Fret saw vs coping saw

[Daniel Rode]

I had an old, cheap coping saw that broke. I'm looking to replace it and figured I'd just pick up another coping saw. I don't use it real often but it's really useful to have handy. Watching numerous videos on cutting dovetails, I'm seeing a fret saw used and recommended to cut away the waste. Seems to me that clearing out much of the waste makes cleaning the shoulders with a chisel easier. I thinks this would be especially true with finely spaced pins.

To my eye, it's a shallower but with a sturdier, adjustable frame (the saws shown in the vids). They are also more expensive.

Is there any reason I should be looking for a fret saw instead of a standard coping saw?

[bob blakeborough]

I have tried using coping saws and fret saws, and my preference is to the fret saw for removing dovetail waste. I started with the Featherweight fret saw from Lee Valley. Later I bought a Knew Concepts version. While it is a very well built saw and many like it, I found I didn't like the way it worked for me overall, and I have long since moved back to the inexpensive Featherweight saw and I am happy I did. I find it does a great job and I really like the balance and feel of it, and for a sub $20.00 tool, that is great!

http://www.leevalley.com/en/Wood/pag...884,42902&ap=1

[george wilson]

The fret saws I have had take blades with no pins on their ends. You can buy jeweler's saw blades in their larger sizes to use. I think fret saws are a lot more versatile. Fret saws usually have a much deeper throat than coping saws. You can also just take the pins out of coping saw blades to use in a fret saw. . The coping saws' blades can be rotated though. Fret saws can't be rotated,but I like the versatility of different blades they can use. Depends upon your needs.

[john davey]

I have been happy with this coping saw from TFWW:

http://www.toolsforworkingwood.com/s...es)_and_blades

YMMV, John....

[David Weaver]

I had an aluminum knew concept saw, and have a copule of fret saws, but I usually like to cope dovetails. If the kerf doesn't allow, I cut straight down into the waste and then over with a coarse rip coping blade. If I do use a fretsaw, I like best the design that zona sells (which is a copy of older german fretsaws, IIRC). I just bend the blades so that the spine doesn't run into a set of tails. One or two snapped fretsaw blades over a couple of dozen pins and tails and I usually get annoyed enough to go back to a coping saw.

I like the design that John shows above, but there is one at HD that I like just as much, despite it being a pretty vulgar looking tool in finish (it was about 7 bucks - unfortunately, the version that they have of it has a black plastic handle). You could turn the blade on it pretty easily and it has better tension than my square framed saw, even though a lot of cheap saws don't.

[Chris Griggs]

I have been happy with this coping saw from TFWW:

http://www.toolsforworkingwood.com/store/dept/TS/item/MS-COPE.XX/Deluxe_Coping_Saw_(360_degrees)_and_blades

YMMV, John....

Me too. And the 16tpi ski tooth blades are great too!

[glenn bradley]

I too admire the tricked out fret saws but, have gotten along fine with a $10 from the BORG or wherever. For my use, a $100 fret saw is money misplaced. I'm not saying they aren't nice, I just don't do enough of that sort of work that I require that level of tool to accomplish that task.

[Jim Koepke]

The fret saw and coping saw have a few commonalities.

There are a few of each in my shop and most of the time one of the fret saws gets the job.

The biggest difference are the blades. Coping saws have pins in the blades for mounting. Fret saws have a simple clamping method to hold the blades.

Fret saws excel in the area where one is doing "pierced" cutting. This is decorative cutting where the blade is inserted through a small hole and reattached to the saw and an area is cut out of the work piece.

Luck was with me when it came time to buy a fret saw. Someone listed a bunch of them in one lot. There are a few differences between the brands. Most of them do not allow angling the blade. One of mine does. Usually it is easy to "tweak" a blade to an angle with a couple pair of pliers.

Some fret saws have an adjustable back to set the primary tension. This also allows the use of broken blades if they are not too short.

A few other thoughts:

Coping saw blades are available at just about every hardware store in the land. Fret saw blades are a bit harder to find.

Fret saw blades are available in a very wide assortment of sizes and tooth counts. Coping saw blades in the hardware stores tend to be limited in variety. For more selection mail order may be the only choice.

Coping saws tend to be less costly, but some can be up their in price.

The LV feather weight deep throat fret saw looks very tempting. That should be on my buy someday list.

LV also has some blade packages that are good to get a feel for the variety.

The spiral blade is also great for directional changes since it cuts all around. It does leave a larger kerf.

Another thing that seems to work for me is to use the blade cutting on the pull stroke. Not sure if this is how it is supposed to be, but for me it end up with less blades broken.

jtk

[george wilson]

Coping and fret saws all should cut on the pull stroke. Try pushing one,and the frame can bend,causing loosening of the blade,chattering,and likely blade breakage.

Yes,you can take pliers and twist jeweler's saws to 90º bends very close to the chuck jaws,but iffy trying to straighten them out again. We used Hercules brand jeweler's saws in the musical instrument shop. One time they kept breaking. Just tempered too hard. I put a tied together bundle on top of a hot side bending iron,and let them turn spring blue. Then they were fine for cutting wood or pearl inlays. Some of those blades are made quite hard for sawing platinum,and broke very easily. If you need to soften blades a bit,find something that will heat them slowly. Do not go beyond spring blue,or you will ruin the blades by completely taking the temper out of them. The color beyond blue is gray. That means the temper is all gone.

[Mel Fulks]

Yep,but today most seem to use them the other way . The few times I've let someone briefly borrow a coping saw ,I got it back with the blade reversed. Whenever I've been on job sites all the carpenters doing cornice work have handle up teeth down.

[Hilton Ralphs]

I have been happy with this coping saw from TFWW:

http://www.toolsforworkingwood.com/s...es)_and_blades

Me too. And the 16tpi ski tooth blades are great too!

Me three and Joel is having a free shipping how's your father.

I bought the 16tpi and 24tpi blades to boot.

My first woodworking experience was with a fretsaw so perhaps that LV version will cross the Atlantic soon.

[Jacob Nothstine]

I have both, I like the Fret the best. For me it's not the saw but the blades. Make sure you have a good blade on the saw the 16tpi ski tooth blades by TFWW are great. The blades you get from your local hardware store and junk.

Geoege Wilson +1

Coping and fret saws all should cut on the pull stroke.

[ray hampton]

the state police stop a boy that were pulling a log chain down a dirt road and ask the boy why he was pulling the chain, HIS reply, did you ever try pushing a chain
using the coping saw on the pull stroke make sense ---thank you George

[george wilson]

When the tourists asked me why Japanese planes were pulled,I told them that gravity worked backwards on the other side of the World.,

[Andrae Covington]

I have the Olson coping saw from TFWW and a fret saw from craftsmanstudio. I tend to use the fret saw for wasting narrow pin sockets and the coping saw for wasting wider tail sockets. The narrow fret blades are easier to get down into the saw kerf and turn in a small radius to start working over the baseline, but I find them more difficult to steer and keep on a line over longer distances.