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Machines & lines

Notching saw

A notching saw is a dedicated saw for cutting notches and recesses in timber, typically with one horizontal and one vertical blade working together.

Also known as notching machine, notch saw, timber notching saw, housing saw, notcher

A square notch has two faces: the floor, parallel to the face of the timber, and the shoulder, at right angles to it. A notching saw cuts both in one clamped cycle, with a horizontal blade for the floor and a vertical blade for the shoulder, so every notch is square and to depth.

Doing this on an ordinary crosscut saw takes several passes and careful setting. A dedicated station takes the fiddly, error-prone end work off the main saw, which is why notching saws are common next to the cutting station in wall and truss production.

A notching saw with one horizontal and one vertical blade cutting a square notch
Two blades, one cycle: the horizontal blade cuts the floor, the vertical blade the shoulder.
Related terms
NotchA notch is a recess cut into a piece of timber so that another member can sit in or over it. LintelA lintel is a horizontal beam that spans the top of a window or door opening and carries the load of the wall, floor or roof above it. Crosscut sawA crosscut saw cuts timber across the grain to length and angle, producing the individual members for trusses, walls and floors.
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