Dictionary:

saw¹

  (sô)

(Click to enlarge)

saw1

top to bottom: compass, backsaw, and crosscut saws (Academy Artworks)

Any of various tools, either hand-operated or power-driven, having a thin metal blade or disk with a sharp, usually toothed edge, used for cutting wood, metal, or other hard materials.

1. To cut or divide with a saw.
2. To produce or shape with a saw: sawed a hole in the board.
3. To make back-and-forth motions through or on: a speaker who saws the air with his arms.

1. To use a saw: sawing along the chalk line.
2. To undergo cutting with a saw: Pine wood saws easily.

[Middle English sawe, from Old English sagu.]

A familiar saying, especially one that has become trite through repetition. See synonyms at saying.

[Middle English sawe, from Old English sagu, speech.]

Past tense of see¹.

Background

A saw is a hand tool with a toothed blade used to cut hard materials such as wood or bone. They are among the oldest known tools. Innovations made over thousands of years are still present in modern, mass-produced examples.

The first flint saws appeared during the early Paleolithic Era, between 60,000 and 10,000 B.C. Stone saws and composite saws made of stone bladelets or "microliths" set into a bone handle also were made during this time. The first metal blades were made possible by the discovery of copper about 4,000 years ago.

As the Iron Age began, the weaker copper and bronze were discarded and raked teeth were finally made possible. Eventually it became apparent that increasing the number of teeth in a saw increased the efficiency of its use. Small saws were used for carpentry, with the Asian style of pull-saws being specifically used by the Ancient Egyptians. Hieroglyphics discovered in Egyptian monuments record the Egyptians' use of the saw in their methods of furniture making. Adjustments in saw design were made according to a saw's intended application. For example, spaced teeth allowed the saw to double as a rake after the cutting stroke, removing sawdust from the developing "kern" or cut.

Saws continued to be improved as innovations in metallurgy were developed. Leonardo da Vinci invented a marble saw during the fifteenth century, and many developers in Europe and abroad took advantage of improvements in steel to create a better cutting edge. Throughout the seventeenth century, the strongest blades were still the narrowest. The bow saw—named for its structural similarity to the bow and arrow—continued to be popular because of this limitation. The popularity of the wooden frame saw among the early European settlers in America has been attributed to the scarcity of metal in the colonies at that time, as well as to the lack of wide-rolled steel.

With the advent of the Industrial Revolution, stronger, more durable saws were produced. For example, various forms of the circular saw were being made during the early eighteenth century, though the first patent in the United States was granted to Benjamin Cummins of New York in 1814. Today, a wide variety of manual and power saws are produced for consumer as well as commercial use.

Raw Materials

Tempered, high-grade tool steel, alloyed with certain other metals, is the main material used to manufacture the saw blade. Handles used to be made solely of wood, but modern tools can also be made with molded plastic.

Design

There are three major types of hand-held saws: the hacksaw, the bucksaw, and the iconically familiar crosscut or ripsaw.

The crosscut saw cuts across the grain, while the ripsaw cuts along the grain. The teeth of a saw are formulated differently to fulfill different needs. If the angle is too extreme, the teeth will catch on the wood. If the angle is too shallow, the teeth will be unable to cut at all. The teeth of a crosscut saw are angled more obtusely than those of a ripsaw, to slice into the wood grain without chiseling it. Conversely, the cutting edge of the ripsaw is set at right angles to the actual blade, so the teeth act like little chisels. A hardwood saw's teeth are optimally angled at 60 degrees, while softer woods must be cut with teeth set at a more acute angle, generally 45 degrees. Seasoned and green woods also call for differently shaped blades. A coarse saw has about five teeth per inch (two per cm), which is best when cutting green or soft wood. A fine saw, with at least eight teeth per inch (two per cm), can make smooth cuts in seasoned hardwood intended for show, or for more intricate constructions like dove-tailing.

