What is a Bow Saw?

A bow saw is a lightweight traditional hand saw shaped like an archer’s bow. It has a frame that is generally of metal. The bow saw uses a long straight blade for cutting through wood.

What is bow saw used for?

Even though there are so many advanced saws available today, the bow saw still is a handy tool which offers a lot to its users. It is still being used widely for many purposes.

Felling Trees

You can use your bow saw for felling. Felling is the process of cutting upright trees down to be used for different purposes later. Bow saw can cut through a tree. But, it is still a manual tool that does not have any power of its own really. It requires tremendous effort from you. That is why it cannot go through the wider trees or the bigger trees.

So, when you are attempting to cut down a tree with the bow saw, it is important to analyze before you start. Make sure that the tree is such that your saw will be able to cut through.

Moreover, when you felling a tree, you need to do some calculation. Make sure the tree you are cutting will not fall on top of anything. Additionally, see to it that the tree does not get stuck on any branches of other trees nearby. These are things that you need to decide before you begin cutting.

Felling with the bow is going to need a lot effort from you as the bow saw uses no power. Being patient is key here. Start slow at first and when you have put the blade into then start giving a lot of effort. Also, speed up as you go deeper.

Making Logs

You can use your bow saw blade for sizing up logs from fallen trees. The sharp teeth of the blade will do fine for making logs. But, it is noteworthy that because of the design of the blade of this saw, the cuts will not be as smooth. The bow saw uses such a type of teeth that makes the cut rough.

Firewood

The bow saw is used widely to make firewood. It can create small sized firewood with ease. In addition, there is not much effort required from you when making small firewoods. 

Bow Saw in Furniture Work

This saw is even used in making chairs, tables, and such type of furniture. Since it can go through wood easily and can make good curving cuts, it fits well in the furniture work.

Bow Saw Use in Pruning

It is not only useful in making logs and doing furniture work or felling a tree. The bow saw is also used by many in pruning and gardening work. No fuel, no need for any power, it is a good option for cutting away those overgrown branches from your favorite trees.

Why use bow saw?

I know that a lot of people don’t see the bow saw as a useful tool anymore. Especially with the advancement of saws that are available. But, they should reshape their thought because the bow saw is still a good addition to your saw collection.

Control

You have more control over this saw because of its design and the fact that it is pretty lightweight. Furthermore, the saw does almost nothing on its own as it is not a power saw. This gives you more authority and control over the saw and the cut you are making.

Get it done fast!

If you put in enough effort then the saw really gets the work done at a quick pace. But, it is true that the bow saw does not offer finer cuts or smoother cuts. This is still an advantage that you get to utilize. For example, you need to finish a work really fast without considering the smoothness of the cut then you can get this job done with perfection.

Effective & Safe

In addition to the effectiveness of the bow saw in different works, the other important thing to keep in mind is that it is a lot safe than the modern power tools like the table saw or a band saw. Unlike in the case of a table saw, there is no chance for any kickback with the bow saw, right?

Bow Saw Features

Unlike a lot of the other power tools, the bow saw does not have a lot of different parts with fancy features. It is simple in structure just as it is simple to use. But, here are some features that you should know about this saw.

The Frame

The standard bow saw typically has a metal frame. The frame is like an archery bow. It is shaped like a ‘C’. You can even hold the frame while cutting any material for further ease and better grip. In addition to this, there is another slightly different one called triangular bow saw.

Handle

The handle or the grip actually differs in different model of bow saws. Different ones provide different ways to grip the saw having their own advantages.

The most common today perhaps is the closed pistol grip handle. One advantage with this type of handle is that it protects your fingers. As it has a closed style, your fingers cannot slip into the sharp blade.

Some does not come with any handle at all. This type actually lets you hold onto the frame for grip. I find this type more comfortable. But, you may have different taste of course.

Other bow saw grippers include D-ring. It is not a bad choice either but it sometimes gets in the way when you are cutting edge.

Blade

The blade is the most important part of the saw. Bow saw uses a straight blade that is long, suitable for rough cuts. There are two major types of blade you will find in a bow saw.

Peg tooth blade: The peg tooth is triangular shaped. They are three teeth together and then a bigger gap. So, it is a blade arranged in groups of three teeth together. They cut on the forward as well as backward stroke. This type of blade is used with a bow saw to cut dry and harder wood. Generally, they are not used to cut wet material.

Peg & raker tooth blade: Contrast to the peg tooth blade, peg and raker is used to cut through wet wood and they are pretty good at it. The arrangement of the pegs is almost similar to the peg tooth blade. In this case, they are arranged in groups of four. The four pegs are followed by one raker. The rakers help in chipping wood out as the pegs cut through the wood.

The peg and raker tooth blade is good at cutting through wet wood because of the rakers. Since cutting wet wood will make chips stuck on the blade. But, the rakers can take out the chips.

The cutting stroke

No matter which of the two blade types you use, the bow saw is able to cut on both the forward and backward stroke. This is really helpful because cutting through wood is a lot faster if the saw cuts on both strokes.

Cutting large branches with a bow saw

There are many people who prefer to cut off big branches using a bow saw. The bow saw is not a bad option at all actually. But, you do need to remember few tips.

Firstly, it is important that you position yourself right. You do not want to cut from right below for some reasons. For instance, the branch might fall right on top of you. Also, cutting larger branches of trees requires more effort which might not be so easy from down below. That is why you need to position yourself above the branch you are cutting so that you get enough strength to cut through and keep yourself safe too.

Furthermore, you should stop cutting any branch if they are too big or if you find that the saw is not cutting efficiently. If you continue cutting in such situation then you are only wearing down your saw.

How to use a bow saw

If you have never used a bow saw before or considering to use one then here are simple and easy steps to get going.

1. Do the routine check before you begin cutting. See if the blade is sharp enough by making a warm-up cut. Also, check the tension between the frame and the blade.

• Hold the saw with a tight grip. And slowly position it against the material where you want to begin the cut.

• Since the bow saw uses a blade that cuts on both strokes, you don’t need to worry too much and just begin your cut. Start slowly and fasten up as you progress with the cut. You can start speeding up after the initial breakthrough or cut has been made.

See how simple and easy it is to use a bow saw? The bow saw uses are easily accomplished without much safety threat, unlike many other modern saws. So, use your own bow saw and keep chipping wood while staying out of harm’s way lol.

Interested in saws? Well then if you’ve got the time then check out these review articles.