View Full Version : When to use a Fret Saw vs Coping Saw?
Frederick Skelly
09-06-2015, 1:52 PM
Hi guys,
Every time I look in the LV catalog, I wonder this, because they sell both. Can you please teach me: when does one use a Coping Saw and when a Fret Saw? I ask, because it seems like folks use them interchangably. Yet they must serve different purposes in some way?
Thanks very much!
Fred
Jim Koepke
09-06-2015, 2:04 PM
Within my own experience only a few differences can be offered.
Fret saws tend to have blades available that are thinner than coping saw blades. This allows for finer turns and thus detail work with a fret saw.
Coping saw blades have pins to hold them in the saw. Fret saws use a clamping arrangement. The fret saw allows a blade that is broke to be used. It is a bit difficult to saw with a very short blade.
The standard coping saw tends to have more space between the blade and the frame of the saw than a typical fret saw.
A coping saw tends to have a way to rotate the orientation of the blade to the saw. Sometimes it is only a few choices. A fret saw doesn't always have this feature.
There are sure to be many more differences.
For dovetail work to remove waste both have been employed in my work.
jtk
Tom M King
09-06-2015, 2:57 PM
When you need to cut tighter curves. If I'm fitting crown molding that's not going to be painted, where every defect is obvious, I use a coping saw for the larger radius curves on the wide top part, and a jewelers saw for the cove at the bottom. A jewelers saw uses the same blade as the fret saw.
mark kosse
09-06-2015, 4:06 PM
I'm not an expert but I consider a fret saw to be a deeper coping saw. Modern coping saws tend to use pinned blades but I have what I consider to be coping saws that use pinless blades. I mostly use crown tooth scroll saw blades in them.
So, to answer the question I use the coping saw until I need the depth that a fret saw allows.
ken hatch
09-06-2015, 4:54 PM
As mentioned, fret saws will turn tighter and leave a smaller kerf. Not being able to turn the blade attachment isn't a problem, just take a pair of dikes and give the blade a twist at both ends. Fret saws tend to be slower cutting and the blades will break. I've never worn out a fret saw blade before it broke and I can't remember the last time a coping saw blade broke before wearing out.
I use both. Which one usually depends of the kerf of the dovetail saw not which is a better saw. BTW no need for high tech frames for either. Less than $20USD will get you a good frame.
ken
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