Usage Of Reciprocating Saw

A reciprocating saw, also known as a saber saw, is a type of power tool that is commonly used in demolition and renovation. A Reciprocating saw is compatible with a wide range of blades and can cut through a variety of materials, including wood, plasterboard, metal, steel, and PVC. They can also cut through frames, and walls pretty swiftly.

A reciprocating saw is known for its quick, back-and-forth cutting stroke. Reciprocating saw is way easier to manage compared to any other circular saw, especially if you’re working from a ladder or cutting over your head. Due to its versatility and unique characteristics, a reciprocating saw can be used for a variety of additional applications. However, before getting into the application, you should know how a reciprocating saw works.

How Does A Reciprocating Saw Work?

The motor powers the reciprocating saw’s strokes which allow it to cut across various types of materials. The motor moves the blade at high speed in backward and forward motion, similar to a jigsaw, and finally cuts through the materials. Besides, there are some premium reciprocating saws that will even allow you to control the speed and length of the cut.

Reciprocating saws make all the demolition and construction work more simpler and fun. Here’s how to get the most out of your reciprocating saw.

1. Demolition And Construction

A reciprocating saw with a longer blade is highly recommended for demolition and construction work. These types of saws may also work for professionals who have expertise in working on demolition projects like taking down studs or even removing walls. Along with straight and accurate cuts, a reciprocating saw can cut through construction material as well. Besides, you have to put a lot less effort while using a reciprocating saw to perform hard labor.

A reciprocating saw can repair the shingle of a building’s roof as well. Shingles are vastly used as a roof covering. Using this saw, you can also remove the drywall and studs on one side of a wall while keeping the other side of the wall completely intact. Although reciprocating saws are recommended for demolition stuff, they can have extreme kickbacks. Furthermore, a reciprocating saw allows you to change saw blades of various lengths and widths at any time.

2. Pruning

A reciprocating saw is a perfect tool for pruning or trimming overgrown tree branches. You can carry this saw anywhere with you as it’s both portable and lightweight. Since you can move this saw pretty easily, chores like cutting and pruning are done pretty quickly. If a tree is small enough, a reciprocating saw can cut it down as well.

Due to its convenience and versatility, this saw is one of the greatest cutting tools for any trimming work. Hence, a reciprocating saw with a pruning blade will come in handy if you need to prune trees or overgrown branches around your property. However, while pruning, this saw must be handled correctly to avoid damaging your landscape. Be careful while cutting tree branches, they may bend and cause your saw to shake.

3. Cutting Through Various Material

Compared to other saw kinds, a reciprocating saw can cut through a wide range of materials including wood, steel, PVC, drywall, and metal. With this saw, you can easily trim any wooden piece and turn it into stunning decor pieces. Besides, you can easily cut plywood with a reciprocating saw if you don’t mind the rough edges. You may also connect pieces of wood together.

If you have the proper metal-cutting blade attached to your reciprocating saw, you can easily cut metal with it. A reciprocating saw is ideal for cutting and replacing studs that have been damaged. As long as you can secure the blade in position, pairing your reciprocating saw with a woodworking or demolition blade will be enough for cutting through PVC pipes. You can not only cut through drywall but also perform a plunge cut with this reciprocating saw.

4. Straight/Curved Cut

One of the main purposes of a reciprocating saw is to make straight or curved cuts in both horizontal or vertical positions. It might be difficult to cut straight lines with any generic blade but reciprocating saws can make straight cuts with precision thanks to their narrow blade with short surfaces. Compared to standard saws, reciprocating saws are more convenient to make straight and curved cuts.

Since the reciprocating saws are compact and portable, they can easily get into tight places. The reciprocating saw has the advantage of being able to perform these straight as well as curved cuts on both wooden and metallic surfaces. Thinner and longer blades are recommended to execute freehand curves with a reciprocating saw. Apart from making straight and curved cuts, this saw can make excellent circular cuts as well.

5. Plumbing

If you ever had to conduct plumbing work, you know how cramped the areas can be. Even sometimes, when working on a pipe, you may only have a few inches to work with. That’s where a reciprocating saw comes in handy. You can also cut through holes and notches. This saw can be useful for HVAC maintenance as well, which frequently suffers from the same kind of space restrictions. A reciprocating saw is widely used to cut through rusty fasteners.

While removing various types of fixtures, it might be difficult to remove bolts with pliers that have come into contact with water and have corroded due to moisture and age. In that case, you can use a reciprocating saw to chop them off. You’ll never come across a plumber or HVAC technician who doesn’t have at least a small reciprocating saw in their kit.

6. Framework

If you want to cut frames with precision, a reciprocating saw is a right option for the job. Because reciprocating saws are known for making accurate straight and curved cuts. With this saw, you can design and create some of the best frameworks. Thanks to its flexible blades, it can cut through any nails or screws as well. The reciprocating saw is the perfect tool for framework cuts since its thin blade leaves no marks or scratches on the wooden surface.

Tips For Using Reciprocating Saws

Mishandling any sort of saw could turn out to be dangerous. Here are some of the precautions you should take while using a reciprocating saw.

While changing blades, always unplug the saw first.
Use hand gloves and don’t wear baggy clothes while using this saw.
Whether you’re cutting through metal or wood, always wear safety goggles to protect your eyes. Hearing protection is also advisable.
Even after a few seconds of use, the blades of the reciprocating saw can become quite heated. So avoid touching the blade else you could end up with a deep cut or burn.
While cutting through finished walls and floors with a reciprocating saw, make sure you don’t cut any wires or pipes in the process.
Be careful while working on the ladder with a reciprocating saw. It can have intense kickback if it gets stuck on the material it’s cutting.

A reciprocating saw can be used for a variety of applications including making straight, curved, or round cuts, pruning, plumbing, cutting drywall, and many more. The versatility of this saw is mostly due to its ability to accommodate various types of blades for various applications. In this article, we have tried to present the most important uses of the reciprocating saw in our everyday lives so that you don’t lose out on all of the benefits that this saw has to offer.