Definition
A coarse-toothed saw whose teeth are filed straight across (chisel-shaped) and designed to cut wood along the grain rather than across it. In aircraft woodworking, a ripsaw is used to cut spruce, fir, and other airframe-grade woods lengthwise, parallel to the wood fibers, when shaping spars, ribs, and other structural members.
Plain English
A saw built specifically to cut wood the long way -- in the same direction the wood fibers run.
Context Anchor
Seen in aircraft maintenance or repair work involving wooden aircraft parts or shop tools.
Derivation
From 'rip,' meaning to tear or split along a line, plus 'saw.' The name reflects the action: the saw splits the wood along its grain rather than slicing across it.
Why Pilots Care
Anyone inspecting or repairing wooden aircraft structure should know that ripsaws and crosscut saws are not interchangeable. Using the wrong saw on structural wood produces ragged, weakened cuts that can compromise the strength of a spar or rib.
Intuition Check
Do not read “ripsaw” as just any saw that cuts roughly or aggressively. It specifically means a saw intended to cut with the wood grain.
Example Sentence 1
The mechanic used a ripsaw to cut the spruce stock to length along the grain before shaping it into a wing rib.
Example Sentence 2
After marking the blank, he used the ripsaw to follow the grain line down the length of the propeller lamination.