Coping Saws
Written by Elizabeth Wood
Editor In Chief, United Home Improvement

Coping saws are made with a taunt thin blade, useful for cutting unusual shapes and small curves in wood. Typically, it is used on trim work, where a cut is made so that one contoured molding can join neatly with another. The blade is designed to cut along a wide range of angles. The fretsaw is closely linked to the coping saw because they perform similar tasks.

The coping saw consists of a U-shaped metal frame attached to a hard wood handle. Within the metal frame contains a thin blade. The frame and the blade are connected to the handle with a slotted pin. By turning the handle, the tension of the blade will either tighten or loosen. Also, holders are placed on both ends of the blade that can be adjusted for different angles.

The blade on a coping saw is 150mm in length and at each end there is a pin that holds the blade to the frame. If you are fitting a new blade in, the frame will need to be flexed. Once flexed, the blade will fit into the slotted pins on the frame. When the pressure is released, the frame will spring back into position and hold the blade in place.

Not only are coping saws great for fitting molding into corners and making small curved cuts, but it is also great for cutting shapes in the middle of a piece of material. In order to make such cuts, the blade must be removed, placed through the hole, and then re-attached. The saw can then be used in the usual way, cutting the ‘inner' shape.

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