Handtools for Trail Work
Tools for Sawing
Crosscut Saws
There are two types of crosscut saws. Symmetric crosscut saws are designed for a sawyer at each end, and asymmetric saws require only one sawyer. They are heavier so they can be pushed and pulled without buckling. There are two basic patterns for symmetric crosscuts--felling crosscuts are light, flexible, and have concave backs that conform easily to the arc of the cut and the sawyer's arm. The narrowed distance between the teeth and back helps sawyers wedge the cut quickly. Felling saws are usually preferred by trail crews. Bucking crosscuts have straight backs and are heavier and stiffer than felling saws. Their weight helps the saw cut faster and the stiffness prevents buckling on the push stroke when one person saws. Most asymmetric saws are bucking saws. Symmetric saws are pulled by each sawyer. There is no push stroke.
Crew members using a
bucking crosscut saw.
Types of crosscut saws
Symmetric saw
The points of most crosscut saw teeth lie on the arc of a circle. These cut easier than a straight-tooth saw and are almost as simple to maintain. Crosscut blades are ground flat or ground with a taper from front to back. A flat-ground blade displays uniform thickness throughout. Flat-ground saw teeth require more "set" than taper-ground saw teeth.
1--A cut made with flat-ground teeth tends
to bind when cutting under compression.
2--A cut made by taper-ground teeth is less
likely to bind.
Taper-ground saws vary from thick-at-the-teeth to thin-at-the-back so their teeth require less set. Taper-ground saws work well for trail jobs because they begin cuts quickly and are slower to bind than flat-ground saws. For all-around trail use, a taper-ground felling crosscut is very effective. Taper-ground saws are often called crescent, precision, segment, or arc-ground saws.
- Each line represents uniform thickness--tapering from thicker at the teeth to thinner at the top.
- The teeth are a uniform thickness.
- The teeth may vary in thickness
One-person saw blades vary from 3 to 4½ feet and these saws weigh 4 to 5 pounds. Two-person saws generally have 6-foot blades and weigh about 8 pounds.
Many modern crosscuts have solid ends. That is, the teeth do not extend to the ends of the blade. For finishing some cuts, however, you will often need a saw with teeth continuous to both ends. A saw with continuous teeth is needed to cut a log in dirt or deep duff, for example.
Before sawing a log with a crosscut, "swamp" the area to remove materials that could interfere with the cut. Next, check the "lay of the log" to determine what will happen when the cut is made. Saw from the uphill side unless you are placing an undercut on a standing tree. Remove loose bark from the line where the saw will pass. Avoid getting the saw into the dirt at the end of the cut. If necessary, place a piece of bark under the log or dig it free under the cut. Make final strokes with one end of the saw so only end teeth will dull if you slip.
