Finally Made a Handle for Ron Bontz Saw Plate

[Jim Koepke]

It has been almost five years since my last saw handle build:

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthre...Back-Saw-Build

Seems like just yesterday.

Currently my doctors do not want me doing full blown woodworking for a few more weeks. But what the heck, even though it is below 40º in the shop, a little light work shouldn't be too bad.

A friend gave me a couple pieces of rosewood that came from a table. My recollection is the table was in an Afghani restaurant before becoming broken. It seemed like a good candidate for a saw handle. Maybe being in a restaurant and being cleaned all the time may have dried it out a bit. It seemed very easy to chip out at times.

Anyway here is the handle on the saw:

Back Saw 12-16.jpg

Back Saw Dec 2016.jpg

It will likely get a bit more refinement as it gets used, but so far it feels pretty good.

The plate is 15ppi. I filed it at 12º rake with the intention of finishing it off as a crosscut saw. Currently it has no set and saws like a champ rip or crosscut, just a bit slow.

jtk

[James Pallas]

Nice job Jim. Good looking rosewood too. Watch out for those spies the docs have they're everywhere.
Jim

[Brent Cutshall]

Nice one Jim! You didn't have to get me that for Christmas!

[Stew Denton]

Jim,

Good to see a post from you. Glad it cuts well, should be a great addition to your shop. Nice to see you post a project, but be careful, don't overdo. Look out though, your doctor may spy on you right on this site! How much longer do you have to wait before you can get back to normal?


Stew

[Jim Koepke]

Thanks all for the kind words.

How much longer do you have to wait before you can get back to normal?

Not sure, I have an appointment with my doctor tomorrow. My guess from paying attention to my recovery is likely a week to a month. Light work isn't out of the question. Ripping long sections would probably be overdoing it.

jtk

[george wilson]

Jim,your handle looks great,except for the too wide "hump" on the back of the handle. If you file off wood on each side of it,the hump will become more narrowed down and "concentrated" in the center of the handle as is more usual.

However,if you like the way the handle feels to your hand,I'm sure it will work just fine.
Many,many,many years ago,when I was El Mucho younger, I thought the pronounced hump looked a little bizarre. But,after using such handles,and finding how they did fit into the hollow of my palm better,I saw why they did it that way. By now,I have long since just taken it as a matter of course to have this hump in saw handles. Perhaps,in a few more years,I'll have a hump in my old back to match it!!!!

Excellent "timing" of the screw slots,a detail often not known by builders. The "scratches" seen on the top saw are just hastily wiped on wax !

Your friend,George.

[David Eisenhauer]

Nice looking saws and handles Jim and George. It seems like a handle can be a "work in progress" over a period of time. Jim, other than the chipping, how was the rosewood to work with?

[Jim Koepke]

Jim,your handle looks great,except for the too wide "hump" on the back of the handle. If you file off wood on each side of it,the hump will become more narrowed down and "concentrated" in the center of the handle as is more usual.

Thanks George, My feeling is this is still in its early stages. It will most definitely get more shaping over the next few weeks to years. Even some of my older saws get a bit of reshaping to feel better in hand.

Nice looking saws and handles Jim and George. It seems like a handle can be a "work in progress" over a period of time. Jim, other than the chipping, how was the rosewood to work with?

Most of my saw handles are a "work in progress." If it feels like there is a bit of pinch in the grip it gets a bit of rasping and sanding. Amazingly this handle feels big in my hand. It does feel a bit bulky in the palm in the area George mentioned.

The rosewood wasn't too bad to work. My apple handle was a bit easier to work, but the difference may be the ages of the wood made a lot of difference. The apple was fairly fresh compared to the rosewood being salvaged from a previous use. Keeping the tools sharp did make a big difference with the rosewood.

I couldn't find my white china marker to use on the rosewood. Today if my white colored pencil doesn't leave a good mark I may look for a china marker while in town.

For what it's worth, the only 'finish' on the handle so far is some furniture wax. Bare wood is fine with me.

BTW, a recent FWW has an article on making saw handles.

jtk

[Mel Fulks]

Mr. Maker does good work!

[george wilson]

Buffing rosewood or ebony with white buffing compound leaves a nice finish. The white compound doesn't stay white,or show up at all.

Buffing should be kept to a minimum so as to not sluff over crisp edges and details.

[Pat Barry]

Jim,your handle looks great,except for the too wide "hump" on the back of the handle. If you file off wood on each side of it,the hump will become more narrowed down and "concentrated" in the center of the handle as is more usual.

However,if you like the way the handle feels to your hand,I'm sure it will work just fine.
Many,many,many years ago,when I was El Mucho younger, I thought the pronounced hump looked a little bizarre. But,after using such handles,and finding how they did fit into the hollow of my palm better,I saw why they did it that way. By now,I have long since just taken it as a matter of course to have this hump in saw handles. Perhaps,in a few more years,I'll have a hump in my old back to match it!!!!

Excellent "timing" of the screw slots,a detail often not known by builders. The "scratches" seen on the top saw are just hastily wiped on wax !

Your friend,George.

Hi George, The handle on the bottom saw looks much like Jim's. The handle on the upper saw doesn't look quite as finished to me - maybe its the way the wood grain interacts with the physical intersections of the flats and curves, particularly in the humped area you referred to. The 'corners' look a bit wavy. I do see that you have taken more effort to blend the roundovers though and that lloks good but I see lots of handles that are more squared off looking too. All those are personal preferences in my mind. The important thing is that you can grip it easily and firmly without having to squeeze too hard.

[lowell holmes]

George,

Why did you have to mention timing the slots. I have five saws with handles I made. Now I have go back and time the slots.

[george wilson]

Excessive OCD!!! And,good craftsman's practices!!

[David Eisenhauer]

The main bulk of us are crawling, a few of you are walking, George and a couple-three others are running. I was not even aware that one is supposed to check saw screws (or others for that matter) for clocking. Always a step ahead George. Don't never stop.

[Jim Koepke]

Spent a little time today working on refining the shape of the saw handle:

After some Work.jpg

After a Little work.jpg

Will likely continue refining the shape a bit, but that is usually done over time.

jtk