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How To Cut Wood Without a Saw

You can cut wood using a variety of tools but a saw is the most practical and the most efficient. Wood saws come in a variety of sizes and shapes but the most commonly used is a bandsaw for large wooden panels and a plain hand saw for easy cuts.

Can you cut wood without a saw?

A saw could be a basic, hand saw or a power saw as a circular saw, miter saw or table saw. But what if you don’t have a saw handy? Can you cut wood without a saw? The following materials can help you cut wood without the conventional saw.

Things you will need

• Wood to cut
• Sharp knife
• Drill/sharpening machine
• Machete
• Axe

Using a sharp knife

Source: https://gearjunkie.com/how-to-make-firewood-with-a-survival-knife

There are times when you just want to remove long pieces of wood that may have exceeded the appropriate lengths. You don’t need a saw to do this, all you need to use is a sharp knife. You can cut wood with a knife but only thin pieces of wood. Sharpen your knife with a file before you start.

Cut the wood using the slanting technique. Hold the wood firmly and use the sharp knife to cut the wood at a slanted angle. Trim the edges well. Remove small bits of wood using the sharp knife from the point of cutting all-round. Use your hand to snap the wood. Use the sharp knife to trim the wood and prepare it for use.

Using a drilling or sharpening machine

Source: https://www.homedepot.com/c/circular_saw_blades_buying_guide_HT_BG_TH

There are types of wood that are specifically used in the production of household furniture and most of the dimensions of these woods vary. Some are thin while some are very long. A carpenter can quickly cut the wood into different sizes and pieces with the use of a simple drilling machine and a sharp machete.

With a drilling machine create several perforations on a straight line on wood. Repeat this until the perforations weaken and break off the wood. Use the machete to trim the wood edges and have your wood ready for use.

Using a machete

Source: https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo/machete-cutting-tool.html

This technique is perfect when you need raw thin wood for a particular project. A saw is not a good tool to cut raw wood but a sharp machete will do a good job.

Identify what area of the wood you plan to cut and mark the point by creating a clear line around the wood. Use a sharp machete to cut small bits of the wood all-round the wood at a slanted position. Repeat this on both sides of the marked line and repeat the steps until the wood breaks. Use the machete to smooth out the edges of the wood.

Using a sharp axe

Source: http://www.robin-wood.co.uk/wood-craft-blog/2010/07/25/which-is-the-best-axe-for-carving-bushcraft-general-use/

If you need to get raw but thicker wood from the forest and you have no saw, a perfectly sharp axe will surely make the cut. An axe is basically a better option, however, the process of cutting wood with an axe could be a bit time-consuming and back-breaking.

Create a mark on wood with a clear line along the point where you intend to get your cut. Use the sharp axe to cut a few inches from the marked line. Do this repeatedly until you have managed to cut around the tree or wood.

Now shift your focus to the other side of the marked line and do the same. Continue cutting at this manner over and over again until the wood has severely weakened and ready to break because of its own weight. Stand a good distance as the wood or tree falls. Use your axe to trim the edges or you may use a machete to better remove the bark or edges of wood away.
To get woodcuts from the same wood, repeat the steps mentioned and soon you will have all the wood pieces ready.

Conclusion

Cutting wood without saw is possible because there are a number of tools that you can use. And no matter what you want to use for wood cutting, you must keep safe. Never work without protective clothing like gloves and goggles.