Coping saw

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A coping saw.

In woodworking and carpentry, a coping saw is a type of hand saw used to cut intricate shapes and interior cutouts. It is widely used to cut moldings to create coped rather than miter joints. It is also occasionally used to create fretwork. A coping saw consists of a very thin blade stretched between the ends of a C-shaped frame, to which the handle is attached. The blade is easily removed from this frame, so that it can be passed through a drilled hole in the middle of a piece of wood, reattached, and start cutting from the middle of the piece.

The direction of the cut is also easy to change because of the thinness of the blade, and because the blade can be arbitrarily rotated with respect to the frame. When the blade is oriented at a right angle to the frame, it is possible to make a cut parallel to the edge of a long piece, as far from that edge as the size of the frame allows. The rotation also allows for changes in direction that would not be possible if the entire frame had to be turned.

The teeth on a coping saw blade should face the handle ("backwards" as compared with most other Western saws); the action of pulling the coping saw allows the frame to remain in tension (and thus reduces blade breakages). This is as opposed to most other saws which only cut in the "push" direction.

A Coping saw (with the correct blade) can also be used to cut through aluminium tubing and other metal objects, though a Hacksaw is much more efficient than a coping saw for this task.

A Coping saw is often used with a v-board, also known as a birdsmouth board, which is a flat board with a "V" shape cutout in one end. In use, the v-board is clamped to the bench so that the section with the cutout hangs over the edge. This allows the work to be held down flat whilst shapes are cut into it. The cutout allows the coping saw blade to pass through the work unimpeded. This technique is common in marquetry.