# Hand rip boards or use a table saw?



## LucasWoods (Oct 1, 2014)

So I have a delema. I would like to stick with hand tools to build all my projects but I also do not have the most time in the world. I have 2 kids, getting my BA and work for the Air Force. My question is would getting a table saw that I would mainly use to crosscut and rip boards down really increase my efficiency to make it worth it.

Note: I do like hand tools for the fact that my daughter can walk into the garage and I don't necessarily have to worry that she will cut an arm off.


----------



## BannorToys (Dec 12, 2013)

It is worth the money in my opinion. If a table saw allows you to save enough time that you stay interested and involved in wood working then go for it! If space is a concern and all you want is to rip boards, a bandsaw with a good blade and fence could do that as well, also can resaw thick boards for you. Not as traditional as a handsaw but my table saw is my favorite station in my shop. Tons of options as far as style and brand also so do your research and find one you will be happy with.


----------



## albachippie (Feb 2, 2010)

She could still easily cut her arm off with a hand tool! If safety is your only concern, I would get a table saw and put some safety rules in place around it. If on the other hand you are a traditionalist, well, hand saw it is. But, a table saw will allow you to spend far more time hand jointing, mortising, smoothing, sanding etc by hand. The roughing out is what takes the most time.

Just my tuppence worth!

Garry


----------



## MT_Stringer (Jul 21, 2009)

Most power tools have safety devices so you can disable the on/off switch. On some, you merely remove a little piece of the switch. On others, a provision has been made for a lockout device.

Hope this helps.
Mike


----------



## MrUnix (May 18, 2012)

*My question is would getting a table saw that I would mainly use to crosscut and rip boards down really increase my efficiency to make it worth it.*

As for increasing efficiency, of course it would.. you could rip dozens of boards in the time it would take you to do one with a hand saw.. that is what they were invented for! If a table saw or (other type saw as Jesse mentioned) is 'worth it' to you… that is something that YOU need to decide for yourself and your own criteria (time, cost, space, safety, etc…). If it's just a question of efficiency, that answer is obvious.

Cheers,
Brad


----------



## LucasWoods (Oct 1, 2014)

Ok now the question is do I really need a $500 saw if I am solely going to just use it to do rips and cross cuts? Maybe some miter. If I can get away with a used craftsmen table saw in the $150-200 range that would be great or what would you recommend?


----------



## agallant (Jul 1, 2010)

Like someone else has said there are ways of disabling it. Mine has a key, some of my other tools have a plastic clip that can be removed. If you do get a table saw it is one of the most usefull tools in the shop and you can do allot more with it than rip boards. If you are really worried take the blade out when not in use.


----------



## MrFid (Mar 9, 2013)

If all you plan on doing with the saw is simple rips and crosscuts, you should be fine with a smaller saw, depending on the type of wood you are cutting. The reasons for a bigger saw over a smaller one that I can see are as follows:

- Bigger work surface, especially in front of the blade. This is more important than you might realize.
- More stable/ less vibration during use.
- Capacity to cut dados. Some smaller saws still have this.
- More accurate. This can be improved on a small saw with a good setup/tuneup, good blade, good fence, good crosscut sled, etc.
- More power to cut through thicker/harder wood easier/faster. Cutting through 12/4 hard maple for feet at a time is not fun on a small saw.

If those things do not matter to you, then the small saw is the way to go for saving some money. Definitely used is better for saving money than new.

Hope this helps! Good luck.


----------



## MarkDavisson (Apr 26, 2009)

I think it all depends on how much sawing you do.


----------



## agallant (Jul 1, 2010)

You can get one of these if you are worried about your doughtier getting in to the saw.

http://www.amazon.com/Roride-RRKA-StoPower-Power-Plug/dp/B0014ZXWCS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1424282715&sr=8-1&keywords=electrical+cord+lock


----------



## Tim457 (Jan 11, 2013)

It depends on what you're woodworking for. You say you want to stick to hand tools and if you're woodworking purely as a hobby you could certainly stick to using a hand saw. I do and it works fine, but I don't turn out a lot of projects with the little time I have available. Most of my time goes into practicing skills and making tools so far, but I'm having lots of fun and enjoying the time I get. But if your goal is to complete as many furniture projects for the house in the little amount of time you have available then that's a different story. Power tools win by a mile for efficiency especially when doing the same thing over and over. You can of course go hybrid and do both. Get some power tools for rough stock prep to save lots of time and then hand tools for the rest, whatever you enjoy the most. Do you have access to an on base shop or anything like that?

