Editing Coping saw (section)

== Use ==
The coping saw blade is removable by partially unscrewing the handle and can be installed in the frame such that it cuts on either the push stroke (teeth pointing away from the handle) or pull stroke (teeth pointing towards the handle).<ref>{{Cite web |last=Perkins |first=Dennis |date=2019-06-21 |title=Perfect Cuts With Coping & Fret Saws |url=https://www.woodsmith.com/article/perfect-cuts-with-coping-fret-saws-coping-saw/ |access-date=2024-12-02 |website=Woodsmith}}</ref> The blade is prevented from rotating by means of the short steady bar provided where the blade is attached. Loosening the handle also allows the blade to be rotated relative to the frame as desired. Carefully aligning the finger with the steady bars at the top and bottom of the blade ensures that the thin blade is straight and not twisted along its length. Retightening the handle tensions the blade and locks it at the desired angle relative to the frame. The short steady bar nearest the handle is held securely between finger and thumb while the handle is tightened to ensure the blade remains at the desired angle. Unlike the fretsaw the coping saw blade has holding pins which lock securely into the angled slots of the rotatable blade holders.

The direction of the cut is quite easy to change because of the thinness of the blade. Gentle curves are achieved by slowly turning the whole frame by means of the handle while continuing to cut steadily. When necessary, the blade can also be rotated with respect to the frame to make sharper curves in the material being cut. Blade breakage is much rarer than with a fretsaw.

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 for this task. The thin blade tends to make wavy cuts in thick materials unless skill is achieved through much practice on a wide variety of materials of varying thicknesses. The stroke length before the frame strikes the material above or below is the limiting factor in the maximum thickness of material. The work becomes progressively more difficult and tiring with increasing thickness of material.