Bowsaw blade recomendations

[Bob Stroupe]

I'm thinking of making a bowsaw, but where can I get blades for it? Bandsaw blades look like the easiest to use, but how well do they work in a handsaw? Does anybody have any recommendations?

[John Coloccia]

I've tried all sorts of bandsaw blades, and they all seem to be pretty terrible for hand sawing. I don't have a good source for real bowsaw blades. I'll be keeping an eye on this thread as the main reason I don't use a bowsaw is that I can't find a good blade.

[Andrew Gibson]

I made my bow saw and coping saw using the pins and blades from Tools for working wood. http://www.toolsforworkingwood.com/Merchant/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=toolshop&Product_Code=GT-BOW12.XX&Category_Code=
they are basically 12" coping saw blades, but with a little practice I was able to make accurate cuts in 8/4 ash for a rocker I built this year... every curved cut in both chairs was made with the bow saw I made and the 10 tpi blades from TFWW. I went through 2 blades, the 3rd is still going strong and there is still life in the second (I bought 3) once i figured out I didn't have to force the saw the blades started lasting a lot longer.
http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk294/handyandy3459/100_0677.jpg

Check out my avatar for a pic of the saw in use :) I'm actually cutting the front legs for the rocker in that pic.

[James Owen]

Nice work!!!

[David Weaver]

I'm thinking of making a bowsaw, but where can I get blades for it? Bandsaw blades look like the easiest to use, but how well do they work in a handsaw? Does anybody have any recommendations?

How big of a bowsaw are you thinking of using?

Handsaw blades, definitely. The blades for a bandsaw usually have hook style teeth, and are a pain to hand saw with.

if you want to get a nutcase award, you can always buy blued spring steel from mcmaster carr in an appropriate thickness and file your own teeth into it. That's something I would do just to see how it turns out (it would turn out fine). the only objection to doing something like that is every time I cut new teeth into a saw plate, I pretty much blow an entire file, so it's like $6 down the drain.

[Bill Miltner]

Depending on the size of the saw there are a couple of choices that I know of. TFWW sells the 12" Gramercy Blades. Highland Woodworking and The Best Things sell longer blades (23:-26").

[Rob Young]

If you go with the TFWW blades, you won't be disappointed. They are great. But they are narrow and best suited to cutting curves.

If you want to do straight ripping or crosscutting, they may not be the best choice.

You can re-task bandsaw blades to have a wider plate but the hook teeth don't work well at human speeds and strengths. You would need to reshape the teeth. Depending on how the bandsaw blade was made, that reshaping may turn into a marathon grinding session with a Dremmel and a bunch of little stones. :)

Finally, I think there are frame saws and frame saw blades (a little bit different than what I think of a "bowsaw") at Traditional Woodworker. E.C. Emmerich products. No idea how they work, or experience with Traditional Woodworker.

Or just make the blade: if Jr. sees this thread, he could coach you on making a blade from scratch or by re-tasking an old handsaw. Prowl around the old posts looking for posts by Harry Strasil (that's Jr.) on saw, frame saws and bowsaws.

[Mike Olson]

My To-Do list has this on it.

I plan on taking Jr's idea and pick up an old rip hand saw and cut off the bottom 3" or so and make it into a Bow saw for ripping boards.

[John Schreiber]

Highland woodworking carries a selection: http://www.highlandwoodworking.com/bow-saw-frame-saws-blades.aspx

Also Dieter Schmidt - Fine Tools: http://www.fine-tools.com/gestell.htm (http://www.fine-tools.com/gestell.htm)

Making a blade from an existing saw also seems like a good technique to me. It doesn't have to be a fancy tapered blade if it's only going to be an inch or two thick.

[Bruce Whitehouse]

I am currently using a pair of 24” frame saws. They are easy to make with scrap left over from most projects. One of mine is set up as a turning saw and the other as a crosscut saw. At first I tried to use a ¼” hook tooth band saw blade in the turning saw and was very disappointed. It just would not cut aggressively enough and refused to turn a corner. Bought a 24” turning blade from Traditional Woodworker last month (http://www.traditionalwoodworker.com/product_info.php/cPath/37_126_569/products_id/1643 (http://www.traditionalwoodworker.com/product_info.php/cPath/37_126_569/products_id/1643)) and have been very please with its performance.