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he essential difference between European and Japanese saws is in the teeth. A European backsaw cuts on the push, which is handy for very fine work because the sawdust accumulates at the back and doesn’t obscure the view. The teeth on a Japanese backsaw are thinner and cut on the pull stroke. Many beginning woodworkers prefer Japanese saws because they cut fast and clean, and they are easy to control.P U S H O R P U L L ?
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tart your saw collection with a rough crosscut saw, a backsaw (either European or Japanese style), and a coping saw.T
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Within the European style you’ll have a choice of the round-handled gent’s saw or the more familiar looking dovetail saw. If you make a lot of tenons by hand, you’ll also want to get a longer tenoning saw with its unique fine teeth set for ripping.
Then pick up a coping saw. It’s the best tool for cutting complex compound curves. One great feature of these saws is that you can rotate the blade to saw at the most advantageous angle. Get a selection of blades—coarse, medium, and fine—to handle whatever job arises.
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Scrapers
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crapers are versatile tools suitable for extremely different scraping tasks. They can cut thin, planelike shavings for flattening and smoothing the wild grain patterns so often torn out by handplanes. They’re also the best way to flatten and smooth thin veneers and inlays. At the other extreme, you can put an aggressive edge on a scraper and use it to remove paint or glue that would quickly dull or even chip a plane blade. The secret to the scraper’s versatility is its edge—a hook-like burr that slices wood and immediately curls it into a shaving.What to buy
You’ll want to get three types of scrapers to handle the extremes:
Hand scrapersare nothing more than a piece of hard steel with a burnished edge you push or pull over the surface, changing the angle to control the cut. Hand scrapers come
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Scrapers 77
An Array of Choices
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in a variety of sizes and shapes, some with curved edges to handle moldings and profiles.
Cabinet scrapersfeature a flat sole, com- fortable handles, and an iron ground with a 45º bevel that’s burnished rather than sharp- ened on a stone. They’re best for scraping large surfaces.
Ship scrapers usually have rectangular or triangular blades and long handles, but also have teardrop-shaped blades for moldings and profiles. They’re aggressive tools, best used for removing finishes and glue.
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hether you’re scraping dried glue from panels or smoothing surfaces for finishing, there’s a scraper that will do the job.F
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