Maker’s Journal

Latest posts:

Saw Basics

Close-up of the teeth on a backsaw plate lying on an oak board

Rip cut vs cross cut: what the difference is

Rip cuts run along the grain, cross cuts run across it, and the teeth that do each job well are filed differently. Why that is, and how to tell which saw you have.

9 Sep 26

Saw Basics

Two Kaz Saw backsaws, a dovetail saw and a carcass saw, resting on a log round

Dovetail, carcass, tenon: which backsaw does what

Dovetail, carcass, tenon, sash, handsaw, panel saw. What separates them, which one you need first, and why I make the ones I do.

7 Sep 26

Saw Basics

Close-up of a Kaz Saw backsaw handle in dark timber with brass split nuts and a brass spine

The parts of a backsaw

Spine, plate, toe, heel, horns, split nuts. A tour of the parts of a backsaw, what each one does, and why it matters when you're choosing or using one.

4 Sep 26

Handle Fit

A saw handle outline drawn on a timber blank on a workbench beside printed saw plans

How to measure your hand for a saw handle

Every saw I make is cut for a hand size. All I need from you is one number, measured with a ruler held the way you’d hold a saw. Half a minute will do it.

1 Sep 26