Coping saw

A coping saw is a type of bow saw used to cut intricate external shapes and interior cut-outs in woodworking or carpentry. It is widely used to cut moldings to create coped rather than mitre joints. It is occasionally used to create fretwork though it is not able to match a fretsaw in intricacy of cut, particularly in thin materials.

Coping saw blades are always thicker and much coarser cutting than typical fretsaw blades and many others of its family members.
Coping saws can however cut slight bends in the work, allowing circles to be cut if used carefully.

Back to Hand Tools & the Bench →

Source: Wikipedia · Image: Wikimedia Commons · Public domain

WOODPURSUITS

Fine woodworking, by hand and by heart — free calculators for board feet, wood movement, lumber cost, shelf sag, and finishing, plus plain-English guides to joinery, wood species, hand tools, and furniture making.

Get new guides by emailOccasional emails. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.

InformationAbout Contact Privacy Policy Terms of Service Disclaimer Affiliate Disclosure Cookie Policy

Every museum entry, image, and fact is drawn from Wikipedia and Wikimedia Commons, used under public-domain and Creative Commons licenses. No content is AI-generated.