Busy Weekend

[Klaus Kretschmar]

This weekend we (Pedder and me) made 2 Dovetail Saws. Pedder who lives about 700 km apart from me, sent me the blades he had created and I made the handles.

Both saws have the same configuration: length 10", usable depth 1-1/2", toothing 18 tpi rip, solid brass spine 1/4" x 3/4". One handle is out of qs American Walnut, the other is out of German Plum.

Here some pics:

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8mxkzBCYMc4/TJacCrTqFJI/AAAAAAAAAjw/xY7U3gDxfOc/s1600/CIMG2014.JPG

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8mxkzBCYMc4/TJacBm5zfsI/AAAAAAAAAjg/8zvMohFNqIk/s1600/CIMG2017.JPG

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8mxkzBCYMc4/TJacBIkK3iI/AAAAAAAAAjQ/pyagxSuBEyA/s1600/CIMG2019.JPG

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8mxkzBCYMc4/TJabTzXJUGI/AAAAAAAAAjI/W-gl-YFch90/s1600/CIMG2020.JPG

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8mxkzBCYMc4/TJabTH5VKZI/AAAAAAAAAi4/SZUbigNovMI/s1600/CIMG2022.JPG

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8mxkzBCYMc4/TJabSw3YESI/AAAAAAAAAiw/SNt9Gr9iCDs/s1600/CIMG2023.JPG

Thanks for looking.

Klaus

[David Christopher]

WOW, those are beautiful

[Marv Werner]

Very nice work, Klaus,

I like how you blend the radiuses on the hand grip so they are continuous with no obvious flat on the sides. Makes for a very comfortable grip. Do you do all the radiusing by hand?

Marv

[Deane Allinson]

The plum is extra nice. I haven't seen it before. How does the "feel" compare to apple? Nice thoughtful lines.
Deane

[Jim Koepke]

Wow!

Thanks for sharing. Those look very nice.

Those are the kind of saw that makes everything look like it needs a dovetail.

jtk

[george wilson]

Plum wood has such a beautiful lavender color. I wonder,Klaus,does the color fade,or get darker? I'd love to get some.

[Klaus Kretschmar]

Thank you all for your appreciated comments, Gentlemen.

Deane,

the Plum is regarding it´s hardness and density comparable to Apple or Pear. It´s a joy to work with and easy to finish. The grain is closed so the "feel" of the handle is smooth and comfortable. One thing: due to the small log diameters of Plum it´s hardly to get in quarter sawn quality. The stability is pretty good though, at least we had no problems so far.

Marv,

the shaping of the handles is completely hand crafted. The radiuses are changing so it´s hardly to make with a machine. Perhaps with a CNC mill, what I don´t know. However it´s not that difficult or time consuming, the shaping of the grip takes not longer than perhaps 15 - 20 minutes. Time consuming are other things (making the mortise for the spine, sanding the handle).

George,

the Plum has indeed a wide spectrum of nice colours. There are different violet tones. Sadly they don´t stay long. The timber darkens and while darkening, the violet colours get brown. I did some attempts to avoid the browning without success.
However the wood looks not bad at all when it´s darkened. Here a pic of a handle that has lost the violet colours already:

http://hw.roesch.de/Bilder/B7682.jpg

Klaus

[David Weaver]

Great looking saws, Klaus. I like the look of the plum, even when it's brown. It looks like a very comfortable-feeling wood.

[Steve Clardy]

Awesome!!!