When to use a Fret Saw vs Coping Saw?

[Frederick Skelly]

Hi guys,
Every time I look in the LV catalog, I wonder this, because they sell both. Can you please teach me: when does one use a Coping Saw and when a Fret Saw? I ask, because it seems like folks use them interchangably. Yet they must serve different purposes in some way?

Thanks very much!
Fred

[Jim Koepke]

Within my own experience only a few differences can be offered.

Fret saws tend to have blades available that are thinner than coping saw blades. This allows for finer turns and thus detail work with a fret saw.

Coping saw blades have pins to hold them in the saw. Fret saws use a clamping arrangement. The fret saw allows a blade that is broke to be used. It is a bit difficult to saw with a very short blade.

The standard coping saw tends to have more space between the blade and the frame of the saw than a typical fret saw.

A coping saw tends to have a way to rotate the orientation of the blade to the saw. Sometimes it is only a few choices. A fret saw doesn't always have this feature.

There are sure to be many more differences.

For dovetail work to remove waste both have been employed in my work.

jtk

[Tom M King]

When you need to cut tighter curves. If I'm fitting crown molding that's not going to be painted, where every defect is obvious, I use a coping saw for the larger radius curves on the wide top part, and a jewelers saw for the cove at the bottom. A jewelers saw uses the same blade as the fret saw.

[mark kosse]

I'm not an expert but I consider a fret saw to be a deeper coping saw. Modern coping saws tend to use pinned blades but I have what I consider to be coping saws that use pinless blades. I mostly use crown tooth scroll saw blades in them.

So, to answer the question I use the coping saw until I need the depth that a fret saw allows.

[ken hatch]

As mentioned, fret saws will turn tighter and leave a smaller kerf. Not being able to turn the blade attachment isn't a problem, just take a pair of dikes and give the blade a twist at both ends. Fret saws tend to be slower cutting and the blades will break. I've never worn out a fret saw blade before it broke and I can't remember the last time a coping saw blade broke before wearing out.

I use both. Which one usually depends of the kerf of the dovetail saw not which is a better saw. BTW no need for high tech frames for either. Less than $20USD will get you a good frame.

ken