Advantages and disadvantages of using a plastic saw horse

A saw horse is a carpentry tool used for raising and holding timber or wooden material when sawing. It is a must have tool that not only do skilled carpenters need to have but also beginners and semi-skilled carpenters.

There are three types of sawhorses that are currently in the market. These types are derived from the materials used to make the sawhorses. It includes:

• Plastic sawhorses
• Wooden sawhorses
• Metal sawhorses

The three types of sawhorses come with their pros and cons. For this case study we willlook at the advantages and disadvantages of using plastic saw horses as opposed to the metal and wooden saw horses.

Mobility is an important factor to consider when buying or making a saw horse. The plastic sawhorse offers a greater advantage because you can move it out and about at your convenience without having to call anyone to offer support. It allows you to use it and carry it around at your service. Unlike the metallic or wooden saw horses which are heavy and bulky, this type of sawhorse makes it convenient for you at any given time.

When it comes to durability, the plastic saw horse is the best. This is one saw horse that will not rust or rot. If you got so tired and left your metal saw horse outside for a few nights, you are going to wake up to an agonizing surprise from rust that won’t take so long before it makes your stand weak and unable to be steady any longer. Same to the wooden sawhorse, it will start rotting and in a short while you will have to change the stands or get another saw horse which is expensive. I mean how many times do you want to buy saw horses? So the plastic sawhorse gives an added advantage in terms of durability.

Arguably the greatest advantage of using a plastic saw horse is its adjustability. Assembling and disassembling of the plastic sawhorse is easy and least time consuming. This feature enables you to adjust to the right measurements of what you would want to saw or cut. Think about trying to adjust a rigid metallic metal or a wooden heavy and bulky saw horse. Trust me it’s not the best experience. It will cost you some good number of minutes and energy to try adjusting the wooden and the metallic saw horses as compared to a plastic saw horse that gives you the power to adjust it to your convenience.

However, the plastic sawhorse as much as it is mobile, durable and adjustable offers the greatest weaknesses that would scare your thought away from buying one. Strength is an essential need you must consider when buying a saw horse. This is where the plastic sawhorse fails terribly. It’s not as strong as a wooden or metallic saw horse and therefore would not serve the purpose when handling heavy duty machinery or when cutting heavy metallic or wooden materials.

One other greatest drawback that the plastic saw horse faces is stability. Heavy duty work that requires a more stable and strong sawhorse would rather not be performed on plastic saw horse. It will definitely disappoint. That means if you had one plastic sawhorse you will have to consider using another tool to support the timber or the wood that you want to saw then what is the need of having a tool that consumes space and doesn’t serve you?

The other drawback that this plastic raises is the fact that it is not reusable. Once it has folded or broken then that’s the end of it. Sadly. Apparently any other plastic materials becomes useless when it becomes too old and starts rotting down. It weakens and you would be surprised if you tried to support a featherweight material on top of it and then it just falls at your sight. What an unpleasant surprise would that be? I don’t want to imagine.

If you would like to learn more about using a plastic saw horse then please visit the http://Woodworking-Tool-Guide.com for more information.

- Pete

How To Cope A Joint

A coping saw is a carpentry tool that is mostly used by carpenters who finish ceilings, floors and other areas that require a neat look. It is quite basic and consists of a wooden handle and a U shaped metal throat. Joining the two ends is the blade that is used for the actual cutting of the material in question.

The tool got its current name from the type of cut that it is predominantly used for, coping a joint. So what is coping?

Coping is the process of cutting and joining two irregular patterns to fit each other neatly. In other words it involves joining two irregularly shaped molds, usually in the corner of a room with something like a skirting board.

