The Secrets of A Hand Saw 

How to stone a saw: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-4IhHqp8zRiU.html More saw videos: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-xompM0tqRY0.html

I am 13 amd ilove woodworking

Mind-blowing! The bottom horn control is a revelation. Your straightening the cut method feels like martial arts practice. Awesome video, thanks!

great tutorial James, I've been teaching my grandson woodwork techniques, when I explained that each saw tooth can only "bite" into, as much wood as the depth of the gullet between the teeth, I explained that the saw plate weight was key, once he stopped trying to press the teeth deeper and to relax his grip and down pressure it was a "lightbulb moment" for him. Less effort, less breathlessness, binding, more control...I call this technique "Guide and Slide". It expanded his interest once he realised you can "work smarter, not harder". I hope this helps others new to woodworking, and find sawing a chore.

My father was a shipwright, and he taught me a cool trick. If you look at the reflection of the board your trying to cut, and that reflection is lined up, you know your square on the board.

The saw/hand/elbow/shoulder alignment was something I learned years ago and it seems to be a very common problem. Excellent advice on that to use a camera! To get straighter cuts use more teeth. You know how a longer plane makes a flatter surface? Same with a saw. Lower the handle so more teeth are engaged and you can saw straighter, easier.

One of these things that I know somewhat instinctively by this point, but it's good to get the reminder verbally, especially about the stopping immediately on drift and moving back up.

First time I have ever seen anyone tell me how to use a hand saw correctly. I thank you!

Just ordered my first rip saw. This video is a great tutorial. Thanks.

The lesson I learned, from watching you use hand saws, was that I let my elbow stick out to the side, making an angled (Unsquare) cut. Keeping the elbow IN LINE with the saw made the difference. That along with learning how to easily sharpen and set a saw, with basic hand tools, was next. You are a very good teacher, The really good ones teach more than what your saying and demonstrating. Much is conveyed by the WAY your teaching. I may not be saying this quite right, sorry

James the great wordworker.

Just what I needed to fill a gap in my knowledge. Thanks very much.

Damn James, you are like a physical therapist for sawyers. But if you play back at 2x speed you become the Richard Simonds of handtools. (get it, Simonds...)

Thank you for sharing the ‘secrets’.

great video man thank you, the info on the Japanese saw was a little gratuitous but I got a lot from this

That is the best, most concise video I have seen on hand saws usage and troubleshooting. Great resource, thanks James! 👍

Well done James. Yes, I have watched Shannon but somehow I prefer listening to yours.

Covers western and japanese saws - very nice.

Never knew that bottom horn was so important. Thanks for all the great information.

Thanks for all your time and effort.

I taut I saw a Puddy Tat. I did, I did! Great video yet again mate.

Great video; clear and easy to understand. For me the hardest "feel" was balancing the saw weight on the horn and third finger. Once I could feel that, the rest fell "into alignment". Nowadays I am more likely to pick up my hand saws for a quick cut or two rather than break out the power. My replacements made hand sawing easier rather than more painful. Thanks. :)

Great video for getting the hang of these tricky tools!

I'm not usually one for cutting remarks, but we all saw what you did there.

That's a beautiful saw, James

Well.... That was a quick refreshing-course of what my old crafts-teacher told me, back in '79. =) Well done, good sir!

Thanks James. This was an excellent tutorial that explains a lot of the sawdust and strangely shaped wood on the floor of my shop. One of the best.

Great summary of all sawing tips in one place.......I never SAW that coming!

Very informative. Thank you.

You're such a wonderful teacher! Thanks James!

This is really helpful - thank you!

Thanks for sharing those tips and the make!

Thank you for the knowledge.

Thanks for the video Jim. I learned years ago the incorrect way to correct a cut that goes offline. Subsequently, I usually ended with a cut that definitely needed planed.

Nice info James thanks

Thanks for a really informative video James.

Great video as always.

Great video! Thanks!!!

When starting, commit to the cut. Another great video as usual. 👍

Love this video!! Thank you!! Maybe try a mirror for the alignment issue. Then it’s real time and you can see what you’re doing without having to reset your position.

great video, I like the additional weight added, food is good

The real take home for me was the bottom horn tip. Thanks for that.