The Manufacturing
Process

1. A special type of steel alloyed with tungsten is produced and rolled into strips. The thickness of the strip sets the thickness of the finished blade and is gauged by the same instruments used to measure wires.
2. The blades are then stamped out of the alloyed steel using stamping machines. The overall shape of the handsaw blade narrows from handle to tip. The best saws have a "crown" or curved cutting edge, rather than a straight one, so fewer teeth are in contact with the surface of the wood at any given time while the saw is in motion. Most inexpensive handsaws are of a uniform thickness.
3. The blade is then processed according to standards for optimal use. Depending on the type of saw, different techniques may be applied. The crosscut saw, for instance, is bevel filed. The back of a handsaw is ground thinner than the toothed edge to reduce friction during use. Handsaws are generally taper ground.
4. The "set" or adjustment of the blade's teeth is crucial to the saw's effectiveness, so teeth are measured with a gauge made of plate steel that analyses three teeth at a time. Then, they are cut and bent in altemating directions. Too much angling away from each other, however, results in a saw that does not cut properly.
5. Hardening comes next. The classic technique used for centuries includes hammering the blade to render it "tensioned," so it displays the best combination of stiffness and flexibility. Many variations are possible. Today, professional hacksaws are hardened throughout, while those intended for home use have only their teeth hardened.
6. A coating of rust protection is sprayed on the hardened saw blade.
7. Finally, the blades are fastened to separately made, injection-molded handles.

Quality Control

The American National Standard is intended to regulate the set of blades for safety as well as optimal use, since a badly made saw can be a hazard. Hacksaw blades with 24-32 teeth per inch (10-13 teeth per cm) must be set wavy. Other types of saws require a "raker set" in which every third tooth is left unset. The composite of the metal used is also regulated. A standard steel blade, in order to be called that, cannot be more than 1.25% alloy. For industrial and high-power saws, a high-speed steel blade must be able to withstand a temperature up to 1,000°F (537.78°C).

The Future

Thanks to such user-friendly optimization software as computer aided design (CAD), refinements are being experimented with that may retard the effects of repetitive motion on the handsaw user. "Cumulative Trauma Disorders," as they are known in the field, must be counteracted by ergonomic research. Goals include spreading the impact of using a saw over a larger area, reducing the need for sharp corrective movements, and improving the fit of the handle to avoid uncomfortable hand and arm positions. Volunteer test groups are used to gauge consumer needs and professional users test prototypes of products under development.

The same approach is being made towards improving both large and small scale power tools. Computer-aided manufacturing (CAM), computer-integrated manufacturing (CIM), and numerical control (NC) techniques allow saw manufacturers to cut waste and improve efficiency. Circle saws in the lumber industry have been reinvented with the help of finite element analysis. The Saw Paw Corporation of Pennsylvania holds patents on a recyclable, one-piece carbide saw shank and bit. The streamlined design is geared towards improving efficiency, while lengthening life expectancy, in order to lower the long-term cost of use.

Where to Learn More

Books

Armentrout, Patricia and David. The Saw. Rourke Publishers Group, 1995.

Disston, Henry. The Saw In History. H. Disston & Sons, Inc., 1922.

Goodman, W. L. The History of Woodworking Tools. G. Bell and Sons, Ltd., 1964.

Saws. Miller Freeman Publishers, 1990.

Periodicals

Christianson, Rich. "Computer Advances Drive Panel Saws Forward." Wood & Wood Products, October 1996, pp. 83-90.

[Article by: Jennifer Swift Kramer]

noun

A usually pithy and familiar statement expressing an observation or principle generally accepted as wise or true: adage, aphorism, byword, maxim, motto, proverb, saying. See words.

A cutting blade with a toothed edge used to cut material too hard to slice with a knife.

For more information on saw, visit Britannica.com.

A cutting tool having a thin, flat metal blade, band, or stiff plate with cutting teeth along the edge; worked either by a reciprocating motion (as in a handsaw) or by a continuous motion (as in a band saw).

Multi-toothed cutting instrument.

• chain s. — see pearson saw.
• Stryker s. — see stryker saw.
• surgical s. — modeled on carpentry tools but made of sterilizable materials; used for cutting cartilage and bone.
• wire s. — see wire saw, gigli wire saw.

n.