I know the most common advice is to make a table saw the center of your shop but there are other ways to go instead.


----------



## theoldfart (Sep 9, 2011)

I do mostly hand ripping. If I need speed I use my band saw and extra stands, just don't like table saws.


----------



## pjr1 (Jan 28, 2015)

No reason to restrict yourself to one or the other. When I feel the need to go traditional I do it and if I want to speed things up I break out the power tools.


----------



## Rivercitykenb (Jan 26, 2015)

Depending how old your daughter is you could simply lower the blade below the table surface as well. Then in order to cut herself she would have to raise the blade and turn the saw on. Take in mind this advice is coming from someone with no kids, So clearly this is expert advice.


----------



## Woodbum (Jan 3, 2010)

Even most of the pros use power tools for the 'heavy lifting" work and then finish with hand tools. As Graham Blackburne stated, it is the only way that he can make money in today's market. IMHO limiting yourself to either power or hand tools is kind of silly. Most woodworkers today are 'Hybrid woodworkers". They use the tools that are most appropriate and functional for the task at hand. Multi routers and CNC machines are upping the game even more.
As I have opined many times, if the old masters of the 16th thru the early 20th centuries would have had access to modern power tools, would they have said "hell no, I'm not going to use them; I am a purist"? Maybe so, but I think not. Use what you need, can afford, and feel the most comfortable with. The dilemma that you speak of can be mitigated somewhat by proper training for your daughter and a no wavering set of rules for everyone to follow when in the shop. I am the only person to use my shop, or even enter it, and I lower blades, release tension on other blades; remove cutters and bits and lock fences over bits when I leave the shop for the day. I want no "statistics" coming out of my shop. Have fun and work safely. Thanks for your service in the USAF. I for one appreciate it!


----------



## JADobson (Aug 14, 2012)

> She could still easily cut her arm off with a hand tool!


Ha, not likely. She might cut herself, even badly, but there is no way she's taking off an arm. What are you using? A guillotine?

Woodbum, I have no doubt that the old masters would be using power tools if they had them. Some of us, however, are just hobbyists and aren't worried about making money. From what it sounds like the OP is in that situation so the efficiency of a machine isn't as necessary. As for pros using all hand tools, check out Tom Fidgen. The guy does everything by hand, including sawing veneers and making his own plywoods. Pretty amazing.


----------



## MT_Stringer (Jul 21, 2009)

Since the OP is using hand tools, I can assume that he starts with rough stock. There have been times when I buy rough stock at the lumber yard, the pickens might be slim or I need a quantity that results in some pieces that are bowed. I try to stay away from cupped wood as much as possible, although I do have a jointer and use it often.

So, I built a table saw ripping sled, as a lot of other folks have done. There are videos on You tube folks have uploaded showing their versions.

I use it to rip a straight edge, then use the jointer to joint a flat side and one edge. For the OP, obtaining a straight edge would be a benefit to a lot of work with a hand plane. I also cut rough stock into manageable lengths before starting any milling.

Here is my sled. Another good reason to have a table saw handy. 









More info here.
http://lumberjocks.com/projects/103276


----------



## MT_Stringer (Jul 21, 2009)

> You can get one of these if you are worried about your doughtier getting in to the saw.
> 
> http://www.amazon.com/Roride-RRKA-StoPower-Power-Plug/dp/B0014ZXWCS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1424282715&sr=8-1&keywords=electrical+cord+lock
> 
> - agallant


Thanks. I had no idea those type of locks were available.


----------



## screwikea (Feb 1, 2013)

Have you considered a circular saw? You can absolutely rip and crosscut with one, and you can do both *very* accurately if you use some simple jigs. What a table saw really nets you is *repeatability*, and a big one nets you *power*. It's also one of the smaller power tools, so you can lock it up in a cabinet if you're worried about your kid.

There are lots of hand tool guys that use a few power tools for bulk work-so thicknessing, big cuts like ripping, and things like resawing.


