How to Cut Wood Without a Saw

Amazing Alternatives to Try!

Any person who is into  woodworking  will surely know that making a masterpiece out of wood needs a lot of practice, passion, and of course learning. And the last thing I just mentioned is never enough when you are aiming to become a genius in this field.

Cutting, sharpening, molding, and various other activities are intertwined with woodworking and woodworkers. Usually, when we talk about cutting, there’s no need to say that saws are going to be a part of that discussion.

But there are also some other ways to make those cuts happen. And today we will be throwing lights on all these alternatives.

Yes, it’s about how to cut wood without a saw using other tools that are probably within your workshop or DIY corner.

How to Cut Wood Without a Saw Using Six Alternatives.

According to, Woodworker Help a saw is the most convenient tool for making wood pieces precisely cut within less time.

The whole concept of preparing wood pieces involves a saw. But it’s not absolutely the only thing to use for this purpose. There are plenty of other stuffs available that can be incorporated for wood cutting. Let’s know about most common tools that can achieve you the results that saws are a master of providing.

Back to Basic with a Knife

As being one of the most primitive inventions out there for cutting, a knife is hardly ever not present in any household. And so, when you are thinking about a cutting related problem because of the saw absence, there’s a good chance this thing will come into your mind initially.

Some may simply sidestep the thought wondering how can a mere knife help in something as serious as woodcutting. I agree, not just any regular kitchen knife will do the job.

But a pocket knife, whittling knife, and hunting knife can be excluded from this list. These are pretty good at giving you cut pieces of wood for a specific length. Some people use it religiously for fixing lumber squareness.

Just make sure the knife you choose is sharp enough. It needs some filing otherwise. You can use any regular high-quality file to get that smooth nice edge on a knife. And you should be ready to make fine cuts on the wood.

Use the slanting method for cutting with a knife. The wood needs your firm hold while being in a slanged angle. That’s the right position to begin a cut. Here, keeping the angle right is a key and it’s a pretty crucial key remember.

Trim the edges for the next step. Make sure you go for smaller cuts in case there’s a doubt of too much cutting. Snap the wood from its thinnest point and end it with smoothing those edges out. That’s It!

Creating Perforation with Drill Machine to Cut Woods

Drilling machines are supposed to help you with creating lumber holes. But it can also help you with cutting through woods through perforation creating. You need to draw a line on the section where you want to have cut on wood.

And then, start making perforation on that line. By repeating this process, you get the wood weakened. And finally, it will break into two pieces at some point. Using a knife, you can trim those edges for a perfect result.

Raw Lumbers Are Easy to Cut with Sharp Machete

You are not going to get a very clean result like saw using this method. But still, it can help you with emergency needs. The trick here is trying a sharp machete to saw through lumber that is raw enough.

You want to draw a sawing line over the wood to make it easy. Then start making small cuts on the line using a machete. You should use a slanted angle for making cuts. Keep on doing this process with each side of the wood. Continue until the wood decides to break into two pieces. Next, smoothen edges down using the machete or any knife.

The Idle Axe Can Help Too

It’s okay if you don’t have the sharp machete or benchtop drill press at this moment. An axe can also help you here.

Just make a line like before and you want to cut small pieces next. It needs to be at least a couple of inches away from the drawn line. You want to cricket both sides. The lumber will break into two pieces, just keep continuing until then. 

Chisel Can Make Cuts Once Sharpen Right

You can use any sharp chisel for this process as well. It should be on a firm and safe surface though. Use both hands to firmly hold the chisel. Now simply pay attention on using bevel side up. You want to put flat side against the surface of your working wood. Now make a carve on the wood at a 20-degree angle.

Use your non-dominant hand to hold chisel while hammering with the dominant one. You want to hammer the chisel a few times until a chip is noticeable on wood. Clear chipped wood and repeat the process a few times. The final result should look good.

Get the Electric Router for Some Cutting

Use any electric router for cutting wood. You just need to fix a router bit and adjust the gauge. The adjustments need to be of a specific depth that you chose yourself. Pull the trigger and wood engagement should start.

Move router with the direction of cut you want to make. Release the handle pressure once you are done with cutting. Using various bit types, you can make different cuts with an electric router. Just pay attention to gauge adjustments for trimming.

Wrap Up

And that were six good and easy alternatives on how to cut wood without a saw. Being innovative and creative with such tool alteration is an excellent way of nourishing your skills.

And so, trying some counter challenges occasionally can be a fantastic way to teach yourself. You never know when a moment-of-crisis hits that would make such diverse skills and ideas applicable.

Having the Third Eye Toward Various Equipment is Healthy for Your Creative Enhancement More Than You’ll Ever Think… So, Keep That Eye Wide Open!

A Final Word

For most of you, steam mops are used for better cleaning once every fortnight. Whereas others might use it every day. The more you make use of your best steam mop for tile, the more it takes you by surprise! Your steam mop can save you a great deal of time and energy from cleaning.

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