Reply To: Handsaw Skills
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GregM,
Sawing is the gateway skill, yet the least written about and videoed of the basic skills. I can understand your problem. The best advice I can give is check with your local woodworking shop (if you have one) for someone to show the basic way to stand and hold the saw. Once you know how, practice until you can do it without thinking about it.
Bottom line: Stand so your sawing arm can move freely without interference, hold the saw’s tote almost like you would something you did not wish to touch, and try to not saw. In other words move the saw back and forth while trying to just let the weight of the saw do the work.
Do it over and over trying to stay square and vertical. Check each time with a square to see how you did, try to correct any mistake on the next cut.
Learning to saw is mostly about seeing and learning to feel vertical plus learning to trust the saw to work for you.
Ken