----------



## waho6o9 (May 6, 2011)

Track saws are another option


----------



## RichardHillius (Oct 19, 2013)

The question is do you enjoy ripping and cross cutting by hand? For me I built a portable workbench out of 8/4 hard maple on the deck of my apartment a few years ago using all hand tools and almost took my arm off ripping the boards to size. I decided after that that being able to rip and cross cut by hand is a nice skill to have but doing it all the time wasn't something I was interested in.

I can think of several ways to tackle this problem with power.

Straight edge with circular saw or track saw setup
Tablesaw
Bandsaw

Knowing what I know now if I was going to be mostly a handtool person I would probably keep the bandsaw and ditch the rest of the power tools except the planer. The bandsaw and planer can pretty much replace the shop apprentice in a modern mostly hand tool shop except for the sweeping up and maintaining the glue pot over the fire part.


----------



## DrDirt (Feb 26, 2008)

I think you need to borrow a nice sharp rip saw and rip a board about 4 feet long twice, and see if you decide that the total Galoot method of breaking down stock really really sucks.

I find hand tools are for makeing joints and smoothing things… not so great for making boards.

if your time is limited, work on making projects, not making lumber.

Get a power saw.

I think for rough ripping of things, a bandsaw is both safer, and wastes less wood, and is more versatile than a table saw.

It is all a time thing…. when I took a seminar on 'the business of woodworking' there was a discussion of buying rough vs surfaced stock, and really taking into account how much SHOP TIME there was to joint and plane to have a flat surface… and how it typically was costing him around 2 dollars a BF to surface rough stock and it took time away from getting paying projects done and out of the shop faster.

So he buys surfaced material (just S2S) with a SLR (straight line ripped), knowing he will have to do some touch-up after the wood acclimates to the shop it will move some.


----------



## Mustang67 (Feb 22, 2014)

I'm one of those hobbyists, and I have an inexpensive Delta table saw. It does what I need 95% of the time. Every once in awhile I wished I had a bigger one, or a more accurate one, but for what I do, I couldn't justify a more expensive one. As for safety, I unplug it, lower the blade, and put the fence over it when it's not in use.


----------



## LucasWoods (Oct 1, 2014)

Thank you all for the posts! I do plan to make some hardwood projects out of maple etc. do you all think this saw wold be capable of the task?

http://m.lowes.com/pd/Kobalt-15-Amp-10-in-Table-Saw/50056619

Or maybe a used craftsmen table saw?


----------



## jmartel (Jul 6, 2012)

Buy a used Craftsman Tablesaw for $100. I've never owned anything nicer than that yet.


----------



## LucasWoods (Oct 1, 2014)

Thanks Martel there is a lot on CL in the Colorado Springs area.


----------



## bobro (Oct 24, 2014)

Crosscutting and ripping are not difficult with hand tools. I think you'll find that it is resawing wide thin boards that really puts the hand in handwork. Having grown up with big power tools, and now working only with hand tools, in my opinion it is a bandsaw for resawing and a track saw for sheet stock that would make the most significant difference in time and effort, by far. For a long time I assumed that a planer and jointer would be the power tools I'd miss the most, but this turned out not to be the case.

"Your mileage may vary", as they say.


----------



## knotscott (Feb 27, 2009)

We're all free to choose hand tools if we want, but there's a reason the power table saw was invented, and that it's the heart of most woodshops.

*The ABCs of Table Saws*


----------



## JayT (May 6, 2012)

My 2 cents worth (you might ask for a refund, though)

What is your main goal with woodworking? You need to answer that question before anything else. If your main goal is to turn out projects quickly, then power machinery will get you there. If your goal is to go out in the shop, turn on the radio and enjoy some down time along with the physical aspect of making sawdust, then by all means use hand saws. In between is a whole range of possibilities that combine the two, now frequently referred to as hybrid woodworking.

Cross cutting with hand tools is not difficult or very time intensive, it's ripping and thicknessing that eats up time and is more physically demanding. If you decide to add some power to your arsenal, options have been hit on by others, whether table saw, band saw or track saw. All have certain advantages and disadvantages. You'll have to decide what fits best with your lifestyle and goals. Nice part is that if you buy a used Craftsman table saw for $150 or so and decide it's not the way you want to go, then you can resell and not lose out financially.

Table saw-Easiest and fastest to rip boards with and will generally leave the best edge. Biggest downside is that table saws are space hogs.

Track saw-Small, easy to store and can do a good job. Best option for working with sheet goods. Not much flexibility in other tasks it can do and doesn't have the capability for perfectly repeatable cuts.

