Fretsaw Machine

a machine with a narrow saw blade designed for sawing out small-radius curved, usually internal, outlines in wood sheet materials (such as panels and planks). It is used in the making of furniture, musical instruments, and other products of the woodworking industry.

The basic working tool of the machine is a fretsaw, which performs a reciprocating motion actuated by a crank and connecting-rod assembly. The working table on which the material is fastened for processing has a tilting mechanism that permits sawing at an angle. The fretsaw machine usually has a drill for drilling holes in which to start the saw in the material. Fretsaw machines may have leaf springs or coil springs, depending on the type of tensioning device. Fretsaws are 2–10 mm wide, 200–350 mm long, and 0.6–1.25 mm thick; the forward-return stroke of the blade is 30–50 mm, with up to 1,000 strokes per minute. Materials up to 100 mm thick can be worked on fretsaw machines.