Hand Saws to Help You Cut to Measure
A hand saw can be a useful and practical addition to your tool collection. It never requires charging, can be ready to cut at a moment's notice, and offers fine-grained control that can be difficult to achieve with a hand held electric saw. Plus, it's a lot quieter than an electric version, so you're less likely to annoy neighbours or wake up the baby while you work.
Picking the right saw for the job
There are lots of different hand saws available, and they each have ideal and less-ideal uses. For example, bow saws can be great for smaller, precision work. In contrast, a solid bladed classic hand saw is useful for larger jobs like cutting tree branches, trimming pieces of timber to size, or pruning unruly hedges. Cross-cut saws, on the other hand, are handy for big, two-person jobs – with a person on each end, you can cut trees into splittable chunks fairly quickly.
Grab a jab hand saw for home renovations
If you're working with drywall or plasterboard, a jab saw can be invaluable for cutting out holes for pipes and wires to go through. Typically you'll drill a hole first, then use the long thin jab saw to create the size and shape of opening that you need.
Japanese pull saws for controlled cuts
Japanese style hand saws have been gaining in popularity lately, simply because they work well. Unlike the hand saws you might be used to, these cut on the pull, not the push. Many people find that this improves their control and gives them a good energy to result ratio.
Fret saws for intricate work
Consisting of a thin blade on a bowed frame, fret saws are best for smaller projects where you don't want long, straight cuts. Most people use these to cut precise curving shapes from relatively thin or light wood, like balsa or plywood. For example, if you're making your own acoustic guitar body, you'll probably want to use a fret saw.
Whatever your purpose, there is a saw-style available on eBay to suit.