Power saws are extremely useful machine tools, but they are also very confusing. There are so many types of saw in different categories and sub-categories of power saw, that it becomes difficult to remember what each kind of saw does. That is the purpose of this article, to act as a sort of “comprehensive guide” to explain the world of various types of power saws.
Generally, there are three varieties of power saws namely power saws with rotating blades, with reciprocating blade and circulating blade, including electric wood cutting saw.
If you have ever played the word game CodyCross then you probably have across the puzzle: Power tool with rotating blade. The answer is BUZZSAW.
But what is a buzzsaw? It is nothing but a circular saw. Most of the electric saws fall under this classification.
In this guide, I’m going to give you a very brief explanation as to what each kind of power saw does, what it is good for, etc. My hope is that this saw guide will be useful for both beginners, who know nothing about power saws and professionals who are familiar with power saws, but who are also looking to expand their knowledge.
Table saws are one of the workhorses of any workshop or garage. Everyone from professionals to home DIYers use this tool often. In my experience, it is hard to think of a woodworking or carpentry job that does not require you to use a table saw at least once. Table saws are very simple, a circular saw blade is spun at high speeds at a stationary position and the operator pushes the wood into the blade. There is some room for customization, especially with regards to the blade, which can be changed to accommodate different kinds of jobs. However, ultimately the table saw is a simple, but effective tool.
Working Principle: The circular table saw blade fixed on an arbor revolves at a very high speed. The work-piece is fed against the rotating blade to make the cut.
Circular saws, much like table saws, are a very common workhorse in both professional and DIY workshops. A circular saw is a versatile tool that offers high portability. The main purpose of a circular saw is to cut wood and other soft materials; in this sense, they are essentially portable table saws. You can also this saw to cut tough materials like metal with the appropriate circular saw blade. The working principle of a circular saw is opposite of a table saw.
How Circular Saw works: A circular saw it a handheld power tool with a rotating blade that is pushed across the workpiece to cut through it. That means the work needs to be stationary and the rotating circular saw blade moves to make the cut.
Jigsaws work similarly to reciprocating saws, except with two key differences. Firstly, unlike with regular reciprocating saws, the blade on a jigsaw aims downward, instead of jutting out from the nose of the saw. Secondly, jigsaws are designed specifically to make curved or otherwise non-straight cuts.
