This weekend class takes place in Building 315

Using a handsaw is the most basic skill of hand tool woodworking–which is why we offer Handsaw Essentials as the first class in our Basics of Woodworking Series. Without being able to use a saw,  you cannot cut wood to approximate size and start the dimensioning process, nor can you cut the joinery. So you need to start by learning how to choose and use a handsaw in the most efficient way.

The humble handsaw has gained a bad reputation. Most hand saws do not work well and they are perceived as difficult to sharpen. New premium grade handsaws are expensive and justifiably so.

In this class we’ll teach you how to recognize a good used western-style saw – whether you find it in a garage sale or inherited it from your grandfather. There are many good saws out there.

Handsaws scale from a Gent’s Saw for delicate jewelry box joinery, through dovetail, tenon and carcass saws for furniture joinery to the rip saw and cross cut saws used to cut stock out of rough boards. This course will focus on those saws you’ll need in your first years as a hand tool woodworker.

Japanese saws cut well but are difficult to master. We find that a well tuned and sharpened western-style saw cuts just as well and is easier to keep to the line (especially for novices). We’ll touch briefly on Japanese saws but this course focuses on western-style handsaws.

Saw sharpening requires an understanding of saw tooth geometry. We’ll take the mystery out of set, rake and fleam.

Who knows, having mastered the handsaw, you may even consider abandoning the table saw and chop saw for your projects. (Though maybe not your band saw!)

Class Description

This class focuses on the care, sharpening and effective use of handsaws through a sequence of demonstrations followed by hands-on practice.