Comments on: Coping Saws: From Bricks to Fretwork Frogs

By: Simon St.Laurent

Simon St.Laurent — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 02:20:16 +0000

I also have the mysterious Abel 160. (I think the 160 is millimeters?) Good to hear someone else mention its existence – I was starting to think I was the only person with one.

It’s worked well, but I don’t love the clamping blocks. They definitely don’t rotate.

Maybe I should take a look at the Fat Max in the later post? Someday.

By: Christopher Schwarz

Christopher Schwarz — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 19:07:18 +0000

David,

Perhaps I’m just too ham-handed. I’ve used those fretsaw blades — and the ones recommended by Rob Cosman. Been trying to work with them for five years and I’ve just snapped and snapped and snapped.

So I use the Olsen coping saw blades, which are nice. The teeth are ground, not punched. Smooth and quick.

Chris

By: david charlesworth

david charlesworth — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 19:00:36 +0000

Chris,
I was taught to set the blade with the teeth facing the handle over 30 years ago. It’s the only way that makes sense.

I am deeply upset by your anti jeweller’s saw stance!
The trick is to put fretsaw blades in them (18TPI) unless you want to cut thin silver or gold…

David Charlesworth

By: Doug F.

Doug F. — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 23:05:34 +0000

Didn’t you mention in your intro to Hand Tool Essentials that you had found a coping saw that you liked a lot better than your Craftsman? Judging from your comments above, that one didn’t solve the "wind" issue either.

By: Alex Grigoriev

Alex Grigoriev — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 20:04:20 +0000

"I’ve never had a coping saw that could hold its setting "

Chris, take a look at Stanley FatMax coping saw. It’s got pretty much same locking mechanism with 8 notches. Sold at big box store.

By: Christopher Schwarz

Christopher Schwarz — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 19:15:33 +0000

I had one of those myself. I don’t remember that the blades could rotate, however. Do you?

Chris

By: Michael Wirth

Michael Wirth — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 19:01:34 +0000

Years ago I bought a copying ay and fret saw from Garrett Wade. They both had a cast aluminum frame , and the blades were held together with clamping blocks, which hold the blades straight and allow flexing. They are exceptional saws, but Garrett Wade doesn’t carry them anymore, and I haven’t seen them anywhere else. The only identifying mark was "Abel 160".

Mike

By: joel moskowitz

joel moskowitz — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 17:35:42 +0000

The Wyke catalog (1760′s or so) illustrates bunches of piercing and morris saws of all sorts of dimensions for all sorts of blades. Bows saws with narrow blades (turning saws) were also made is a wide variety of sizes. In order for the modern coping saw to exist you need mass produced standard sized blades. This didn’t happen until the early/middle of the 19th century.

By: Stephen Shepherd

Stephen Shepherd — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 13:42:14 +0000

Perhaps the word for the name of the saw comes from copulate; joined, to unite; join in pairs?

By: Gye Greene

Gye Greene — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 07:01:16 +0000

I’ve set my coping saw blade to cut on the pull — but only because when I have it set to cut on the push stroke, the frame bends and the blade pops out.

But, maybe I have an inferior saw.

–GG