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A coping saw is a useful piece of equipment with a lean blade that is pulled tightly against a U-shaped frame and is joined to a handle. The equipment is designed in a way to remove the blade whenever needed.
What Is a Coping Saw Used For?
There are many applications in fieldwork where coping saws are useful. They are structured to deal with fragile cutting projects. These include cutting delicate shapes or circular lines. Remaining on the delicate theme, coping saws only work if you cut objects under the 25mm thickness. Usually, we use coping saws to file the edges of wooden moulding. These saws are also helpful when cutting joints.
Coping saws aid the creative mind to create wooden shapes in the middle of wood for extra design. This is done with the elimination of the blade from the saw. Once done, we penetrate a hole into the material and put the blade back on the saw.
True to its name, the coping saw is essentially utilised in the creation of coped joints. A coped joint consists of two slabs of moulding. Out of two, one of the strips of moulding is flat so that it can conform tightly against a wall. The other strip is designed in a way to cover the over piece in order to make a tight joint.
See Also: What is a Tenon Saw Used For
What Can We Use A Coping Saw On?
Like most saws, a coping saw is also structured for wooden projects and works especially well on wood and plastic. There is also a variety of blades that can allow you to cut through ceramic and metal.
This means that the saw is very versatile and is perfect for all projects as it allows you to get through any materials.
How To Use A Coping Saw?
The following steps guide you on using your coping saw in the correct way:
- Settle the blade in a way that the pins of the blade are guarded firmly by the slotted pin. Make sure the blade is secure to avoid any accidents.
- You can decide whether to settle the blade in a way that either makes it cut on the pull stroke or the push stroke. This depends upon your requirements.
- Tighten and fiddle with the tension by twisting the handle of the saw.
- Make a few test strokes on the material to gain a firm hand and a decent start to the cutting process.
- Once you have got the hang of the saw and its work, start cutting your material. To make different designs on the material or profiles, you must twist the blade in the desired direction when cutting.
Since this saw involves the use of a sharp blade, you must always be cautious when operating it. If by chance, you forget to tighten the blade, it can easily slip out of the pins and slip out. If you are not wearing gloves and protective equipment, it can injure you greatly. Additionally, the cutting action has several shards of material and dust flying into the air and possibly causing vision obstruction.
You must also always keep a substantial distance from the blade. Your hands and fingers must be kept at a safe distance and the area around the saw and its operation must be kept clear. This is to ensure that the blade only cuts what is required and not additional materials.
What Do You Look For In A Coping Saw?
When you are about to make a purchase involving a coping saw, you do not pick one off the racks as that can be faulty. The ordinary saw may not work well with the project you have in mind or will compel you to work harder with it. The following features are some of the important ones that make up a good coping saw:
Sturdy Frame
Having a sturdy frame on your coping saw allows you to work hard and with much more pressure without the fear of breaking its frame. Cutting wood and other materials is tough work. Not for delicate appliances that may break at the slightest pressure. This is why you must make sure that your coping saw has a sturdy frame.
This frame must also be designed to be manipulated into twists without snapping the blade. The use of a coping saw involves delicate designs and a variety of shapes that need special manoeuvring. The frame must be pliable enough to bend and turn without snapping the delicate blade on its end
Tight Tensioning System
As mentioned above, there is a step where the tension of the saw is tightened to make sure that the blade stays in. This is because the sharp blade can do a lot of damage if it is loose and accidentally slips out of its confines. The tension system ensures that this is not the case and that the blade is secured tightly within the saw. Minimise the dangers of your workshop by purchasing a saw that proffers the security of the blade.
The Perfect Blade
Coping saws have thin detachable blades that settle into the saw by the small pins on its ends. The thin blade is primarily used to cut out delicate shapes and coffin curves on the material. Due to this reason, the blade is not adequate to work on heavy or thick materials that require a lot of pressure and speed.
Convenient Handle
The handle on the coping saw is generally straight and is often used to adjust the tightening of the blade in the frame. These handles work best when dealing with fragile and detail-oriented work. The circular structure of the handle provides an ease to the user when he wants to manipulate it around the design and cut curves into the material.
These are the major features you need to look out for when looking to buy a coping saw. A combination of all these will leave you with the best saw money can buy. Additionally, this saw will also stay in your workshop for a long time to come.