Frame saw

[Andrew Gibson]

I have a project coming up that I think a frame saw would be helpful to have. I was wondering If anyone knows a good place to get a quality frame saw, or a hardware kit for one that supplies the blade/s and other hardware and allows you to build the wooden frame of the material of choice?

The project will be a Rocking chair for a friend that is Pregnant with her first... she asked me if I would be able to make her one rather then something store bought... So I must get started. Most likely it will be ash with some form of nautical inlay in the headrest, her husband is an officer in the navy. I was thinking a nautical Compass and my grandfather (retired Navy) suggested A Helm. Any other thoughts would be appreciated. This will be my third rocker.

[Keith Young]

Its a start:http://www.traditionalwoodworker.com/default.php/cPath/37_126_571

[Keith Young]

couple more: http://www.highlandwoodworking.com/bow-saw-frame-saws-blades.aspx

http://www.toolsforworkingwood.com/Merchant/merchant.mvc?Screen=BIGP&description=Gramercy+Tools+12%22+Bow+Saw&fullimagepath=/prodimg/gt/big/GT-BOWSAW12_big.gif

[Garth Keel]

has information on the design of their saw that is interesting

[Gary Herrmann]

The Grammercy is a nice bow saw, but not what I'd think of as a frame saw.

[Andrew Gibson]

Thanks for all the links and info guys.
I'm going to have to think about exactly what I want it to do, before I make the investment.

[Steven Hart]

I have an ECE saw from Traditional Woodworker, and I'm quite happy with it. The ECE saws tension the blade using a wingnut. Most people prefer saws that are traditionally strung; however, I've had no problems with the wingnut.

As a side note, if you choose the ECE saw, you'll need to sharpen the blades prior to use in order to get the best performance. Traditional Woodworker sells a decent line of saw files, if you don't already posses one.

As for building your own, Tag Frid wrote an article in Fine Woodworking a while back in which he suggests using teak or mahogonany for the the bowsaw arms and clear pine for the bridge, in order for the saw to be as light as possible.

[Jonathan McCullough]

Here's Bob Easton's take on a frame saw for ripping. It seems to be the most authoritative take on the subject that I've been able to find. I'm planning to build one because I've got some oak out in the back yard and I'd like to rip it up into boards.

http://www.bob-easton.com/blog/?p=475

[Andrew Gibson]

OK new question... Why is it that every time I think I have figured out what new saw I need for a specific project, I realise that I really need 2,3 or 4 saws?

I need a long lost rich uncle to kick off and leave be a big bag of money or his woodworking tool collection put together of 60 years or so... maybe both.

[Graham Hughes (CA)]

I have three of the Highland bowsaws, two large ones and one small. The Japanese blade is very nice and all, they suck for making cuts in the middle of a wide board (just inevitable), and the conventional blades are terribly sharpened (horribly over-set and also not that sharp to begin with) and require tweaking you may not be comfortable with. I decided the wingnuts pissed me off enough to replace them, and I'm much happier with a conventional string+piece of wood arrangement—the big problem I have with the wingnuts is that it hurts to get it finger tight and I don't want to use tools or I'll destroy it.

The biggest weakness the Highland ones have remaining is that whoever designed the damn things decided that bolts are the best way to hold a blade on, and it makes changing blades about a five or ten minute affair depending on how used to the thing you are. This, it seems to me, cancels out the advantage of having the replaceable blades in the first place, and as a result in practice I have one dedicated to the Japanese blade and another currently fitted with the joinery blade. The ECE version as sold by Traditional Woodworker does not appear to have this limitation.

[Eric Brown]

There is a seller on E-bay that has nice tools at reasonable prices
See item 190369639921 for a 18" bowsaw for less that $60 (+ shipping).

They also make marking gages, treadle lathes, etc.

Eric

[James Ogle]

Tom Fidgen recently mentioned CME Handworks lathe on his blog (http://tomfidgen.blogspot.com/2009/12/human-power.html). He was impressed with it. If thier bow saws and gauges are as well made then I would definitely say they are worth a look for the price.

[Jerome Hanby]

I bought a turbo cut blade from highland and some Hickory stock from the local hardwood dealer. Planning to make one built like the one Tage Frid uses in his 3 volume woodworking set.