Thanks good video!!!! I am using Western saws and Japanese style saws. i first teached my self using a riyoba and actually i build my entire working bench with it- best sawing class but with time i have noticed some disadvantages...and i started using Western saws style after watching: Rex, Paul sellers and your videos on RU-vid learn how to set the teeth and the Geometry and from there....well love when the saw know what to do....im just holding it 😊

Good one keep them coming

Thank you

THANK YOU!!!!!

excellent video.. you've recently answered a few of my questions in comment sections and there were answered to questions I hadn't thought to ask yet in this video... thanks again for what you do... imma head to your site right quick and get somma that there paste wax!!

Fantastic tips, James! Thanks a bunch! 😃 Unfortunately I just can't use western saws, because of my shoulder... Perhaps one with less set and perhaps smaller tooth... Who knows. But whenever I can I'm going to try it! Anyway, stay safe there with your family! 🖖😊

Thank you for breaking it down so easily. I am correct, (Left) handed and was never able to saw a straight line. My father was a carpenter all his life and could never teach me to saw straight because I was a lefty. He just gave up and taught me to use a circular saw instead.

To start sawing easily, a rip cut for example, tilt saw stroke up a little, let teeth exist the endgrain side instead of the face on the back, assuming your are cutting on push strokes. It is a good trick James demonstrated several times in previous videos. It is also a popular trick in traiditional Chinese woodworking. Another trick is for planing. Arrange the end of a board close to you higher than the other, and plane slightly downwards. It makes planing easier.

Love your videos

There always seems to be that 1 extra tip that I didn’t know in all your videos thanks

Love the shirt

Thanks for the video, very informative. I'm trying to do more hand tool work, and sawing straight has been my downfall. I'm looking forward to applying what you have shown.

If you want to adjust the cut of a pullsaw you can use your off-hand to push the plate sideways on the far side.

As for how to practice sawing, get a pile of firewood and cut it by hand using a bow or buck saw.

My son in law has said there is no saw, hand or powered, that he can cut straight with. And he's done a fair job of proving it. Then he watched me cutting some repurposed stuff down and wondered at the ease. Thought I was going to have to wrestle him to get my recently sharpened and set little saw back.

I'll preface what I'm about to say by pointing out that I'm an ignorant American who owns some Japanese saws. With a Ryoba, I like to choke my hand up all the way to the base of the plate, put my index finger on the plate, and let the handle rest on the inside of my forearm. It's surprisingly comfortable for me and keeps my arm aligned when I'm making precise cuts. My apologies to any Japanese carpenters who will cringe while reading about my technique.

James thank you for the information and video. Would you please make a video on frame saws.

James, very helpful video. I am a beginner and am trying to move away from power tools (miter saw, table saw ) as I find hand tools way more enjoyable , dust free and I can still have my 3 year old around to watch me which he truly enjoys 🙂 I use western saws mostly primarily because I want to learn the art of re-sharpening too (just like I am doing with my chisels and planes). I am sawing lot better than I used to 6-8 months ago but I still struggle starting a cut even with a dovetail saw - no matter how much I try to relax myself but maybe I am still putting more force than I need to and I feel like the saw is biting into the wood even before I can slide it! I use a veritas 14tpi dovetail saw which is relatively new and premium quality I would assume and hence very less likely that it is an issue with the saw. I have a spear and jackson tenon saw which is cheaper but surprisingly I find that easier to trace a straight line with (I bend down and try to keep the saw length as much in straight line/near parallel to the line I have drawn. I am not sure that is always the right technique). Any additional pointers would be very helpful.

First! Enjoy the videos; keep up the good work.

Well, I'm not sure I saw that video coming.

Great sawing tips and information. What if you are using a modern saw that doesn’t have the horns on the handle? Enjoying your videos btw.

Nice. I saw what you did there.

Hi James I love hand tools and really appreciate your videos. Can you please tell me how do you like to strip varnish off of a brand new panel saw. Thank you very much!

Also, would it be possible to get a 3D scan of a good handle and then just print it in plastic? (I know, not proper wooden feel but as a cheapo option.)

Great vid. I have a back problem and sometimes I need to sit down in front of my work to saw. Been struggling with alignment and haven’t really cracked it yet. Wondered if you have any tips?

