Panel Saw Plate Thickness

[Robert Rozaieski]

I just finished up assembling the backs to the plates of two new saws I've been slowly working on. Both have 0.025" thick plates. I have a 19" piece of the 0.025" 1095 left and was considering making a 19" Kenyon style tenon saw similar to Mike Wenzloff's Kenyon tenon but seeing as one of the saws I'm currently making is a 16" rip tenon saw, I'm not sure I'll need another rip filed tenon saw, at least not in the immediate future.

However, what I do really want is a panel saw. I have a 28" Atkins rip and my favorite, a 26" Disston #7 which is currently filed crosscut. However, the Disston is a little long to use on the bench so I'd like a shorter crosscut filed panel saw.

What I'm wondering is if anyone has made a panel saw from 0.025" steel? I put a caliper on my favorite Disston #7 and it is taper ground from about 0.032" at the tooth line to about 0.025" at the top of the toe. Any of the more experienced sawmakers out there (Mike, Alan, I'm talking to you guys especially) think 0.025" would be thick enough for the full width of an unbacked panel saw? I'm not taper grinding ;).

[george wilson]

.025 is awfully thin. No doubt it would be much too floppy. You will find that out only after you shear the blade into its taper shape,and ruin your steel for other purposes. I made a .030" for sawing between harpsichord keys for Marcus Hansen in Williamsburg,but it had to be handled carefully not to kink. That extra .005" made the saw usable. We used .042" plate on our Kenyon panel saws for Williamsburg. Actually,that is about how thick some modern saws are at the tooth edge,but they are taper ground much thinner at the back. The Kenyon saws felt heavy as they were not taper ground.

You might consider a panel saw with a short brass back on it,about 8" or 9" long. There were saws like that made.

[Robert Rozaieski]

Thanks George! I was thinking it might be a little too thin. Like I said, my 26" Disston #7 is 0.032" and I think my Atkins rip is about 0.042". I may not bother and instead see if I can find a 20" #7 or an older English saw on the bay. I'll probably save the piece of 0.025" to someday make the Kenyon tenon saw.