Posted by
Easy WoodCraft on
May 9, 2016
The back saw (also known as a
dovetail saw) can be one of the most important hands tools in the shop. If you hand-cut joinery, a quality back saw can make a big difference. Back saws are identifiable by the brass or steel "back" that wraps around the top of the blade. This added rigidity allows for a thinner blade (typically around 0.030" thick), which creates a thin kerf and makes it easy to follow a pencil line or knife line.
Anatomy
Backs saws come in a variety of lengths ranging from 8" to 14" and have fine teeth (14 to 22 teeth per inch) that may be sharpened as crosscut, rip, or combination teeth. If you're planning on doing a lot of hand-cut joinery it pays to get two back saws: one with crosscut teeth, the other with rip teeth. You'll find two predominant handle styles on back saws: open and closed. This really is a matter of personal preference; some woodworkers prefer the extra rigidity a closed handle offers over an open handle.
Basic use
Because the blade is so thin and the kerf is so fine, a well-sharpened quality back saw
will generally steer itself in a perfectly straight cut—all you have to do is start the cut straight. Use a light grip on the saw and let it do the work. If you're using a saw that's sharpened as a crosscut to rip (such as when cutting the cheeks of a tenon), you'll get better results if you stop often to clean out the kerf and the saw teeth.
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