Warning: Hand saw skills are disappearing from the trade

We used to train on hand saws for every delicate job. Now I see new crews skipping that step and it leads to rough cuts. Don't let that knowledge fade away.

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3 Comments

lewis.thea7mo ago

Man, I used to think a fresh blade in the power saw was the only way to go for speed. But I forced myself to learn a hand saw for some tricky trim, and the control for a perfect finish cut is just... you can't beat it. It stops all that tear-out and chipping I was always fixing after.

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blakel357mo ago

Doubt that hand saws are worth the extra effort, @lewis.thea. Can't you just adjust the power saw settings to avoid tear-out?

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the_alice7mo ago

Funny how this happens everywhere once you start looking! We trade control for speed all the time and then waste hours fixing the mess. Like rushing a glue-up and having to redo the whole joint, or cranking the heat to cook something fast only to burn the outside. Slowing down to do it right the first time feels wrong in the moment, but it's almost always faster in the end. My sourdough definitely taught me that lesson the hard way.

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