A trite popular saying, or proverb. (Figurative and colloquial.) So called because it makes its way into a wooden head. Following are examples of old saws fitted with new teeth.

        A penny saved is a penny to squander.
    
        A man is known by the company that he organizes.
    
        A bad workman quarrels with the man who calls him that.
    
        A bird in the hand is worth what it will bring.
    
        Better late than before anybody has invited you.
    
        Example is better than following it.
    
        Half a loaf is better than a whole one if there is much else.
    
        Think twice before you speak to a friend in need.
    
        What is worth doing is worth the trouble of asking somebody to 
    do it.
    
        Least said is soonest disavowed.
    
        He laughs best who laughs least.
    
        Speak of the Devil and he will hear about it.
    
        Of two evils choose to be the least.
    
        Strike while your employer has a big contract.
    
        Where there's a will there's a won't.

Saw
A crosscut saw about 620 mm long
Classification	Cutting
Types	Hand saw Back saw Circular saw Reciprocating saw Band saw
Related	Milling cutter

This article is about the hand tool. For other uses, see Saw (disambiguation).

A saw is a tool for cutting wood, consisting of a serrated blade (a blade with the cutting edge dentated or toothed) and worked either by hand or by steam, water, electric or other power. The teeth of the saw are each bent to specific angle and this angle is called "set". The set of a tooth is dependent on the kind of cut the saw will be making. For example a "rip saw" has a tooth set that is similar to the angle used on a chisel. The idea is to have the teeth rip or tear the material apart.

Some saws, such as the abrasive saw, use an abrasive disc or band for cutting, rather than a serrated blade.

The saw can also be used, more uncommonly, for playing music.

According to Chinese tradition, the saw was invented by Lu Ban. In Greek mythology, Perdix, the nephew of Daedalos, invented the saw. In reality, metal saws likely evolved from Neolithic stone tools.

Saw terminology

Diagram showing the teeth of a saw blade when looking front-on. The teeth protrude to the left and right, so that the saw cut (kerf) is wider than the blade width. The term set describes how much the teeth protrude.

• Heel: The end closest to the handle.
• Toe: The end farthest from the handle.
• Front: The side with the teeth (the "bottom edge").
• Back: Opposite the front ("top edge").
• Teeth: Small sharp points along the cutting side of the saw.
• Gullet: Valley between the points of the teeth
• Fleam: The angle of the faces of the teeth relative to a line perpendicular to the face of the saw.
• Rake: The angle of the front face of the tooth relative to a line perpendicular to the length of the saw. Teeth designed to cut with the grain (ripping) are generally steeper than teeth designed to cut across the grain (crosscutting)
• Points per inch (25 mm): The most common measurement of the frequency of teeth on a saw blade. This is measured by setting the tip, or point, of one tooth at the zero point on a ruler, and then counting how many points are contained within one inch (25 mm) of length, counting inclusively. There will always be one more point per inch than there are teeth per inch (e.g., a saw with 14 points per inch will have 13 teeth per inch, a saw with 10 points per inch will have 9 teeth per inch). Some saws do not have the same number of teeth per inch throughout their entire length, but the vast majority do.
• Teeth Per inch : Another common measurement of the amount of teeth residing in any one inch length of a saw blade. Usually abbreviated as TPI, eg a blade consisting of 18TPI (Teeth Per Inch).
• Kerf: Width of the saw cut. On most saws the kerf is wider than the saw blade because the teeth are flared out sideways (set). This allows the blade to move through the cut easily without getting stuck (binding). However, some saws are made so that the teeth have no set on one side. This is done so that the saw can lie flat on a surface and cut along the surface without scratching it. These are referred to as flush cutting saws. The term kerf is often used to mean the width of the saw blade. However it is the width of the cut so it is the width of the blade plus any wobble created during cutting plus any material pulled out of the sides of the cut. This distinction can be extremely important. If you try to use a blade that is too thin you can get excessive wobble and actually get a wider kerf.