How do you align it in the center for very wide cuts say when you're resawing to make a wide board thinner. the board would tend to come out thicker on one side

Point it where you want it to go 🎉

"A little less stroke in your saw"........well some things just happen with age lol

Ok you are trying to make a cross cut on a 4" x 3/4" piece of wood. The wood is in the bench hook. The 4" length is on top. How do you get the saw plate perfectly vertical and the cut started so that the cut is square across the 3/4" dimension?

Work bow saws the same as panel saws?

How you James wrong 👍🏼 it’s me the guy that puts you right 😉

❤❤❤

The "put some weight into the saw" bit probably needs expansion. A big beginner mistake is to try to push the saw down with the cut. You spoke about holding the wight of the saw up, but once you're going, how much do you hold the saw up or press the saw down? My thinking has always been to let the saw do the work and so once you've got the cut going, neither lift nor press the saw: it's own weight will be enough while you just move it back and forth. Sawing upside down... well that's another matter. And speaking of other matters: any recommendations for ripping? Every time I try to do rips with hand tools is an experience of regret and makes me long for the power tools. Good rip saw recommendations and technique advice would be appreciated.

I'm a new woodworker, just got an old disston, I know it has 10ppi and very little set. I have never set a saw before, I did clean up and sharpen this one. Now I'm having some issues with binding, I have a good cut, straight and in line and don't have the issue with my other saws and the saw does seem straight, any idea what might be causing the bind?

If you put a pin on the tooth side of the saw it should slide all the way off the en d that how you no the teeth are set but that won’t tell you how sharp the teeth are 👍🏼

Dude I've just got something you might like it's a Paul Seller's router plane kit, I thought I'd throw it out there just incase you wanted to build another plane

I came to see and I saw

Is this one of the reasons so many used saws are bent?

I saw what you did there

Like

Отличная пила с косым зубом для продольного пиления .👍👍👍👍💪💪💪

I'm not sure I agree with Japanese saws being easier for beginners. Cutting straight is (surprisingly and frustratingly) hard with any saw, it's just that Japanese or western saws are difficult in different ways. A western saw you need to be able to steer and keep straight, a Japanese saw you need to learn to perfectly align before starting. Both are hard to do, I find.

ALRIGHT EVERYBODY now I know I know I know that toughbuilt folding pull saw looks enticing, but I was simply cutting the shoulders of a tenon and lost a tooth. Then another. Then another. It's not worth the minor discount vs the suizan, just save your allowance for another week, maybe mow a lawn or two, but just get a real one lol

B

no one uses these saws anymore. this video is not relevant but love your channel

Is your Japanese Saw missing a tooth?

id disagree about one thing: the idea of "once you master the push stroke saw you can do more with it". What would you want to do with it? The purpose of a handsaw is to cut straight. You do not cut curves with it. Rather than learning to fix your wonky saw line just learn to saw straight in the first place. What good is being able to correct your sawline if you already ruined the piece? If you got hidden joints then fine. But if the joints show not sawing on the line is already the point of no return. Of course you can leave space - but this only means more clean up work. The time spent learning to correct our sawline is better spent learning to keep good saw alignment and not curving off in the first place. Push stroke sawing is just a fundamentally flawed concept. You compress the saw which leads to inevitable buckling of the sawblade. Pull stroke keeps the sawblade under tension. Sure- if you got a monstrous saw like this the buckling isnt gonna matter a lot. And you can also use a saw with a spine. But thats only reducing the issue. It doesnt solve the problem. And both solutions come with their own bag of issues. To this day no one has been able to communicate even once to me why push stroke saws still need to exist. I mean besides tradition. And i get it. I come from a *very* traditional woodworking field. And i have spent three years learning traditional techniques no one in their right mind even uses anymore today. And you CAN do great work with a push stroke saw. And we had to learn to use them. But there simply is no reason why anyone should WANT to still learn that. Note that this is about hand saws. There ARE saws that are made for cutting curves. These DO make more sense in a push configuration. Especially if we are talking about frame saws that are under symmetrical tension.

THUMBS DOWN: 2:31 I just did that with a buck saw and the blade bounced and hit my hand pretty bad. I guess I'm to clumsy. I'll stick to the old fashion way, slower, but safer.