Why I am breaking coping saw blades?

[Gordon Sindelar]

If you're breaking coping blades, you'll go out of your mind with fretsaw blades. Unless knew concepts makes coping saws, my bad if they do.

If you're cutting curves, it could either be that you're using a saw that does lose tension too fast, or it could be that you're applying a lot more binding pressure on turns than you need too. that's unproductive pressure that increases the tension on the blade and doesn't increase the speed or quality of the cut. If you find that you're often far away from your line or constantly correcting, it's probably a matter of too much influence on the saw.

In the curves, work the saw with a little more speed and a little less pressure, and think of the turn as you're pointing the blade in the direction you want it cut rather than twisting the saw to force the blade. Move the frame with a little less force and keep the amount of the cut a little less until you get the touch and it feels like you're working with a trained horse that goes where you're thinking with little influence rather than one you have to lean into.

You should essentially be able to use them until they're dull unless stanley blades are complete junk.

David, Knew Concepts does a coping saw, $150...

http://www.knewconcepts.com/copingSaws.php

[ray hampton]

I do not remember the last time that I broke a blade,my coping saw blade are install in the push mode so that I can saw dowels while the dowel are mounted in a lathe and spinning slow, wood dowels and metal rods are much easier to saw while they are spinning in a lathe

[Jason Roehl]

Is your hand above or below the wood being cut (in other words, are you pulling UP or DOWN)?

[ray hampton]

keeping you hand and elbow in line are important , this is why I can not keep a saw cut that are straight

[Gordon Sindelar]

Seems dumb now that I have corrected my technique... I was binding the blade terribly putting stress on the blade. It is now much easier having the blade on plane; so much easier to cut and control.

Thank you again to all for the help.

[Charlie Stanford]

hello, longtime reader, first time poster. been building my neanderthal tool and skill set for about a year now. really enjoying myself.

However, i'm having a lot of trouble with the coping saw. i'm using it to cut curves in quarter sawn sycamore, so the wood is not terribly difficult. I only cut about 6-10 inches before the blade breaks. i can't believe this is to be expected. something has to be off, but i'm not sure what.

the saw is an older standard hardware store design. it doesn't reek of quality, but it doesn't seem like junk either. I get good tension on the blade when it is initially inserted into the saw. i'm using stanley 15 tpi blades new from the hardware store.

I can only believe it is one of two things: the saw is prematurely losing tension on the blade causes stress and breakage, or it is my technique. I tend to saw fast and aggressively, but as I said, even with moderate aggression, the blades seem to be breaking way too fast.

I've had my eye on the knew concepts saw, but I frankly don't want to drop $100+ on a coping saw if I don't need to.

Any advice is greatly appreciated to solve this issue!

Gordon Sindelar.

Slow down. Make sure the blade is not twisted. Make sure you're sawing square to the face of the wood. If your cuts turn out beveled it means you are having to work too hard and it means the blades have a lot of stress on them. If the saw is made from tubular steel it's junk. Get an Eclipse coping saw which is made with a flat bar of steel: http://www.highlandwoodworking.com/e...-4-58deep.aspx

The Eclipse blades aren't bad either.