the place.

 

[brightspark]

-any metal I generaly cut with hss blades I use cutting compound and even still the blades wear out before I break them I never slacken them

 

[MattF]

-any metal I generaly cut with hss blades I use cutting compound and even still the blades wear out before I break them I never slacken them

Can't remember the last time I snapped a proper blade either. Did snap a cheap blade I tried once, which literally snapped as soon as it touched metal. It appears good hacksawing is becoming a dying art.

 

[Robotstar5]

Can't remember the last time I snapped a proper blade either. Did snap a cheap blade I tried once, which literally snapped as soon as it touched metal. It appears good hacksawing is becoming a dying art.

Well they don't teach apprentices these days, had one come back from college where it was all theory, he hadn't got a clue how to hold a hacksaw or how to stand when using one

 

[graffian]

Old saw frames tend to be crap. I got a Lenox frame free when the local buck and hickman branch opened,
I was hand sawing handlebar mounts blanks from stainless by hand and it used to kill blades, with the high tension
the blades several times as long and cut's were always dead straight; I wouldn't have believed a frame could make
such a difference.
I lost my sawframe and am back to eclipse frames, which are not very good, I found a frame that was in a box of bike
bits from a mate, it's a cheap BnQ thing. The cheap BnQ thing is pretty good, though the tension screw needed a ring spanner
on it to give it some tension, I tension it so the box backbone bends! I cut a load of 8mm x80 mm steel with it recently, works
pretty good.

 

[brightspark]

cheap hacksaws are great specialy if u like cutting round -corners they might not go the way u want though .

 

[gaz1]

ive got a few hacksaws including the one which has a wooden handle on it as this is inline with the blade just a pain to use

the other 2 are stanley frames one old and one newish one

dosnt include the other 2 which are just round tube hacksaw frames could be eclispe hacksaws and im having a clean out

 

[WorkshopChris]

A good all hard blade helps.

I try to keep a fine and course blade in each.

The Blue All Hard Eclipse blades are getting harder to find now, but the Irwin are not to bad.