Types of saws

There are a number of different categories of saw, all with the same purpose of accurately making larger pieces of material into smaller pieces of material. The first and largest division is between hand-powered saws and mechanically powered saws.

Note that the names used for different types of saw are by no means universal. Names have changed over time and even today the same name may be used for different kinds of saws in different parts of the world or by different manufacturers. Also, the same saw may be referred to by different names.

Hand saws

Hand-powered saws fall into three divisions, which are defined by the way they hold the blade stiff (a requirement to get an even, clean cut).

A Hand saw uses either simply a blade thick enough to be stiff, or cuts on the pull stoke which reduces the stiffness requirement. This division includes the following specific types of saws:

• Crosscut saw, for making cuts perpendicular to the grain
• Rip saw, for cutting along the grain
• Hand saw, saws operated by hand as opposed to power saws
• Floorboard saw, with curved blade
• Japanese saw, hand saws that cut on the pull stroke with straight handles
• Keyhole saw or padsaw or compass saw, with narrow pointed blade
• Two-man saw, for cutting large logs or trees
• Plywood saw, fine-toothed blade to reduce tearing of plywood
• Veneer saw, two edged saw with fine teeth used to cut veneer

Although their use is dwindling the jigsaw and sabre saw (unpowered tools) may also refer to blade style saws.

Back saws

The second category of hand saws keep a thinner blade stiff by reinforcing it with a steel or brass back. Back saws are differentiated by length of blade. While this list is not definitive, they are generally named, from longest to shortest: Mitre Saw, Carcase Saw, Tenon saw, and Dovetail saw. These saws also have a handle that is vertical in relation to the blade. A saw with a straight handle that extends from the top back of the blade is referred to as a Gent's saw. Finally, some Dozuki saws, which are an Eastern-style (cut on the pull stroke) saw have backs and are classified as back-saws.

• One type of hand powered Miter saw (makes precisely angled cross cuts) uses a backsaw.

Mechanically powered saws

Portable sawmill

Mechanically powered saws mechanically move the teeth past the wood while the saw itself is held stationary. This is accomplished in one of three ways: the teeth are along the perimeter of a flat, circular blade; the blade reciprocates up and down rapidly; or the teeth are along one edge of a continuous band. They are more specifically differentiated as follows:

Circular blade saws

• Circular saw, machine-driven for industrial sawing of log and beams, typically found in sawmills - also name given to smaller hand-held saws
• Table saw, circular blade rises through a slot in a table. It is the most common piece of stationary woodworking equipment. The smaller direct-drive versions that can be set on a workbench are called workbench saws. Smaller belt-driven ones generally set on steel legs are often called Contractor's Saws. The heavier, more precise and more powerful, often driven by multiple belts, with an enclosed base stand as an integral part of the saw are called Cabinet saws. A relatively new version, called a hybrid saw, has the lighter weight mechanism of a Contractor saw but with an enclosed base like the Cabinet saw.
• Radial arm saw, versatile machine used mainly for cross-cutting where the blade is pulled on a guide arm through a piece of wood held stationary on the saw's table
• Rotary saw, for making accurate cuts without the need for a pilot hole in wallboard, plywood, and other thin materials, also called a spiral cut saw or a "RotoZip". The latter is a trademark owned by Bosch Tool Corp. who pioneered this type of saw - design is similar to a small wood router, bits are similar to a twist drill, some cut on the upward twist, some cut downwards
• Electric miter saw, (also called chop saw, cut-off saw or power miter box) – for making accurate cross cuts and miter cuts. The basic model has its circular blade fixed at a 90° angle to the vertical, a compound miter saw's blade can be adjusted to other angles. A sliding compound miter saw has a blade which can be pulled through the work similar to the action of a radial arm saw, which gives a greater capacity for cutting wider workpieces.
• Concrete saw, usually powered by an internal combustion engine and used with a Diamond Blade to cut concrete or asphalt pavement.
• Abrasive saw; uses an abrasive disc for cutting rather than a toothed blade. Used for very hard materials.

