How to Use a Broken Hacksaw Blade

Hacksaw blades, much like jigsaw blades, are thin and flexible. The advantages of this are that hacksaws are very lightweight, the blades tend to be very affordable, and they can sometimes be used like jigsaws to cut on a curve. But the downside is that the thinness of the blades makes them prone to cracking and breaking. If you've broken a hacksaw blade, you might still be able to salvage the pieces by using the system below. It may not be as comfortable to use as your hacksaw was, but this quick fix could save you from having to make an emergency trip to the hardware store in the middle of a project.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Broken hacksaw blade
• C-clamp
• Wood or other cutting material
• Screwdriver (optional)

1. Carefully unfasten the clamps or screws holding the broken blade in place on the hacksaw frame. Remove all of the blade pieces.

2. Select the longest piece of the blade and position it inside the C-clamp with the broken edge of the blade butting up against the inside of the C-shaped frame. The unbroken end of the blade should extend several inches beyond the jaw of the clamp.

3. Tighten the clamp as much as possible by turning the wing nut or screw. Make sure that the blade is held as securely as possible in the clamp before proceeding to the next step.

4. Hold the makeshift saw by grasping the C-clamp right in the middle of the C-shaped frame. If the blade needs to be stabilized as you saw, you can steady it with your thumb. If this grip is not comfortable for you, you can use the saw with two hands by grasping the ends of the C-shaped frame.

5. Hold the clamp frame as you use the saw to cut through wood, Plexiglas or any other material designated as safe by the manufacturers of the blade. Use extreme caution as you saw, however, because the blade of your makeshift saw is only held in place at one point. In the hacksaw frame, it was anchored at two points.

Tips & Warnings

• Use this technique only as a temporary solution. Replacement hacksaw blades are cheap and easy to install.
• Saw slowly and extremely carefully when using this technique. If your clamp won’t hold the blade tightly enough, stop trying to salvage the blade and go get a new one. The blade could slip out while you’re sawing, causing you to smash or cut your fingers.