Saws and Rasps

For years I worked with only one saw, a cheap DIY shop cross cut saw. Or Tenon saw as it is better called.

Then I bought myself a cheap flush cut Japanese saw and suddenly realised that there was a huge difference in the quality of my work that could be achieved by expanding my saw collection just a bit.

It doesn’t mean that you need a huge amount of expensive saws to get the job done. Check out my ones below and you will see that it wont necessarily break the bank.

And then there are rasps. Oh wow, the shinto rasp is a real eye opener into wood removal. I did a video on this and the comments from people who are already using one of these were all in agreement with my conclusion.

With one side for Cross-cutting and one for Rip-Cutting, this takes a little practise but does an immense job of efficient cutting and accuracy. Remember this type cuts on the pull stroke rather than the push like a more traditional western saw.

Flush cut cleanly and efficiently. one side for hardwood and the other for soft. It’s flexible to get as close as you can to the board. Take care as these bite.

Throw away your other rasps was the tag line of the video. It’s a little extreme but the sentiment was that this can do 90% of what you need, and do it well.

My latest saw purchase. Im hoping that it will make learning Dovetail cutting a breeze. Though I suspect that it will help but the rest will be practise. time will tell.

All UK links are for products that I have used. US links are the closest I can find. They are recommendations made from my experience, yours may differ.

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Not a saw you will definitely need until you are attempting more hand cut joinery. Maybe an attempt at dovetails. And when you do, check that the size is right to get to the depth that you need.