Band saw-Most flexible of the options in that you can do curves as well as rips and cross cuts. Takes up less space than a table saw, but will generally take longer to rip and leaves a rougher edge.

Safety is obviously another concern. Table saws have the potential to cause the most damage if there is a moment of carelessness or an accident. This is due to their power and the fact you are usually pushing part of your body in the general direction of the blade, as opposed to something like a track saw where you are moving the tool with your body. Band saws would probably fall in between those two.

I work mostly with hand tools and have been giving serious consideration to selling the table saw and going with a band saw for the reasons above. Biggest gain for me would be space. In a 110 sq ft shop, a table saw takes up a big chunk-switching to a band saw centric shop would gain enough space to add a small lathe.

In the end, I will still use some power tools to dimension-a table or band saw and lunchbox planer are enough. Then I can use hand tools and enjoy the rest of the build and the shop time. That works for me, you have to decide what will work best for you.


----------



## Tim457 (Jan 11, 2013)

knotscott, I'd be curious to know what the reasons are the table saw has so much focus. I have no power tools and I'm not likely to devote enough space to a table saw so I'm more likely to go with something like what bobro is describing if I ever do get some power tools. I'd be interested in what the tradeoffs would be going that route. I don't mean to hijack the thread, it seems pretty relevant to Lucas' question.


----------



## handsawgeek (Jul 31, 2014)

My LJs handle says it all.

Last summer I sold off my table saw, and do not miss it one bit.

I still own a circular saw, jig saw, band saw, chop saw, and scroll saw, but I rarely use them. They only get fired up once in while when I've got some rough outdoor garden or garage stuff to knock together.

What's funny is these are the kind of projects that I don't want to dull up the teeth on my good hand saws ! :d

I think that Jayt hit a lot of this discussion on the head. It all boils down to what type of woodworking one wants to do.


----------



## knotscott (Feb 27, 2009)

> knotscott, I d be curious to know what the reasons are the table saw has so much focus. I have no power tools and I m not likely to devote enough space to a table saw so I m more likely to go with something like what bobro is describing if I ever do get some power tools. I d be interested in what the tradeoffs would be going that route. I don t mean to hijack the thread, it seems pretty relevant to Lucas question.
> 
> - Tim


A crappy saw doesn't have much appeal, so assuming a "good example" of a table saw (full size, cast iron/granite top), with a stout belt drive induction motor, good blade, and good fence), a TS can be extremely accurate, efficient, repeatable, and versatile….rips, crosscuts, miters, grooves, dados, slots, resaw, coves, etc. A good flat surface also makes a great reference surface for truing up the legs of a table or chair. My TS also houses my router table on the right side, I park my jointer along the left the edge, and use my workbench as an outfeed, so the whole work area is the center of my shop. Obviously the saw is the biggest tool in my shop, but I'd still need a bench, and would want a router table and jointer, so it doesn't seem like a ton of extra space for what I get out of it. I use the saw a lot.


----------



## MrRon (Jul 9, 2009)

The only reason woodworkers of the long ago used hand tools was beause power tools were not yet invented. Power tools were intended to replace hand tools for doing work more quickly and more accurately. If one chooses to work exclusively with hand tools, that's fine, but don't underestimate the role of power tools. If a table saw will save you time and do a better job than hand sawing, that's the way to go.


----------



## jmartel (Jul 6, 2012)

> The only reason woodworkers of the long ago used hand tools was beause power tools were not yet invented. Power tools were intended to replace hand tools for doing work more quickly and more accurately. If one chooses to work exclusively with hand tools, that s fine, but don t underestimate the role of power tools. If a table saw will save you time and do a better job than hand sawing, that s the way to go.
> 
> - MrRon


Power tools are not more accurate. What they are is faster and more repeatable. They excel in a production environment. If you only do one-offs, their advantages aren't quite as numerous. For ripping lumber, to me it makes more sense to use a table saw. Once you rough size the lumber though, it starts going more and more to the advantage of hand tools if you are doing one off stuff.


----------



## cootcraig (Jan 31, 2015)

> Thank you all for the posts! I do plan to make some hardwood projects out of maple etc. do you all think this saw wold be capable of the task?
> 
> http://m.lowes.com/pd/Kobalt-15-Amp-10-in-Table-Saw/50056619
> 
> ...


