LV small cross cut saw vs lv cross cut carcass saw.

[Derek Gilmer]

With the free shipping weekend and all I've decided to pick up another LV saw. I've got the dovetail saw now and love it. It fits my hand and just feels "right" to use. About 80% of my handsaw work is making dovetails and the rest is a random assortment of whatever I feel like piddling with. I've been using a coping saw, cheap Japanese double sided saw or an old miter box saw to cut the outside waste off dovetails and do the other cross cut tasks. None of them obviously are a pleasure to use or do the best job. In comes the veritas saw. My question is what is the general opinion on which is more useful to have around, the smaller crosscut dovetail size saw or the slightly larger crosscut carcass saw?

Here are my thoughts

1. Dovetail:
- Smaller and easier to control
- Matches the saw I already have (yes I know, leave it alone that is a pro to me )

2. Carcass saw
- Larger to handle bigger tasks that might encourage more hand saw work to be done.

Is the larger (relative I know) saw going to be significantly hard to use for trimming waste from dovetails?

Thanks,
Derek

[Pedder Petersen]

Hi Derek,

I never sawed with one of their cross cut saws, but I think the diferences are small. the smaller saw will be a bit better on thin stock about 1/2", the bigger saw better on tenon shoulders. But both saws will do either task.

Cheers Pedder

[Chris Griggs]

I'd go with the bigger - 11 inches and 14ppi is still quite small and fine. I think you would feel limited by the really small size of the small crosscut, unless your only cutting very narrow and or very thin stock.

For cutting the waste off the outside of the dovetail its often just easier to use your dovetail saw. The teeth are fine enough that it works fine even thought its filed rip.

[Zach England]

I sold mine. I never used it. For cuts that small a fine-tooth rip saw works well enough for me and is usually closer at hand.

[paul cottingham]

I have the crosscut carcass saw and use it all the time. It is the saw I reach for first.

[Jim Matthews]

I find the depth of cut wanting with the smaller saw.

The plates are stiff (the same steel, I reckon) so a little more saw should flex much.

[daniel lane]

I, too, like having the xc carcass saw on hand. I picked it up after I got my dt saws and haven't regretted it for a moment.


daniel

[Will Boulware]

I have both. I'd recommend the carcass saw for many of the reasons listed above. My dovetail saw makes crosscuts just fine when needed, so I rarely use my small crosscut saw. That being said, they're so inexpensive that I couldn't resist buying all of them.