🔍 Key Concepts

• Look at the direction of the cutting stroke of the hacksaw frame in relation to the motor end of the machine. • Recall that a standard hacksaw blade cuts in only one direction – the teeth must face the direction in which the blade does work, not on the return stroke. • Consider how the workpiece is clamped in the vise on this machine and which way the blade should move to dig into the metal rather than scrape out of the cut.

💭 Think About

• From the illustration, decide whether the powered stroke that actually cuts metal moves the blade toward the motor end or away from it. • Once you know the cutting stroke direction, ask yourself: in a hand hacksaw, which way do the teeth point relative to the push stroke, and how does that analogy apply here? • Think about chip removal and control – would it be safer and more effective for the teeth to bite into the work as the frame moves toward the motor or away from it?

✅ Before You Answer

• Identify the powered cutting stroke direction of the saw frame from the crank and linkage on the motor side. • Confirm that hacksaw blades are designed to cut on one stroke only (usually the push stroke), so the teeth must face that way. • Before choosing, mentally picture the teeth either toward or away from the motor and decide in which orientation the teeth would actually enter the workpiece on the cutting stroke.