Hey, I'm the newbie in pueblo. I'm in the process of refurbishing an older Craftsman contractor saw I bought off Craigslist for $80. I haven't got it cleaned up and back together yet, but I think it will work out for me. If I had purchased a new job site saw I would plan to use it with a Ron Paulk Workbench II build or Rousseau table saw stand. I plan to build the Paulk workbench to mate with the Craftsman contractor saw.


----------



## dannorocks (Mar 5, 2015)

I'd say use a table saw for rip cuts and crosscuts. With a decent saw (I recommend the Delta 36-725-2 for ~$600) you can do all that as it has a great fence that is accurate and repeatable. Pair it up with a good thin kerf blade and you'll be impressed with the accuracy of your cuts as well as be able to use stacked dados for cutting dados and rabbits. Keep that saw tuned up well and build a nice crosscut sled and you'll probably make a tendoning jig after that and wonder why didn't i get a table saw sooner…

Also if your looking to cut hard maple and looking to get a 15 amp 110 volt saw you want to make sure to buy a thin kerf blade for your saw. Smaller cut, less waste, and less effort to turn it and you'll have less worries than using a wider blade that may surge your power supply…


----------



## LucasWoods (Oct 1, 2014)

I think I am going with hand ripping boys! #1 turns out no room in my garage workshop. #2 costs suck #3 I think I want to stay true to hand tools.

Maybe further down the road when I have improved skills and room I will purchase machinery.


----------



## JohnChung (Sep 20, 2012)

I generally favour hand tools but to rip a board 1 inch thick by 4 feet? I rather use power tools. Just work with mdf and you will thank power tools…...


----------



## MrRon (Jul 9, 2009)

Power tools are not more accurate. What they are is faster and more repeatable. They excel in a production environment. If you only do one-offs, their advantages aren t quite as numerous. For ripping lumber, to me it makes more sense to use a table saw. Once you rough size the lumber though, it starts going more and more to the advantage of hand tools if you are doing one off stuff.

- jmartel
You cannot rip a long board by hand and have it as accurate as can be done with a power saw. After hand ripping, you need to finish the edge to be parallel to the straight edge by hand planing, scraping and sanding. With a power saw, I can cut to within .003" as long as the fence and saw is set correctly.
[/QUOTE]


----------



## ZacharyD (Oct 2, 2009)

It just depends on what your goals are. If you are measuring to the thousands of an inch, you will be unlikely to achieve that type of accuracy with hand tools. However, if you just want to make projects that last a long time and look good, hand tools will work just fine. And rip sawing isn't difficult


----------



## HornedWoodwork (Jan 28, 2015)

This might be the oldest debate in woodworking since tails or pins first (tails BTW). Modern woodworkers do not need to make boards by hand, boards can be efficiently milled into project stock with inexpensive and highly accurate tools which the old masters would have loved to have access to. That being said, there are certain tasks so well suited to hand tools and so pleasurable to complete with a hand tool that using a power tool in that scenario seems barbaric.

I believe in a 60/40 shop where the majority of the prep work is done by power tools and the fit and finish work is done mostly by hand. I want to make things, not toil away endlessly, but I also want to actually work the wood and feel it changing with my touch.


----------



## kwolfe (Feb 12, 2014)

You could consider a band saw. I got rid of my table saw and replaced it with a band saw and track saw. I love the combo. The band saw is great because I can rip long boards and resaw thick rough stock which I don't really have time to do by hand.

Also, I band saw takes up a lot less space in a garage than table saw.


----------



## Tim457 (Jan 11, 2013)

> It just depends on what your goals are. If you are measuring to the thousands of an inch, you will be unlikely to achieve that type of accuracy with hand tools. However, if you just want to make projects that last a long time and look good, hand tools will work just fine. And rip sawing isn t difficult
> 
> - ZacharyD


I don't mean to be argumentative as I think most woodworkers should have power tools for at least basic stock prep unless hand tools are something they truly enjoy, but accuracy to the thousandths of an inch is actually where hand tools are better or at least easier and quicker in most cases. Think of a tight slip fit tenon. Try getting that with a jig on a table saw compared to trimming it with a sharp and tuned up plane. A plane can sneak up on the fit much easier than the jig can. Well i shouldn't say too much because I've never done it with power tools, and it's possible it could be easy with the right jig, but hand tools can certainly cut .001" shavings easily.