Reciprocating blade saws

Electric hacksaw

• Jigsaw or saber saw (mainly US), narrow blade for cutting irregular shapes, typically held in one hand with the barrel perpendicular to the saw blade. Historically, the term jigsaw was also commonly used for what is now usually called a scroll saw.
• Reciprocating saw or sabre saw (mainly UK and Australia), action similar to a jigsaw, but much larger, more powerful and with a longer stroke with the blade parallel to the barrel. Normally held in both hands, useful for demolition work or for cutting pipe. Sometimes powered by compressed air.
• Scroll saw, saw for making intricate curved cuts (scrolls), the first of which were pedal powered. Traditionally called a jigsaw.
• Dragsaw, internal combustion powered saw used for bucking logs before the advent of the chainsaw.
• Sternal saw, used in surgery to open a patient's sternum.

Continuous band

• Band saw, with motor-driven continuous band
• Chainsaw, motor-driven, for felling trees

Types of saw blades and the cuts they make

Blade teeth are of two general types: Tool steel or carbide. Carbide is harder and holds a sharp edge much longer.

Crosscut

In woodworking, a cut made at (or near) a right angle to the direction of the grain of the workpiece. A crosscut saw is used to make this type of cut.

Rip cut

In woodworking, a cut made parallel to the direction of the grain of the workpiece. A rip saw is used to make this type of cut.

Plytooth

A circular saw blade with many small teeth designed for cutting plywood with minimal splintering.

Dado blade

A special type of circular saw blade used for making wide grooved cuts in wood so the edge of another piece of wood will fit into the groove to make a joint. Dado blades can make different width grooves by addition or removal of chipper blades of various widths between the outer dado blades. This first type is called a stacked dado blade. There is another type of dado blade capable of cutting variable width grooves. An adjustable dado utilizes a moveable locking cam mechanism which causes the blade to wobble sideways more or less. This allows continuously variable groove width from the lower to upper design limits of the dado.

Materials used for saws

There are several materials used in saws, with each of its own specifications.

Brass

Mostly used in back saws because of its low price, its flow characteristics that make the material relatively easy to cast, and unlike other types of saw, the forces that take place in back saws are relatively low because of the pulling motion used.

Steel

Used in almost every existing kind of saw. Because steel is cheap, easy to shape, and very strong, it has the right properties for most kind of saws.

Diamond

Used only in saws for the really heavy cutting. It is very expensive and comes in two shapes: ropes and circular saws. Mostly used for cutting concrete and other materials with rock-like structures or in softer materials, such as wood, where the precision and high volume of work justifies the expense of diamond-edged cutting tools. Diamond saws are made by combining powder metal with diamond crystals, which are then heated and pressed into a molding to form the diamond segments.

Historical

Pit Saw

In Early English North America the Pit Saw was one of the principal Industrial Tools that made the Mercantilist System Successful. It was (generally) operated over a pit across which the logs to be cut into boards were mounted. The saw was "a strong steel cutting-plate, of great breadth, with large teeth, highly polished and thoroughly wrought, some eight or ten feet in length" (Upham Hist. of Salem v1, p 191) with a handle on either end. The pit saw took at least 2 men to operate. One stood in the pit and the other was above. The workers at a pit saw were some of the best paid in early colonial North America.

Saws in nature

Sawgrass is an example of one of many dangerous grasses (the blades easily cut flesh).

Serration is also found on leaf edges.

