Saws that Sing: A Guide to Using Crosscut Saws

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Contents

• Acknowledgments
• Introduction
• Historical Origin of Crosscut Saws
• Types of Crosscut Saws
  • One-Person Crosscut Saws
  • Two-Person Crosscut Saws
    • Felling Saws
    • Bucking Saws
• Saw Grinds
  • Flat Ground
  • Straight Taper Ground
  • Crescent Taper Ground
• How a Saw Cuts
  • Cutter Teeth
  • Rakers
  • Teeth that Both Cut and Rake
  • Gullets
  • Tooth Spacing
  • Tooth Patterns
    • Plain Tooth (Peg Tooth) Pattern
    • M Tooth Pattern
    • Great American Tooth Pattern
    • Champion Tooth Pattern
    • Perforated Lance Tooth Pattern
    • Lance Tooth Pattern
• Saw Handles
  • Types of Handles
    • Loop-Style Handles
    • Pin-Style Handles
  • Handle Installation and Maintenance
• Saw Maintenance
  • Cleaning the Saw
  • Cleaning Solutions
    • Field Cleaning
    • Shop Cleaning
• Checking for Straightness
  • Using Straightedges
• Testing the Saw
• Saw Filing
  • Saw Vises and Tools
    • Straightening
    • Jointing
    • Fitting Rakers
    • Tooth Pointing
    • Setting Teeth
• Storage
  • Long-Term Storage
  • Storage in the Field
  • Saw Sheaths
• Transporting Saws
  • Boats
  • Aircraft
  • Vehicles
  • Packstock
  • Hikers
• Axes
  • Safety Considerations
    • Single-bit Axes
• Wedges
  • Felling Wedges
  • Bucking Wedges
• Underbucks
  • Axes for Underbucking
  • Mechanical Underbucks
• Lubricants
  • Applying Lubricants
• Preparation for Bucking and Felling
  • Safety Considerations
  • Personal Protective Equipment
  • Determining the Forces on the Log
  • Situational Awareness
  • Bucking Sizeup
    • Overhead Hazards
    • Side Slopes
    • Spring Poles
    • Suspended Logs
    • Pivot Points
    • Side Binds
    • Rootwad Movement
    • Unsound Wood
    • Log Movement
• Planning the Cut
  • Types of Cuts
  • Determining the Safe Working Side of the Log
  • Planning and Clearing Escape Routes
  • Establishing a Work Platform
  • Providing Adequate Saw Clearance
  • Bark Removal
  • Tool Placement
  • Crew Communication
  • Determining Binds
  • Determining Bucking Locations
  • Points to Remember When Planning the Cut
• Single-Bucking Techniques
  • Single Bucking With No Bind: Top Cutting
  • Single Bucking With Top Bind: Underbucking Required
  • Single Bucking With Top Bind: Top Cutting
  • Single Bucking With Bottom Bind: Top Cutting
  • Single Bucking With Bottom Bind: Underbucking
  • Single Bucking With End Bind
  • Single Bucking With Side Bind
  • Double-Bucking Techniques
• Felling
  • Safety Considerations
  • Direction of Fall
  • Situational Awareness
  • Felling Sizeup
  • Establishing Escape Routes
  • Placing the Undercut
    • Chopping Out the Undercut With an Ax
    • Using a Crosscut Saw and an Ax
    • Making the Undercut With a Saw
• Making the Back Cut
• Concluding Principles
• References Cited
• Additional References
• Sources for Crosscut Saws and Accessories
• Vintage Saws
• New Crosscut Saws and Accessories
• Subscribe to Crosscut Saw Bulletin
• Contact Us to Order Copies of This Document

Acknowledgments

The author wishes to thank Warren Miller, Ian Barlow, Winston Rall, and many others who have shared their knowledge of crosscut saws. Thank you to staff at Missoula Technology and Development Center for coordinating, editing, designing, and printing this report. In particular:

Jerry Taylor Wolf, Editor

Bert Lindler, Editor

Sara Lustgraaf, Design and layout