----------



## 85497 (Apr 3, 2013)

Lucas, glad you decided on hand sawing, you will enjoy it in the long run. Lots of good info and discussion on this thread. I do mostly hand tool work, aprox 90-95% on any given project, which includes rough stock prep. One thing to consider is how much rough stock prep you will be doing? Or will your work involve mainly already surfaced lumber? I have a tablesaw and bandsaw, but they rarely see the light of day. They do have their uses and I am grateful to have them when needed.

I recommend you get several different types of hand saws; ie, an 8pt, 10pt and 12pt crosscut saws for cutting down and sizing the lumber as needed. A good, sharp rip saw is fun to use in my opinion. Another thing is making your own saw benches, they are a must when hand sawing. Here, I am ripping down a piece of 2×8:









Plus with hand sawing, you don't need the dust collection equipment that is a must when using power tools.

Good luck and happy sawing!


----------



## LucasWoods (Oct 1, 2014)

I have a stanley miter box with a 26" back saw so that will be doing my crosscuts. I do have 2 crosscut hand saws though but the blades are short maybe 20" I have a rip saw as well but once again a short blade probably less that 20"


----------



## bobro (Oct 24, 2014)

My wife's theory is that I'm doing everything by hand so that I can get yoked and trade her in for a newer model.There's definitely a brute physical element to the thing- which is good.

A longer ripsaw really is a must, it's adding insult to injury to have to half-step the distance.


----------



## LucasWoods (Oct 1, 2014)

I hear you once I save some of my tool money up I am going to get a couple panel saws. Do I necesarilly need a crosscut if I have a large miter box?


----------



## bobro (Oct 24, 2014)

At the moment I'm cross-cutting out of 16" rough lumber, so from my point of view a miter box doesn't come into the picture. You'll save tons of money buying what are basically big slices of trees, air-dried (of course you'll pay in sweat).


----------



## LucasWoods (Oct 1, 2014)

I have been trying to find places like that around me. What did you search or where did you look to find places like that?


----------



## theoldfart (Sep 9, 2011)

Lucas, here in the Northeast a lot of sawyers post on Craig List. You can also check WoodMizers web site.


----------



## LucasWoods (Oct 1, 2014)

Will do. Where and what do you search for on CL?


----------



## theoldfart (Sep 9, 2011)

Look under materials

For a local guy with a Wood Mizer saw mill look here


----------



## Mykos (Jun 27, 2013)

Glad you're still on the hand tool kool aid. Just FYI a panel saw is the short ~20" saws you say you've already got. A full sized 24 - 30" saw is just called a 'hand saw'. Which is confusing, since all non-powered saws are hand saws.

I have my grandfather's old 28" 5ppi rip saw. It's a beast for long rips and resawing. I do use the 20" panel saws in rip and crosscut as well very often though, so don't discount them. My 20" rip saw which is 9ppi is my go to for larger tenon cheeks.

The mitre box is great for cuts that are plumb. Having a crosscut panel saw like Pat3 mentioned is great for doing cuts that are angled in the vertical plane. Or compound angles. Things like sliding dovetails aren't possible with the mitre box.

It's also a pain to wrestle a 16 ft board into the mitre box to cut it in half. A lot of the time you'll get better lumber if you buy say a 16' 2×12 and cut all your pieces out of it than by buying a bunch of 6' 2×4s which are closer to your desired sizes.


----------



## rwe2156 (May 7, 2014)

> Ok now the question is do I really need a $500 saw if I am solely going to just use it to do rips and cross cuts? Maybe some miter. If I can get away with a used craftsmen table saw in the $150-200 range that would be great or what would you recommend?
> 
> - LucasWoods


I respectfully submit for $500 you aren't even close to a good saw. If you buy a $200 saw that's exactly what your're going to get. It will be low power, light weight and there won't be much cast iron ;-)

I think the minimum for a decent saw would be a hybrid saw. There are some pretty decent contractor saws out there. Just remember the fence is the most critical. The gold standard is a Biesmeyer.

A really low budge option for you is a track saw. You don't need an expensive one. You can buy track guide systems or even make your own. I've used this technique to cut a straight edge quite successfully.

Good luck and I think its great you want to use hand tools.

I picked up an old Disston 5TPI rip saw and restored it. When its sharp, its amazing how fast it cuts.


----------

