Sawing Tips, Buying Guides & How To's

Don’t know how to use a saw or which saw to buy? Go through our expert sawing tips and learn about the different types of saws and how to use them.

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Worker cutting metal with a grinder

How to Cut MetalSteel, aluminum, or copper, there's a right tool to slice through each.

Woodworker cutting wood with a grinder and a dust collector on the side

Best Saw Dust CollectorsThe fine dust you can't see is the part that hurts. Trap it at the saw.

Carving children's toy with a scroll saw

How to Use a Scroll SawThe right blade and a clear tension ping are the whole secret to clean curves.

Carpenter cutting wood with a circular saw

How to Use a Circular SawStraight, splinter-free cuts start with one blade setting most beginners skip.

Working on a table saw while using a push stick

16 Table Saw Tricks for Safer, Cleaner CutsRip and crosscut are just the start of what your table saw can really do.

Man making a table saw sled

How to Make a Table Saw SledFactory miter gauge cutting crooked? Build the jig that fixes it.

Cutting wood properly with a table saw

How to Use a Table SawTen fingers in, ten fingers out. Here's how to run a table saw with confidence.

Man sawing wood with a miter saw

How to Use a Miter SawThat big drop-down blade is easier to master than it looks.

Drilling hole on a door with a hole saw

How to Use a Hole SawNeed a clean two-inch hole for that new door lock? Here is the trick.

Man trimming trees with a pole saw

How to Use a Pole Saw SafelyKeep both feet on the ground and let the saw reach the top of the tree.

Cutting tile with a wet saw

How to Use a Wet Tile SawThe secret to clean tile cuts? Let the diamond blade set its own pace.

Man cutting ceramic tile with a table saw

Best Table Saw Accessories for Safer, Cleaner CutsThe upgrades that keep your fingers, and your cuts, where they belong.

Sawstop table saw

Best Cabinet Table Saws for Serious WoodworkersBig iron, dead-on cuts. The cabinet saws worth your shop space.

Man working with a chop saw

Best Chop Saws for Metal and Heavy-Duty CuttingSlice steel like butter? These saws cut metal cool, clean, and dead straight.

Circular saw blades

Best Circular Saw BladesThe wrong blade burns, splinters, and fights you. Here is the right one.

Cutting tile with a saw

Best Tile SawsCracking tiles by hand? The right tile saw makes every cut clean.

Man trimming trees with an electric pole saw

Best Electric Pole SawsTrim those high branches without the wobbly ladder. Five pole saws that reach for you.

A band saw

Best Band SawsCutting curves or slicing metal pipe? Here's the band saw that fits your shop.

Person woodwoorking with a scroll saw blade

Scroll Saw BladesCleaner cuts, less sanding: the right blade for every scroll saw job.

A scroll saw

Best Scroll SawsCutting tiny curves that bigger blades choke on? These picks nail the fine detail.

Sharpening a saw blade

How to Sharpen Saw BladesA dull blade burns the wood and fights back. Here's how to fix that.

Man cutting concrete with a saw

How to Cut Concrete With a SawBrute force cracks concrete. The right blade and timing cut it clean.

Carpenter using radial arm saw to cut wood in workshop

What Is a Radial Arm Saw Used For?One machine that crosscuts, rips, and cuts joints? Meet the workshop original.

Man sawing wood

14 Practical Uses for SawdustThat pile of shop shavings is worth more than the trash can.

Cutting wood with a miter saw blade

Best Miter Saw BladesNo single blade does it all. Match the right teeth to the wood and cut cleaner.

Man cutting wood with a chisel

How to Cut Wood Without a SawStuck with timber and no saw in sight? Grab a knife or drill instead.

A handsaw

How to Sharpen a Hand SawBinding, burning, drifting off the line? Your saw is 20 minutes from sharp.

A Coping Saw

How to Use a Coping SawThe trick to clean curves? Let the pull stroke do the cutting.

Carpenter working with circular saw

Table Saw vs. Circular Saw: Which to Buy First?Not sure which saw to grab first? Your projects decide it for you.

Young carpenter woodworking with a circular saw

Best Circular SawsSidewinder or worm drive? Find the right saw for your next cut.

A Dewalt portable table saw

Best Portable Table SawsJob-site power you can lift, carry, and rip plywood with.

A Powermatic hybrid table saw

Best Hybrid Table SawsCabinet-saw cuts without the cabinet-saw footprint. The hybrids worth your bench.

Man working with a jigsaw

Best Jigsaws for DIY ProjectsCutting a curve? These jigsaws track straight and stay easy on your hands.

Assorted jigsaw blades

Best Jigsaw Blades and How to Choose ThemStop fighting splintered cuts. Match the blade to the job and the saw.

A bunch of band saw blades for resawing

Best Bandsaw Blades for ResawingWant clean veneer, not a wandering, burned cut? Start with the right blade.

Cutting metal with a band saw

Best Bandsaw BladesDrift, burning, busted welds? The right blade fixes all three.

Man holding a mini circular saw

Best Mini Circular SawsNeed a saw that fits where the big one won't? Start here.

Man gardening with a pole saw

Best Pole Saws for Garden PruningTrim high branches without the wobbly ladder. Here is what to buy and why.

Track saw for woodworking

Best Track SawsTired of wrecking pricey plywood? These saws cut dead-straight every time.

A cordless reciprocating saw

Best Reciprocating SawsDemo day? Let one of these saws rip through nails, pipe, and lumber for you.

Difference between a sliding and non-sliding miter saw

Sliding vs. Non-Sliding Miter SawsRails for wide boards or a fixed head for tight trim? Here's how to choose.

Woman operating a miter saw

Best Miter SawsStop fighting crooked corners. Find the saw that nails every angle.

Carpenter cutting through wood with reciprocating saw blade

Best Reciprocating Saw BladesThe wrong blade snaps or stalls. Here's the right one for every cut.

A miter saw stand in a construction stand

7 Best Miter Saw Stands: Portable, Rolling, and Compact PicksStop balancing boards on scrap wood. Find the stand that fits your saw and your shop.

Man working with a panel saw

Best Panel SawsTurn a clumsy 4x8 sheet into clean, straight cuts you can trust.

Man operating a worm drive saw

Best Worm Drive Saws for Framing and Heavy CuttingNeed framing torque that won't bog down? Compare the top rear-handle saws here.

Woodworking table saw with fence system

Best Table Saw Fences for Straight, Safe Rip CutsStop fighting drift and kickback. The right fence keeps every cut dead straight.

A table saw blade

Best Table Saw BladesThe right blade beats the priciest saw. Here are seven proven picks.

Woodworking beginner handling a table saw

Best Beginner Table SawsNew to the shop? These five saws keep your cuts straight and fingers safe.

Man operating a table saw

Best Table SawsStraight cuts start here. Find the right saw for your shop and budget.

Cutting wood with a worm drive saw

Worm Drive vs. Sidewinder Circular SawsOne saw powers through wet lumber; the other saves your arm. Which fits you?

Cutting wood with a miter saw

Single vs Double Bevel Miter SawOne saw flips your board, the other flips its head. Which do you need?

Cutting through metal with a chop saw

Chop Saw vs. Miter SawGrab the wrong one and you will scorch the wood or wreck the blade.

Woodworking with a table saw

Table Saw Safety TipsTen people a day lose fingers to a table saw. Here's how to keep yours.

Workshop with table saw

Table Saw vs. Miter SawOne rips, one crosscuts. Which saw earns the first spot in your shop?

Tables saw and blades

32 Types of Saws and What Each One CutsWrong saw, torn board. Here's how to match the blade to the cut.