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Saws

• Japanese saw
• Tool
• Diamond tools
• Lumber
• Timber
• Sawmill
• Sharpening
• Saw

External links

• Saw Blade Tooth Shape
• Number of Teeth You Should Have on your Saw Blade
• Diamond Blade Patents

Types of tools

Cutting tools - Adze | Axe | Bolt cutters | Ceramic tile cutter | Chainsaw | Machete | Saw | Knife | Broach | Endmill | Reamer | Drill bit | Tool bit | Countersink | Front teeth | Milling cutter | Razor blade |Scalpel | Scissors | Blade | Fingernail | Switchblade | Water jet cutter Garden tools - Cultivator | Garden fork | Hedge trimmer | Hoe | Hori hori | Lawnmower | Lawn aerator | Leaf blower | Leaf sweeper | Loppers | Mattock | McLeod | Mini-tractor | Pitchfork | Plow | Pruning shears | Pulaski | Rake (tool) | Secateurs | Spade | Sprinkler | String trimmer | Trimmer Hand tools - Brace | Chisel | Hammer | Screwdriver | Handsaw | Pliers | Torque wrench | Clamp | Level | Sponge Power tools - Band saw | Belt sander | Chainsaw | Circular saw | Concrete saw | Crusher | Diamond blade | Disc sander | Drill | Impact wrench | Grinder | Heat gun | Jointer | Jigsaw | Lathe | Radial arm saw | Random orbital sander | Rotary tool | Sander | Table saw | Thickness planer | Wood router See also - Antique tools | Diamond tools

Metalworking
Cutting machines	Water jet cutter • Band saw • Cold saw • Hacksaw • Laser • Miter saw • Plasma • Saw
Metalworking topics	Casting • CNC • Cutting tools • Drilling and threading • Fabrication • Finishing • Grinding • Jewellery • Lathe • Machining • Machine tooling • Measuring • Metalworking • Hand tools • Metallurgy • Milling • Occupations • Press tools • Smithing • Terminology • Welding

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Dansk (Danish)
1.
n. - sav
v. tr. - save, save brænde
v. intr. - fægte med armene

2.
n. - mundheld, sentens

Nederlands (Dutch)
zagen, zaag, gezegde, cliché

Français (French)
1.
n. - scie
v. tr. - scier
v. intr. - scier

idioms:

• saw off    scier (un canon d'un fusil)

2.
n. - adage

Deutsch (German)
1.
n. - Säge
v. - sägen, sah

idioms:

• saw off    einen Ast absägen

2.
n. - Sprichwort

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - πριόνι, απόφθεγμα
v. - πριονίζω, κόβω με πριόνι, (μτφ.) κουτσουρεύω

Italiano (Italian)
segare, detto, sega

Português (Portuguese)
n. - serra (f), ditado (m)
v. - serrar

Русский (Russian)
пила, полотно пилы, изречение, афоризм, пословица, распиливать, пиликать

Español (Spanish)
1.
n. - sierra, serrucho
v. tr. - serrar, aserrar
v. intr. - serrar, aserrar, cortar, serrarse, aserrarse, tocar el violín

idioms:

• saw off    llegar un compromiso mediante concesiones mutuas

2.
n. - dicho, refrán, proverbio, máxima

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - såg, ordstäv, talesätt, visdomsord
v. - såga, vifta med armarna

中文（简体） (Chinese (Simplified))
1. 锯子, 锯齿状部, 锯条, 锯, 锯成, 锯开, 拉锯般来回移动, 用锯, 拉锯

2. 格言, 谚语

中文（繁體） (Chinese (Traditional))
1.
n. - 鋸子, 鋸齒狀部, 鋸條
v. tr. - 鋸, 鋸成, 鋸開, 拉鋸般來回移動
v. intr. - 用鋸, 拉鋸, 鋸開

2.
n. - 格言, 諺語

한국어 (Korean)
1.
n. - 톱, 톱니 모양의 부분
v. tr. - 톱으로 켜다, (책의 등 부분에) 칼자국을 내다
v. intr. - 톱질하다, 톱으로 켜지다, 현악기를 연주하다

2.
n. - 속담, 격언, 10 달러

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - のこ, 鋸, 鋸歯状部, ことわざ, 格言
v. - 動かす, のこでひく, 木をひく, のこでひける, のこぎりでひく

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) منشار (فعل) ينشر ألخشب‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮מסור, משור‬
v. tr. - ‮ניסר‬
v. intr. - ‮הניע כמסור‬
n. - ‮פתגם, מימרה‬

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