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Im a left handed carpenter who would like some feed back. Im looking for a coping saw that i can maneuver a little bit better . has anyone ever used a fret saw to cope a joint .and if not can any one recommend a nice quality coping saw.
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Christian, for the life of me, I can't figure out how any coping saw I own would favor a right or left-handed person. Am I missing something here?
Right handedly, Steve
*Christian,If you find coping hard being left handed, you may need to change directions. I work from left to right around a room (base, shoe, chair, panel etc.) and I'm right handed. Crown works well either way. You should be able to cope either way and feel comfortable. I read an article in FHB that explained coping left or right according to line of sight. I feel that if it's done right you can't tell which piece is coped so I move left to right for speed.Another thing to check is the type of blade. I prefer 18 to 20 TPI thin blades. Still another thing to check is the direction of the teeth. I learned to position the blade so it cuts on the pull stroke. You must be aware of tear out when the blade is backwards. Almost everyone who picks up one of my saws says "you've got the blade backwards" but I get excellent results in spight of it. If I have big mouldings to cope, I use a jig saw and make the most out of my mitre saw. When I cope base I mitre the end and flip the piece end for end and let the mitre saw do the coping untill I reach the first curve. Good Luckkcoyner
*Im a lefty too and i dont know what difference it makes for a coping saw. I also reverse the blade to cut on the pull feel it gives me better control. On crown i try to work around a room right to left coping the right end because it will be on the left side of the saw and i dont have to flip it to cope with my left hand. I like the saws with the flat frme rather than the round one. Nothing fancy, around 10 bucks i think.
*I think that you have a coping saw that has to much flex in it. I like the stanley that has the round frame. Most of the flat frame types want to twist as you use them. As was stated above change blades both in the type and the amount of teeth and cut on the pull stroke
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Hi guys,
Loved reading the discussion regarding the coping saw. I've spent the last week pulling out what little hair I have left due to coping base moulding in a church remodel.
I started, using the standard Stanley round frame coping saw. To say the least, the saw was flimsey. I had a terrible time trying to cope the joints. Also, I believe the blade that comes with the saw is a fine tooth blade.
I threw it in the trash and headed for Sears. Little did I know I was about to meet the most wonderful coping saw in my life!!
The Craftsman coping saw is extremely well built. It has a flat frame, adjustable tension feature and more weight to it than any other saw I found. The handle has a greater diameter as well.
Additionally, I bought medium and course tooth blades and with some practice and special attention, found the cutting to be very easy.
I would also like to add that for a nominal fee I would be happy to supply anyone with a left handed cope saw! (And this time I'm telling you the truth! ha ha)
Go to the Craftsman saw and I believe you will begin to enjoy trimming instead of dreading it.
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Anybody tried the collins coping foot, I was suprised this hadn't come up in the discussion on coping large crown.
*What's a coping foot?
*OK, now that's three in a row of you guys saying you cut on the upstroke! I can't remember how many coping saws I've bought over the years and they always come with the blade installed to cut on the upstroke. Check it out next time you go to the yard. I always take them out and turn them around to cut on the downstroke, like a handsaw.And Steve - my oldest is a lefty, and I still can't figure him out! ...leftys, geez... - yb
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thanks for your reply what i meant to say was i was searching for a coping saw that had a throat depth of less than normal so i could get in closer to what i was coping but i was in a hurry and of course
with a screaming 1 yr old daughter i had to type as fast as i could where r u from i live in connecticut
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The coping foot replaces the foot plate on your jigsaw and allows you to follow the profile of the moulding (that's what coping is right?) because there is only a smallish contact surface on the saw. It's supposed to work great, at least that's what Jim Tolpin said when he reviewed it in one of those taunton 'zines FWW/FHB.
*Christian, I gave up on my coping saw and use a 4 1/2" grinder with a rubber back and 80# paper. You would not believe the aaccuracy and speed at which you can cut. It takes practice, but it's well worth it! Give it a try. Good l
*YB, we get to the same place, We're just going around the block the other way. Don't forget that lefties are much more adaptable than you handicaps. We have to be to live in the world you havestacked in your favor. As for the coping, "SLOW DOWN", Let the saw cut at its pace. I always have found that the faster and harder I tried to cut with a coping saw the worse the finish project. Don't force it nice and easy, guide it.
*J.D. - hey, good to have you back! Thought maybe the boss had you tied to the desk (or the missus had you tied to...never mind. Good to, see ya! - ybHEY! - do you think the coping saw getting its name had anything to do with the rest of us having to cope with leftys, and leftys couldn't use this saw, so us normal types get revenge? I'm gonna get to the bottom of this. Hey Patrick, aren't you a linguist?
*Ok guy's after getting my coping saw slammed a few times I took a look at HD today and found out a few things. One the stanleys that were on the rack were round frames and trashy. Mine is built with a heavy frame and a deeper throat. A local Hardware store has one like mine and is sold as there upgraded model. A contractor grade. Also you have to use differant blades. I've not had much luck with the "wide blades" that you see all the time now.
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Christian-
*What I meant to say was- I think you want a jeweler's saw. It's like a coping saw, but with a narrower throat, and sometimes adjustable for blade length. Hope this helps.
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Got to go with the upstroke stroke. Very Japanese, and the blades seem to last much longer.
Something that helps us out on wide and/or hard stuff, is Top-Cote blade and bit lube.
Whole lotta copin' goin' on, BB
*When you say 4 1/2" grinder, do you mean a regular old electric angle grinder like what is used for working with steel, welding, etc?TIA
*Matt, I use an angle grinder like for steel on all kinds of stuff. tuning copes on big crown, getting a hardwood floor smooth where I have to hang a door, cutting off offensive metal corner bead, scribing stair treads to the skirt, hogging down badly cut rough stair stringers,etc,etc. It's one well used tool on my jobs. Where it really shines though is scribing cabinet backs or fillers to irregular walls (are there any other kinds?). Practice, practice, practice.Ungrudgingly grinding, BB
*BB they don't make a piece of trim big enough I can't cope with a coping saw. :)(The blade will also lock on the side too)
*So, you're a tough guy! I'm a sis, and any trim is too big for me and a hand saw. Jig saw and grinder. Machines ARE our friends Bill.Feelin' jiggy,BB
*I read somewhere several years ago that coping saws were originally meant to be used on the pull stroke , but they were intended to be pulled down [your hand below the moulding ] while sitting at what else , a coping bench . I've only seen one guy use it like this and it looked pretty awkward to me but he didnt have a coping bench [not that I know what the hell one looks like ] he was on his knees in the floor using a saw horse .I.ve always reversed the blade and cut on the push stroke myself .I,ve also used a table saw to cope some wide really thick crown . Chuck
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Im a left handed carpenter who would like some feed back. Im looking for a coping saw that i can maneuver a little bit better . has anyone ever used a fret saw to cope a joint .and if not can any one recommend a nice quality coping saw.