Extreme How-To - March 2009

to 25 ppi (for very fine crosscutting, usually found in Japanese saws). Today, few people use rip saws. Most how-to work is easily done with saws ranging from 9 ppi (coarse) to 12 ppi (fine). To get tpi, subtract one from the points-per-inch number. Either is a sign of cut smoothness; the more teeth or points per inch, the smoother the cut. Rip saws use a chisel pattern tooth to chip out the wood, while crosscut saws use a knife edge to slice through the fibers. Rip saw teeth are filed at 90 degrees to the face of the blade; crosscut saw teeth are sharpened at an angle, usually about 65 degrees. Both saws have teeth set at an angle to the blade. Set is fixed, and determined by the tool used to produce it.

For crosscut saws, use coarse teeth ( 8 tpi) and a wide set for green lumber, fine teeth ( 10 or 12 tpi) and a closer set for dry, seasoned lumber to be used for finish work.