In modern hardware store vernacular a bow saw is a metal framed saw in the shape of a bow with a coarse wide blade. It is a rough tool used for cutting tree trunks and the like. The traditional meaning of a bow saw is a woodworking tool used for straight or curved cuts. In European vocabulary it is synonomous with frame saw. In English and American vocabulary it denotes a toothed blade suspended between two long narrow handles called "cheeks" that are supported and separated by a narrow stretcher in the center of the handles, making an H shape. In this context it is known also as a buck saw and has a wide blade for roughly cutting wood. Finer version of the saw, using a narrow blade ( 1/4" or less), with handles that allow you to hold the saw and rotate the blade In this context are also known as turning saws. The blade in kept in tension with a turnbuckle or a twisted cord that is attached to the opposite ends of the handles. If a cord is used, the cord is twisted with a toggle attached to one loop of the cord adding tension. The toggle hits the center rod, which keeps the cord from untwisting.

SawsWoodworking hand tools

External Links

• An article on the engineering considerations in bowsaw design. Also plans and templates
• BugBear's bowsaw plans
• A bowsaw plan from a 1920's issue of "The Woodworker"
• A modern, commercially available, bowsaw