On Jan 19, 10:02*pm, "Dan Jefferson" wrote:
*I need to cut some steel rod.

Should a hacksaw blade be placed in the saw so as it cuts on the push or pull stroke or is just the users choice ?

A pistol-grip hacksaw, with the handle above the blade, provides the
blade with downward pressure on the forward stroke and upward pressure
on the return. Just what you want with a blade in the normal
orientation - cutting on the forward stroke. If you reverse the blade
you'll have to add more pressure to get it to cut, and that can be
awkward.

With a hacksaw frame with a round straight handle, it's your choice.
Depending on how your cut is oriented, sometimes it is easier to cut
on the pull stroke.

When I'm using a bare saw blade in a tight place, I'll usually orient
it to cut on the pull stroke to avoid buckling.

John Martin