A frame saw or sash saw is a type of saw which consists of a relatively narrow and flexible

blade A blade is the Sharpness (cutting), sharp, cutting portion of a tool, weapon, or machine, specifically designed to puncture, chop, slice, or scrape surfaces or materials. Blades are typically made from materials that are harder than those they a ...

held under tension within a (generally wooden) rectangular frame (also called a sash or gate). They are used for cutting wood or stone. The blade is held perpendicular to the plane of the frame, so that the material being cut passes through the center of the frame. Frame saws for use with wood are rip saws operated as a hand saw or powered in a

sawmill A sawmill (saw mill, saw-mill) or lumber mill is a facility where logging, logs are cut into lumber. Modern sawmills use a motorized saw to cut logs lengthwise to make long pieces, and crosswise to length depending on standard or custom sizes ...

. Frame saws used for cutting stone were powered saws in stone mills. When used for different purposes, a frame saw may have other names. For converting logs into

lumber Lumber is wood that has been processed into uniform and useful sizes (dimensional lumber), including beams and planks or boards. Lumber is mainly used for construction framing, as well as finishing (floors, wall panels, window frames). ...

, they are also called a pit-saw or whipsaw. For sawing veneer, they may simply be called a '' veneer saw''. It is unknown how early framed pit-saws came into use; however, there is an Italian fresco from depicting their use. A more modern development from the 18th century is the ''open'' pit saw which resembled a large hand saw with no frame, a ''till'' for a

handle A handle is a part of, or an attachment to, an object that allows it to be grasped and object manipulation, manipulated by hand. The design of each type of handle involves substantial ergonomics, ergonomic issues, even where these are dealt wi ...

at the top and a ''box'' for a lower handle. This form of pit saw is still manufactured and in use in rural areas of

developing countries A developing country is a sovereign state with a less-developed Secondary sector of the economy, industrial base and a lower Human Development Index (HDI) relative to developed countries. However, this definition is not universally agreed upon. ...

as a means of processing timber. The frame pit saw was the mainstay of resawing before stiff, unframed two-man saws called a muley or mulay saw,

circular saw A circular saw or a buzz saw, is a power-saw using a toothed or Abrasive saw, abrasive disk (mathematics), disc or blade to cut different materials using a rotary motion spinning around an Arbor (tool), arbor. A hole saw and ring saw also use ...

s, and band saws took over. In some early

s a frame saw was powered from a

water wheel A water wheel is a machine for converting the kinetic energy of flowing or falling water into useful forms of power, often in a watermill. A water wheel consists of a large wheel (usually constructed from wood or metal), with numerous b ...

, wind mill or other rotary motion through a crankshaft and connecting rod. Frame saws are now largely obsolete, although woodworkers who eschew power tools still make them for personal use in many sizes and styles of assembly.

References

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External links

* {{woodworking Saws Timber preparation Woodworking hand tools