CAMP SAWS
NAME THE PARTS OF THE SAW:
THE PARTS OA A SAW VARY FROM TOOL TO TOOL, HOXEVER, THEY ALL SHARE FOUR COMMON PARTS; THE HANDLE, BLADE, TEETH AND SHEATH. THERE ALSO MAY BE PINS, BOLTS, SCREWS, TURBUCKLES OR FRAMES.
NAME THE SAFETY PRECAUTIONS WHEN USING A SAW:
THE BASIC PRINCIPLE IN USING A SAW IS COMMON SENSE. A NON-ELECTRIC SAW IS PERHAPS THE SAFEST CAMP TOOL IF USED CORRECTLY. USED IMPROPERLY HOWEVER, THE SAW WILL
DELIVER A NASTY AVULSION OR LACERATION.
1) ALWAYS HAVE WOOD TO BE CUT SECURELY HELD IN PLACE. USE A SAWHORSE IF AVAILABLE, OR IMPROVISE ONE IN THE FIELD. OR, HAVE ANOTHER RANGER SAFELY HOLD THE WOOD,
KEEPING HANDS WELL AWAY FROM BLADE.
2) ALWAYS KEEP YOUR SAW PROPERLY SHARPENED. A SHARP SAW IS LESS LIKELY TO BIND IN THE WOOD AND WILL MAKE YOUR JOB EASY.
3) NEVER CUT OVERHEAD LIMBS DIRECTLY ABOVE YOU, AS THEY WILL OBEY THE LAWS OF GRAVITY AND SMACK YOU AS THEY FALL.
4) NEVER PLAY WITH YOUR TOOLS.
5) ALWAYS KEEP SHEATHED WHEN NOT IN USE.
6) ONCE DONE WITH THE TOOL AT THE END OF THE DAY, OR CAMP, ALWAYS CLEAN AND OIL THE BLADE WITH A LIGHT OIL.
DESCRIBE THE TYPES OF SAW BLADES
THERE ARE FOUR BASIC SAW TEETH. THE STRAIGHT V-TOOTH, THE RAKER TOOTH, AND THE BUSHMAN TOOTH BLADES ARE PICTURED HERE. THE FOURTH IS THE CURVED TOOTH BLADE
WHICH IS A VARIATION OF THE STRAIGHT V-TOOTH.
THE STRAIGHT V-TOOTH IS THE SLOWEST OF THE BLADES, BUT IT IS THE TOUGHEST, AND IS THE BEST BLADE FOR THE BEGINNER. IT IS WIDER THAN THE OTHERS, AND LESS APT TO BREAK.
THE RAKER TOOTH, WITH A RAKE LOCATED AFTER EACH FOURTH TOOTH, RAKES THE SAWDUST FROM THE SAW KERF UPON EVERY RETURN STROKE. IT IS USED TO KEEP THE SAW FROM BINDING.
THE BUSMAN IS A FAST-CUTTING BLADE, SOMEWHAT NARROWER AND THINNER THAN THE STRAIGHT V-TOOTH. ITS TEETH ARE CHARACTERIZED BY A CURVING SWEEP OF THE POINTS. THE
CURVING SWEEP ACTS TO REMOVE SAWDUST.
THE CURVED BLADE IS A VARIATION OF THE STRAIGHT V-TOOTH. IT IS DESIGNED TO SLICE UPON FORWARD MOTION, AND TO RAKE ON THE RETURN STROKE. IT IS MOST COMMONLY USED ON
THE PRUNING SAW.
THE SECRET TO USING A SAW EASILY AND EFFICIENTLY IS TO NOT BEAR DOWN ON IT WHILE SAWING. THIS MEANS, LET THE SAW DO THE WORK AND DON'T PUSH DOWN ON IT. PRESSURE ON
THE BLADE RESULTS IN THE SAW CURVING AWAY FROM THE ORIGINAL LINE OF THE CUT. THIS CAUSES THE SAW TO BEND AND BIND IN THE CUT. WHILE SAWING, USE EASY, SMOOTH STROKES,
PULLING THE SAW BACK AND FORTH FOR THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF THE SAW BLADE WITHOUT APPLYING DOWNWARD PRESSURE.
DEFINITION: KERF - THE WIDTH OF AN INCISION MADE BY A TOOL.
TYPES OF SAWS:
From top left down: Folding Saw, Pruning Saw, Buck Saw, Swifty Bow Saw,
Bow Saw.
From top right down: Hand Chain Saw, Saw Sheathes.
Below: Sven Saw and Buck Saw
Descriptions to right
THE BOW SAW IS A GOOD ALL PURPOSE SAW. IT IS READILY AVAILABLE IN VARIOUS SIZES AND IS VERY ECONOMICAL. IT WILL CUT WOOD THREE TIMES AS FAST AS A HAND AX. MOST CAN
BE USED TO CUT WOOD UP TO 6" - 8" IN DIAMETER. THE BLADE CAN BE CHANGED OR TIGHTENED IN THE FIELD WITH A SCREWDRIVER. IT IS A MUST FOR PATROL CAMPING GEAR. IT IS NOT
PRACTICAL TO USE ON WOOD SMALLER THAN KINDLING. ALSO OF NOTE, IS THAT UNLESS YOU BUY A GOOD ONE, IT WILL MOST LIKELY FAIL ON YOU. AVOID DISCOUNT STORE SAWS.
THE CAMP SAW (SWIFTY) IS A SMALL RELATIVE OF THE BOW SAW AND IS A HANDY SIZE FOR BACK-PACKING. IT CUTS SMALLER WOOD THAN IT'S COUSIN. IT WILL ENABLE YOU TO
MAKE DO IN TERMS OF FIRE BUILDING. IT IS LIGHTWEIGHT AND DURABLE. IT IS LIMITED BY THE TRIANGULAR SHAPE AS TO WHAT IT WILL CUT.
THE SVEN SAW IS A FOLDABLE CAMP SAW SPECIFICALLY MADE FOR BACK-PACKING AND LIGHT WORK. IT IS LIGHT WEIGHT ALUMINUM AND FOLDS AS SHOWN. IT WILL CUT ENOUGH WOOD
FOR ONE OR TWO PEOPLE. IT IS NOT RECOMMENDED FOR PATROL GEAR. LIKE THE CAMP SAW, IT IS LIMITED BY IT'S TRIANGULAR DESIGN AS TO WHAT IT WILL CUT.
THE BUCKSAW IS THE OLD-TIMERS FAVORITE. IT CAN CUT WOOD UP TO 14" IN DIAMETER. IT WEIGHS UNDER THREE POUNDS AND FOLDS DOWN IF NECESSARY. IT IS THE CAMPER'S BEST
WOOD MANUFACTURER. IT IS POSSIBLE FOR A BOY OR PATROL TO MANUFACTURE ONE OF THESE SAWS BY GETTING A GOOD BLADE, THREE PIECES OF WOOD AS SHOWN, SOME SCREWS, WIRE
OR STEEL ROD, AND A TURNBUCKLE. ALL OF THE PARTS CAN BE FOUND AT A HARDWARE STORE.
THE TWO-MAN SAW IS A HEAVY DUTY SAW FOR FELLING TREES. THEY RANGE AROUND $100. THEY ARE FUN TO USE AND REQUIRE GREAT SKILL AND TEAMWORK.
THE ONE-MAN SAW IS A ONE PERSON VERSION OF THE TWO-MAN SAW. THE PRUNING SAW IS A GOOD TOOL FOR REMOVING LIMBS FROM LARGER BRANCHES, WHETHER OR NOT
THE TREE IS STANDING. IT HAS FOLDING MODELS.
