Rick Markham
05-18-2010, 2:01 AM
So when I found my no. 7 Disston, at a local estate sale, my original intention in buying it was so that I could use the handle as a pattern to make some panel saw handles. I also wanted the saw too, I think it is pretty cool to have a piece of working American History, it's definitely going to get used.
I am a fledgling neander, and this is one of my favorite spots on sawmill creek, Y'all inspire me to try things a different way, more for the pleasure of the craft than a "means to the end" so to speak. I also have become exceptionally interested in both rehabbing older tools, and making my own.
Andrew Gibson inspired me with his saw builds to "get off my butt" and actually try and make a saw handle. This saw doesn't really need a new handle, but I have to entertain that little thing in my head that constantly asks... "can I make that?" Obviously this is my first attempt at anything remotely like this, and I am pleasantly surprised and excited to build some saws now.
So I had this piece of Wenge, laying around... A perfect sized piece of 8/4 scrap laying around, so I figured I'd either hate it or love it in the end. My experience with this particular board of Wenge, has been a double edged sword. It is super twisty, Lots of interlocked grain, and the grain switches direction every 4 to 6 inches in random directions, and is tricky (at best to work with.) Needless to say, I had no idea how it was going to turn out.
So lets get to the skinny... I traced the Disston handle using a sharpie (I really need to make a marking knife next) and rough cut the handle. Sharpie is terribly inaccurate for this operation :D But I never do anything "the easy way" :rolleyes:
This is the rough cut next to the original
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v295/Rick357/031.jpg
Then I roughly drew out the profile with chalk (am I the only one that loves chalk for this kinda thing) and started shaping with a Gramercy saw handle makers rasp (thanks for the suggestion Andrew) I just followed my instict on this part. (most of the chalk is gone already in the pic, but it has already served its purpose)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v295/Rick357/043.jpg
Now I am notorious about "getting ahead of myself" and I freely admit, never having worked in a "production shop" I often don't choose the wisest of "order of operations" If I had been smart I would have cut the kerf for the blade while the blank was whole and unshaped. So I have created a problem for myself. Ok before I get chastized and heckled off the Neander board, let me preface this pic with a warning... I have no Tenon saw (I will rectify this soon! I promise ;) ) so what follows is a gratuitous shot of my Laguna bandsaw (my sincere apologies) But I had to build a little jig to angle the handle properly for the blade kerf. This is something that would have been VERY simple with a tenon saw, but became complex, and potentially dangerous without one. I was very careful, and went very slow, and fully realized that I very quickly could have destroyed all my work so far. (grrrrr powertools) I also realized the risks to me and used a modified Push board to support the workpiece and to protect my hands should the handle bind due to the angle of the cut.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v295/Rick357/047.jpg
Now to make sure it fits right on the blade before drilling the holes, seems to be a perfect fit :)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v295/Rick357/045.jpg
So now before drilling the holes, then refining the shaping, and finishing, I have a question for y'all. I think the original saw handle needs to be returned to this blade, there is nothing wrong with it, and even though mine fits my hand better, I am thinking I should order a rip panel blade and put this handle on it. What do y'all think?
The LOML keeps me pretty busy so I hope to get to finish this soon, but in the interim time maybe I should be "waiting" on a shiny new saw plate for it? What do YOU think? :cool:
I am a fledgling neander, and this is one of my favorite spots on sawmill creek, Y'all inspire me to try things a different way, more for the pleasure of the craft than a "means to the end" so to speak. I also have become exceptionally interested in both rehabbing older tools, and making my own.
Andrew Gibson inspired me with his saw builds to "get off my butt" and actually try and make a saw handle. This saw doesn't really need a new handle, but I have to entertain that little thing in my head that constantly asks... "can I make that?" Obviously this is my first attempt at anything remotely like this, and I am pleasantly surprised and excited to build some saws now.
So I had this piece of Wenge, laying around... A perfect sized piece of 8/4 scrap laying around, so I figured I'd either hate it or love it in the end. My experience with this particular board of Wenge, has been a double edged sword. It is super twisty, Lots of interlocked grain, and the grain switches direction every 4 to 6 inches in random directions, and is tricky (at best to work with.) Needless to say, I had no idea how it was going to turn out.
So lets get to the skinny... I traced the Disston handle using a sharpie (I really need to make a marking knife next) and rough cut the handle. Sharpie is terribly inaccurate for this operation :D But I never do anything "the easy way" :rolleyes:
This is the rough cut next to the original
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v295/Rick357/031.jpg
Then I roughly drew out the profile with chalk (am I the only one that loves chalk for this kinda thing) and started shaping with a Gramercy saw handle makers rasp (thanks for the suggestion Andrew) I just followed my instict on this part. (most of the chalk is gone already in the pic, but it has already served its purpose)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v295/Rick357/043.jpg
Now I am notorious about "getting ahead of myself" and I freely admit, never having worked in a "production shop" I often don't choose the wisest of "order of operations" If I had been smart I would have cut the kerf for the blade while the blank was whole and unshaped. So I have created a problem for myself. Ok before I get chastized and heckled off the Neander board, let me preface this pic with a warning... I have no Tenon saw (I will rectify this soon! I promise ;) ) so what follows is a gratuitous shot of my Laguna bandsaw (my sincere apologies) But I had to build a little jig to angle the handle properly for the blade kerf. This is something that would have been VERY simple with a tenon saw, but became complex, and potentially dangerous without one. I was very careful, and went very slow, and fully realized that I very quickly could have destroyed all my work so far. (grrrrr powertools) I also realized the risks to me and used a modified Push board to support the workpiece and to protect my hands should the handle bind due to the angle of the cut.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v295/Rick357/047.jpg
Now to make sure it fits right on the blade before drilling the holes, seems to be a perfect fit :)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v295/Rick357/045.jpg
So now before drilling the holes, then refining the shaping, and finishing, I have a question for y'all. I think the original saw handle needs to be returned to this blade, there is nothing wrong with it, and even though mine fits my hand better, I am thinking I should order a rip panel blade and put this handle on it. What do y'all think?
The LOML keeps me pretty busy so I hope to get to finish this soon, but in the interim time maybe I should be "waiting" on a shiny new saw plate for it? What do YOU think? :cool: