Hacksaws are one of the most common hand tools. Almost everyone has one, and if you don’t have one, you have to buy one. Hacksaws are cheap and very cheap to use. But most of you never use it because the one time you tried to use it, things didn’t work out. He broke the hacksaw blade, the blade kept falling off the handle or got stuck in the piece he was trying to cut. If he managed to cut the piece, it took forever and the cut ended up crooked.
The main reasons why most people have difficulty sawing metal with a hacksaw are:
You have the wrong blade
You are not using a sharp blade.
There is too much flex in the blade
The number of teeth is too low for the project.
You are putting too much pressure on the saw.
You don’t hold the job.
I will cover each of these pitfalls as you and I go through this article.
Hacksaws and hacksaw blades are designed to cut metal (I’ll tell you how to use them to cut wood and plastic) and most people find cutting metal very difficult and frustrating. The reason, most of the time, is that they don’t really know how to use the hacksaw.
What is a hacksaw?
A hacksaw is a metal frame designed to hold a sheet of tempered metal. The blade is typically 1/2 inch tall and most are 12 inches long. The blade has a hole at each end that fits into the pins of the hacksaw. Hacksaws are designed to cut on the push stroke. The handle (grip) of a properly designed saw is angled so that it puts some pressure on the blade as you push it through the material you are cutting. Although some so-called “experts” will tell you that you can turn the blade the other way, a hacksaw doesn’t work well with the blade facing backwards.
Do you need a hacksaw?
You can cut almost anything with a hacksaw. Although it was designed to cut metal, you can use it to cut plastic, wood, metal pipe, aluminum, copper, and brass. It works great for cutting electrical pipe (conduit), BMX (flexible metal pipe), plastic water pipe (PVT and CVT) and even nuts and bolts. You can use it to cut a 2X4 in the blink of an eye and with the right blade a porcelain stoneware.
Setting up the hacksaw for cutting.
Step 1. Determine which blade you will use to cut the material. Use a 32 tpi blade for conduit, an 18 tooth blade for cutting a plastic stud or pipe, and an 8 tooth blade for wood. In practice, you want at least three teeth in contact with the material at any one time. If you are cutting deeper than the depth of the blade, use a blade that has wavy teeth. The wavy blade leaves a wider groove (cut) which prevents the blade from binding in the groove it is cutting.
You can use it to cut wood. It will cut much slower than a wood saw, but it works if you don’t have anything else. Use an 8 or 10 tooth blade and score the cut line on the board both horizontally and vertically. Use the horizontal mark to make your initial cut (groove) and the vertical mark to keep the cut straight. Take your time and don’t put a lot of pressure on the hacksaw.
Step 2. Insert the blade so that the teeth point forward. If you can’t see this, rub your finger gently over the teeth of the blade.
You will feel the teeth “grab” your finger. Position the blade so that it grips when you push the saw. The blade holes go into the pins at the bottom of the frame. Many hacksaws are designed to use blades of different lengths, so if you have an adjustable frame, you may need to shorten or lengthen the frame to fit your blade.
The teeth should try to “grab” your finger when you push on them. If they don’t feel sharp, the blade is dull and should be replaced. Blades are inexpensive, so don’t be afraid to replace them.
Step 3. Tighten the thumb screw until it cannot be turned by hand (Hand Tighten) This amount of tension on the blade should prevent the blade from bending while cutting. Sometimes when I’m having trouble with the blade falling off, I’ll squeeze it another 1/4 turn with pliers.
Well, let’s cut something.
I’m going to use a metal pipe for this example. It’s easy to cut and once you get a little experience using a hacksaw, cutting through metal will be a piece of cake.
To really use a hacksaw well, you have to clamp your work. I have a target on a workbench that I often use.
If you don’t have a vise, screw a 2X4 into your bench and hold the tube against the 2X4 with your left hand. When possible, use a vise or clamp to secure the metal you want to cut.
Step 1. To properly use a hacksaw, hold the frame with both hands. (I’m right-handed, so I grab the handle with my right hand and use my left hand to hold the other end of the saw.) Hold the hacksaw so that the index finger of your right hand is pointing forward to help guide the saw. As you push the blade in (forward stroke), use your left hand to guide the saw so it cuts straight. DO NOT use your left hand to apply pressure, just use it to guide your cut. Use most of the sheet. If you apply pressure on the forward motion with your left hand, the teeth will usually grab too much and the saw will “stick.” Again, the handle of a hacksaw is angled to give you proper downward pressure on the blade.
Step 2. When you reach the end of the forward motion, stop and pull the saw back with your right hand. As you pull back, do not apply any pressure with your right hand. (Only cut in the forward direction and applying pressure on the return stroke will only wear the blade prematurely.) Many teachers will have you raise the saw on the return stroke so you don’t destroy the blade. Rock your body back and forth as you cut, pressing down on the forward stroke and releasing on the return stroke.
Step 3. Repeat this until you have seen all the way through the pipe. With a little practice, you will be able to cut about 1 stroke every second. Don’t hit faster than this because you will generate too much heat and again wear the blade prematurely.
Do not put too much pressure on the blade. You may have to break a sheet or two before you get a feel for how much pressure you can apply. Don’t worry, they are cheap. Don’t saw too fast, as that can also cause the blade to break. Always check to make sure the sash is firmly secured in its frame.
reviews. Or don’t buy one at Wally World
Believe it or not, I could tell you a lot more about using a hacksaw, but this is enough to get you cutting properly. Buy a good quality hacksaw that I recommend on my website. Even the cheap one I recommend is good quality and will last you for years. With a quality saw, it won’t be long before you become good at using one.
DO NOT buy a cheap one at the local dollar store. Because? The hacksaw handle has to be strong enough to keep the blade properly tensioned and the cheap ones will only give you years of frustration. Also buy a hacksaw with a slant handle like the Stanley 150565. Some hacksaws have a straight handle and are very difficult for a beginner to use.
Blades are cheap, so buy a box with at least two numbers of “teeth” (32 teeth for metal conduit and 18 teeth for solid steel, plastic pipe, and general purpose. But don’t buy cheap blades. Cheap blades are too they are). brittle and you will end up breaking many of them. A good hacksaw blade cuts on its own with very little pressure on your part, so change blades as soon as they become dull. To tell if a blade is dull, run your finger over the blade . If it’s still sharp, the teeth will try to “catch” on your finger. A dull blade will not. I prefer the Milwaukee blades because they will flex without breaking and will last a long, long time compared to cheap blades. Better though, buy two inexpensive hacksaws and keep different blades on each. Dull and worn blades take a lot of work to cut an item, so change them as often as you would a utility knife or razor blade.
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