You Can DIY Your Own Turning Saw. But Is It A Good Idea?

When you need to cut wood, it's important to match the type of saw to the type of cut you need to make. Not all of these tools are made the same, and when you need to make a special type of cut, having the right model is vital. For curved slices using traditional hand saws, a turning saw (also called a bow saw) might be worth considering. It uses a narrow blade with fine teeth mounted in an H-shaped frame to cut curves and other detailed shapes in wood.

Because a turning saw involves such precise work, the tool obviously must fit your hands. You want the blade and saw frame to feel just right for making these tough cuts. Consequently, some people like the idea of building their own as a DIY project. But is it worth making a turning saw for regular use, or are better options available? We decided to reach out to our expert carpenter and remodeler, Bob Beacham, for his take on the viability of doing this project yourself.

"A homemade turning saw would be an interesting project, and I imagine making one would give a great sense of achievement," Beacham said in an exclusive interview with House Digest. "The pros are the blade length, so you can cut thick wood with less effort, and you could use thicker blades for heavier-duty work. ... The con would be the time it takes to make. You also need to be careful with long, thin blades. They break quite easily, especially if a lot of tension is applied."

A turning saw isn't necessary for most beginner woodworking projects. But if you're doing advanced designs that involve making curved cuts by hand, building a turning saw may interest you. Their frames are often made from hickory and can be quite beautiful. The origin of the turning saw may date back to the Middle Ages, making it a satisfying vintage DIY woodworking project.

Still, Bob Beacham says the process of building your own turning saw is probably more involved than most people will want to tackle. "It's quite a complex project," he told House Digest in our exclusive talk. If you want to try it, he suggests studying a couple of YouTube videos first — such as those from Rex Krueger and Mitch Peacock — to understand the steps and skills required. (Rex Krueger also has an Instagram video where he compares turning saws to coping saws.)

If you decide to build your own DIY turning saw and expect to use it frequently, Beacham says the videos might exaggerate how easy it is to handle their brittle blades. "I'm not used to seeing a turning saw with blades as thin as in the [YouTube and Instagram videos]," he said. "But then, I haven't actually seen one for a few years. They aren't common at all. I owned one once, or rather I inherited it when I bought a house and it had been left behind. It looked good hanging on the workshop wall, but I never actually used it."

In his exclusive interview with House Digest, Bob Beacham told us that although he appreciates the turning saw's design and the challenge associated with building one, he believes a coping saw could handle most of the same jobs. In addition, he said it would be a better tool to invest in for woodworking at home. A coping saw has a blade stretched across the opening of a U-shaped frame with a handle parallel to the blade. Its thin, flexible blade allows you to make detailed cuts anywhere you need to turn it.

"I have a coping saw, and that's what I would recommend," Beacham said. "Buy a good quality tool and good quality blades. Blades come in packs because you expect to change them fairly often. A coping saw is effective with a sharp blade properly tensioned."

If you'd rather buy a turning saw than build one, you may have trouble finding one for sale from a trustworthy retailer. "You can buy coping saws everywhere," Beacham told us. "I wasn't able to find any turning or bow saws, except on Etsy, and they were coming from Taiwan. My guess would be that turning saws just don't have enough benefits to make them viable commercially. A coping saw — or fret saw for very fine work — does a perfectly good job." If you're interested in buying a coping saw, Beacham recommends a Jorgensen model, available on Amazon for $19.