DIY and woodwork creativity incorporates the installation of different designs on wood and other pieces of materials. If you are a DIY lover, you have always been confronted with the need to change the outlook of different materials and different project outcomes uniquely and pleasantly.
This means that you have encountered a coping saw when designing and redesigning specific joints.
In the quest to make your DIY projects enjoyable, we break down the process of how to use a coping saw into manageable steps that can be relied upon by both the experts and the newbies in this area. The beauty of your DIY project is determined by the satisfaction that you get with the outcome of the whole exercise.
The coping saw is a little and lightweight device whose final results in your projects are quite amazing. Its accuracy and clean cutting aspects play a significant role in backing your satisfaction.
Table of Contents
Step by Step Procedure on How to Use a Coping Saw
Things you will need for the exercise
- A sharpened pencil
- A try square
- A piece of wood
- A coping saw
- A hand drill
Step 1: Fix the piece of wood on the vice
Ensure that the wood is tightly held to enhance its sturdiness. This increases the rate of accuracy of the creative design that you desire to achieve. The fact that the wood does not sway from side to side makes it easy for you to make the desired cuts using your coping saw efficiently.
Step 2: Drill a hole in the middle of the piece of wood
Using the hand drill, make a hole in the middle of the available piece of wood with a best hole saw . This creates space to pass the coping saw blade through. It makes the curve making on the wood possible.
Step 3: Sketch the outline of the required cut
Using your sharp pencil, make a clear sketched outline of the required shape on the wood. This will act as your guideline as you engage in the cutting process. The outline should start from the drilled hole. This design of this cut is aimed at not touching the edge of the peace of wood.
Step 4: Detach one end of the coping saw blade
To insert the blade through the drilled hole, you have to detach one side of the blade. This makes it possible for the blade to pass through the hole in a bid to engage in the cutting process. Because it is flexible and thin, it is easy to detach and connect it back to its body to enhance its functionality. The detachment should be done from the side of the handle. In this case, you should carefully disconnect the handle to direct it through the hole.
Step 5: Insert the blade
Using the detached end, pass the blade carefully through the hole and then reconnect it back to its frame. This way, the coping saw is complete and intact, ready to carry out the required task.
Step 6: Guide the blade through the curve
Hold the coping saw using its handle and guide it through the initially created curve. Here, you should move it back and forth in a steady manner as you move it along the outline. Ensure that you maintain your speed because any changes may impact negatively on the level of accuracy of your project.
Put moderate pressure on the blade. Since the blade is thin, any unnecessary pressure on it will make it snap, and you will not like this. Furthermore, you will not like the outcome of the entire project. You should further keep an eye on the line to be sure of increased accuracy. Keep cutting the piece of wood until you reach the end of the drawn curve.
Step 7: Disconnect the blade
When you get at the end of the curve, the piece of wood cut from the entire wood automatically falls of, and as such, you form the required hole/curve. In this case, you don’t need to continue cutting as the marked area is completely ripped off. Therefore, you should loosen the blade to disconnect it from the piece of wood.
Step 8: Fix the blade back to the frame
Once you arrive at your desired curve, you should return the coping saw to its initial position. Connect the frame, handle and frame together in their respective positions. Depending on the number of cuts, curves and holes your creativity requires, you will repeat the entire process until you arrive at your desired outcome. The higher the number of holes and curves the more the time you will take on your project and vice versa.
Note: You should ensure that the coping saw blade teeth face the direction of the blade when you are making straight lines from the center of the piece of wood. This makes it easy to pull the blade rather than cutting it as you make your cut. It is not only easy but also efficient as it enhances the longevity of the coping saw. Also, ensure that you sharpen the blunt blade teeth and replace the blades when broken and non-functional to enhance smooth cutting and designing of the piece of wood.
Quick Safety Tips When Using Saws
Different saws help make the DIY projects enjoyable but apart from their positive attributes, they have numerous demerits if they are misused.
Thus, before we explain the steps involved in using the coping saw, let us quickly point out some general safety measures that should be incorporated when using these gadgets (the saws).
- Ensure that the appropriate saws are used for different projects, and you should not force them to work on materials that they are not meant for.
- You should wear masks to bar the specks of dust from the projects from reaching you.
- You should keep the work surfaces clean and neat as you embark on your projects by continually getting rid of the dust keeping away the saw materials that you do not need
- For heightened accuracy, you should devote all your attention to your project to enhance clean and accurate cuts on the materials you are working on
- Regularly maintain your saws and change the malfunctioned blades as soon as they are considered inefficient.
- Set aside time to read and understand the instruction manufacturer’s manual to master the basics of the saws in question.
- Before using your saw, ensure that you carry out an overall check to ascertain the tightness of the bolts and the blade for ease of operation.
(You can watch the video to know in-depth)
final Verdict
From this “how to use a coping saw” article , now you know that the coping saw is usually underrated and rarely used despite its availability and portability. However, its outcomes are pleasant and eye-catching. You only need the fundamentals on how to go about the coping exercise to arrive at the desired results.
As you plan to start or continue using the coping saw, you should bear in mind that practice makes perfect. You should continuously practice coping with the coping saw to gain the required expertise in the field of drilling holes and appropriately coping joints using this saw. The more practice, the higher the competence levels in using the coping saw and vice versa.
Also, if you are looking for an effortless experience in designing your DIY projects, the coping saw can serve you well. It can be easily readjusted and based on its bow-shaped handle, and it can easily maneuver around your piece of wood or any other material to arrive at the desired shape.
Please follow the step by step process