Frame, blade and tension
The coping saw’s blade is too thin to stay straight on its own, so the frame does the work: its springy steel bow pulls the two ends of the blade apart and keeps it taut (see the plate above). Olson’s coping blades are 6½ in long between the pins at their ends, and fit all standard frames; the maker lists blades 0.125 in wide and 0.020 in thick at 10 and 15 teeth per inch.
Tension is set at the handle. On Zona’s professional-grade coping saw the blade is tensioned at both ends, using the handle and a thumbscrew. A slack blade wanders and twists in the cut; a blade tensioned until it barely flexes sideways cuts true. Release the tension when the saw is put away if the frame’s instructions suggest it.
The frame also sets the saw’s reach. Throat depth is the distance from the blade to the back of the frame, and it limits how far from an edge the saw can cut. Zona gives 5 in as the depth of cut of that frame.
Which way the teeth point
A coping blade can be fitted either way round, and the pin holders on many frames turn through 360°, so the saw can cut on the push or the pull. Fitted with the teeth pointing toward the handle, the saw cuts on the pull, and the cutting force adds to the tension the frame already applies. Fitted the other way, it cuts on the push.
Either works; choose the one that keeps the blade straight in your hands, and fit every blade the same way so the saw always behaves the same. Whichever you choose, the fine teeth tear fibres on the exit side, so keep the good face of the work where the teeth enter it.
Cutting curves and turning the blade
Curved work is where the coping saw earns its place. The blade is narrow enough to turn in its own kerf, and the rotating holders let the frame be swung out of the way of the work, as Fine Woodworking’s test of coping saws describes.
Turning the blade during a curved cut
Cut up to the point where the frame will hit
Saw along the line until the back of the frame is about to meet the edge of the work.
Ease the tension
Loosen the handle just enough to turn the holders.
Turn both holders by the same amount
Rotate the pins together so that the blade is not twisted between them, and swing the frame clear of the work.
Re-tension and continue
Tighten the handle and carry on along the line with the frame at its new angle.
Turn gradually on tight curves
Keep sawing while steering gently. A blade forced round a corner binds or snaps; for an inside cut, start from a drilled hole with the blade threaded through it.
Clearing waste between dovetails
In joinery the coping saw removes waste that the backsaw has outlined. Fine Woodworking’s coping-saw test used exactly this job — clearing waste between dovetails — as one of its three tasks.
Worked example: removing the waste between two tails
Saw the sides with a backsaw
Cut both sides of the socket down to the baseline with a dovetail saw, on the waste side of each line, as the backsaw guide describes.
Drop the coping saw into a kerf
Slip the blade into one backsaw kerf, teeth facing the waste, with the frame over the end of the board.
Turn along the baseline
Saw down the kerf until just short of the baseline, then turn the blade and saw across toward the other kerf, staying clear of the line.
Leave the baseline for the chisel
Remove the waste and pare the last of it back to the knifed baseline with a chisel. The saw clears the bulk; the chisel makes the finished surface.
Coping, fret and piercing saws
Coping saws, fret saws and piercing saws all hold a thin blade in a frame, and the names overlap. Knew Concepts, which makes these frames, calls the jeweler’s saw and the fret saw the same thing.
| Feature | Coping saw | Fret saw | Piercing (jeweler’s) saw |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blade | 6½ in between pins, pin ends (Olson) | 5 in (5⅛ in nominal), no pins | 5 in, no pins; metal blades very fine (about 38–43 tpi in Olson’s range) |
| Throat | 5 in depth of cut on Zona’s professional frame | 3, 5 or 8 in (Knew Concepts) | 3 in on Zona’s jeweler’s saw; the Knew Concepts sizes above |
| Best for | Curves and waste removal in thicker wood | Fine, detailed curves in thinner wood | Metal, jewellery and very fine work |
| Trade-off | Longer, thicker, more durable blade; a coarser cut | Better suited to precise cuts; thinner, less durable blades | Metal-piercing blades are finer than woodworking blades |
Knew Concepts notes that woodworking fret blades are the same length as metal-piercing blades but have coarser teeth.
A coping saw is not a tool for long straight cuts, and it is slow in thick stock; the thin blade deflects and leaves a rough edge. For straight work, use a saw from the handsaw guide or a backsaw, and bring curves to their final line with a rasp, file or spokeshave.
Sources
Blade and frame dimensions are the makers’ published figures for particular products; other frames and blades differ. The sawing method is established bench practice, explained in BenchRoot’s own words.
- 1.
Coping Blades and Saws. Olson Saw.
Used for: Coping blades 6½ in long between pins, fitting standard frames; 10 and 15 tpi blades 0.125 in wide and 0.020 in thick; 5 in jeweler’s piercing blades of about 38–43 tpi for metal.
- 2.
Professional Grade Coping Saw. Zona Tool.
Used for: A 5 in depth of cut, the blade tensioned at both ends, and blade holders that turn through 360° to saw on the push or pull stroke.
- 3.
Chris Gochnour. Tool Test: Coping Saws. Fine Woodworking, 2013.
Used for: What coping saws are used for — waste in joinery, coped mouldings and tight curves — and rotating the pin sockets so the frame clears the work.
- 4.
Upgrade Your Hand Tools: Knew Concepts Fret Saw. ToolGuyd.
Used for: Fret saws with 3, 5 and 8 in throats taking 5 in (5⅛ in nominal) blades; coping-saw blades are longer, thicker and more durable.
- 5.
Saw Blade Specifications. Knew Concepts.
Used for: Jeweler’s saws and fret saws named as the same tool; woodworking fret blades the same length as metal-piercing blades, with coarser teeth.
About this guide
Written by BenchRoot Editorial. How BenchRoot sources, checks and corrects its pages is set out in the Editorial Policy. If something here is wrong or unclear, the contact page explains how to tell us.