How do you cope using a coping saw? Let’s take a deeper look:

1. The first thing to do is to take the two moldings that are to be cut and make a mark along where the coping saw will cut. It is very important to do this as it will give you a line to follow so you can make an accurate cut. A little hint here is to make the cut at a 45 degree angle.
2. The next thing to do is to cut along the drawn lines on the first molding that you want to join. To make sure that you will not cut into an unwanted region, position your coping saw just below the cutting line. This is very important. Cut through to the very end.
3. Now the next thing is to cut the second piece of molding. To do this correctly, position the molding that you’ve already cut against the molding that you want to cut. Mark a line with a dark pencil along where the edge of the already cut molding corresponds with the molding to be cut.
4. Now repeat the cutting process once again. Just as you did with the first molding don’t position your coping saw blade at the line, that would be a mistake; position your blade a few millimeters away from the cutting line. For this one, you can cut without needing to be at a 45 degree angle.
5. After you’ve done the cutting of both of the moldings, fit them to see how well they  fit. The next thing to do is to adjust the fit with a knife, file and sandpaper. Chances are high that you won’t have gotten the cut perfect on the first attempt. Take a sharp blade, smoothen one of the moldings in a regular manner and be careful not to dig too far as this will result in you having to start over again. Keep refitting the two molds frequently and keep removing the excess material. As you get closer to a good fit switch to the file and finally over to the sandpaper.
6. Lastly attach the molds to the wall (or wherever you’re placing them). If you’ve done well then you’ll need to do nothing further, but don’t be too upset if you need to add a little filler; the perfect cope takes many attempts to master.

If you would like to know more about how to use a coping saw then please visit the http://Woodworking-Tool-Guide.com for more information.
- Pete

Jigsaw - The Ultimate Cutting Machine

A jigsaw is a mechanical power tool which is usually used to cut things into pieces. It is made up of an electric motor and a reciprocating saw blade. This kind of saw is also called by some manufacturers, as a “Bayonet Saw” or “Sabre Saw”.

Every one of us, have always used a tool, but have we ever thought what the story behind this tool is? Have anyone ever thought who made this tool and why he made it? Have we ever thought how it works? I guess none of us did that. Let’s learn something about the saw history and its types and working principles.
In the year 1946, an engineer named Albert Kaufmann, who was working in Scintilla AG Company, Solothurn, Switzerland, replaced his wife’s sewing machine’s needle with a saw blade. The following year, in 1947, using Albert Kaufmann’s invention, his company Scintilla first started producing this power tool calling it the“Lesto Jigsaw”. Later the company was acquired by Bosch, and the name Lesto was replaced by Bosch. In 1966, they added pendulum action to the movement of the blade.

Over time, additional features have been added and different power options. There are mainly 4 kinds of saws:


•    Corded Jigsaw
This kind of modern tool has electric wire connection. This is a sophisticated curving machine with modern and very fine features to fulfill all kinds of cuts in the all kinds of material. The most powerful corded jigsaws can cut wood up to 2 or 3 inch thick. It can cut deep Aluminum and even in steel.

•    Cordless Jigsaw
A tool without a cord. This type had a battery instead of a cord. Charge up the battery and use the blade to cut off any kind of shapes in wood and other materials. Though cordless tools need charging and are typically less powerful than corded tools, they have the advantage that they can be used in cases where an electric socket is not available.


•    Pneumatic Jigsaw
Pneumatic saws are a new idea in the field of this power tool. This is a new addition in the history of jigsaw. Previously air tools were quite common among movable sanders, but now, it is also a concept for jigsaws. A pneumatic jigsaw is connected to a decent sized compressor. It is as powerful (or maybe more) as the corded ones. Lack of electricity makes it a lot safer to work in wet or damp places.


•    Bayonet Jigsaw
Bayonet jigsaw is a bit different than all others stated in above. It was first developed in the 1950s by Porter-Cable. This type of tool uses a worm gear to transfer the power to the blade-reciprocating mechanism. It is used to cut thinner woods, metals, plastics, laminates etc.


Let's talk about blades. Is there a single kind of blade which fits all saws? Or there is different kinds of blades serving different purposes? What do you think? Let’s see.


There is a wide range of blades which also shows the wide range of uses for this too. The types include:
•    Various number of TPI (Teeth Per Inch)
•    Blade edge for cutting soft materials
•    Cranked blades to overcome the set back of the blade and allow flush cutting
•    Thin Blades to cut tighter curves.
•    Push stroke cutting blades to avoid damage to the top surface.


This is not an extensive list, there are lot of types of blades out there, but this shows the main types which are commonly used.


If you would like to learn more about the jigsaw then visit the http://Woodworking-Tool-Guide.com for more information.
- Pete