Pair of open handled backsaws

[Mike Allen1010]

Below are some pictures of a pair of open handled backsaws I recently completed. Both are .020" thick x 12" long 1095 steel. The saw backs are slotted brass.

The Birdseye Maple is 13 PPI rip saw filed, and the Walnut is 14 PPI Crosscut. I built these with a little coarser pitch and thicker plate than some typical dovetail saws because I wanted something for dovetailing/joinery in 4/4 and thicker stock, or when I gang cut dovetails for a carcass etc.

I was inspired to make the saws based on the beautiful work I've seen others post here on SMC. I am a total novice saw maker (but longtime hand saw user) and for others who might be interested in giving it a try I thought it could be helpful to share what I learned in the process. I'm not saying I have any answers, these are just the things I wish I would've known before I started:

1) You can't drill holes in 1095 saw plate steel with regular high-speed steel drill bits. A fairly inexpensive hand punch from HF worked well for me. Be sure to test fit the saw plate to the back, and that to the handle so the saw back doesn't interfere with the punch, if it does be sure to punch your saw plate before you Loctite it to the saw back.

2) It's really hard to drill accurate holes for split nuts and handles without a drill press. I tried with brace/auger bit and electric hand drill with mixed results.


3) For the thinner saw plates (.025"), the split not holes in the handle and the saw plate have to line up exactly. If they are misaligned, tightening the sawnuts can induce tension in the blade that creates a big wave and ruins your day! For me it was easier to punch the holes in the plate slightly oversize (1/4" holes for 3/16" diameter split nuts), and just make sure the saw back fits tightly in the mortice in the handle.

4) LOVE the Gramercy/TFWW split nuts. The little brass, friction fit washer was much easier for me to use than cutting the little mortise for the square shank of a traditional saw nut.

5) Cocobolo sounds like a good idea for handle, but it is really, really hard! Thickness planning the blank down to 7/8" and drilling the holes for the saw nuts was a workout!

6) Last thing -- it was totally worth it! I have a number of refurbished vintage Disston/Spears and Jackson backsaws and they work great, it's just that their saw plates/kerfs are thicker, and for me at least slower and less accurate than the .020" plates/teeth.

I welcome the thoughts and comments of others who know lots more about this than I do. Thanks to the members of the Creek for the inspiration!

Best regards, Mike

[Zahid Naqvi]

nice work. I am in the process of making handles for a few older saws I cleaned up recently, so how does one go about cleaning up the saw marks from a band saw, specially on the top flat surfaces of the handle where there is no rounding involved.

[Dominic Greco]

Nice work Mike! Are these the saw plates I made for you?

[Jessica Pierce-LaRose]

Congrats! Looks like you'll have some fun using those.

I guess I have to have another go at saw-handle-making. I put them aside after a frustrating evening where I kept messing up cutting the blade slot. Obviously user error, but I don't ever recall having this kind of problem making an accurate cut. It was annoying.

[Robert Dean]

Very nice tools. I am about to embark on a similar exercise, making a 14" closed handle sash/tenon saw filed crosscut. Having already put together a Gramercy kit, the most intimidating step for me will be punching the holes in the plate. Can you specify what tool exactly you got from HF to perform that task? What is the order of operations--do you punch first, then mark the locations on the handle, or drill the handle, then mark the plate?

Best,
Bob

[Mike Allen1010]

nice work. I am in the process of making handles for a few older saws I cleaned up recently, so how does one go about cleaning up the saw marks from a band saw, specially on the top flat surfaces of the handle where there is no rounding involved.

Zahid,

I cleaned up most of the saw marks from the saber saw (don't have a bandsaw) working cross grain with a sharp paring chisel, followed by bastard file (I use around and flat files) and lastly sandpaper backed by a small, hard block. For the flat surfaces on top it's mostly the paring chisel and sandpaper. For me this is pretty labor intensive and not all that enjoyable so if you have a spindle sander or dremel tool I would definitely consider giving those a try.

Dominic,

Thanks for the saw plates you made me -- they came out great with uniform, well formed teeth and nice straight! I'm sure you'll recognize them when I post pictures as the teeth profiles look a lot better than those I cut by hand! I'm still working on putting them in a pair of 16" saws with closed handles -- I will post some pictures when I'm finished hopefully in a couple days.

[Mike Allen1010]

Very nice tools. I am about to embark on a similar exercise, making a 14" closed handle sash/tenon saw filed crosscut. Having already put together a Gramercy kit, the most intimidating step for me will be punching the holes in the plate. Can you specify what tool exactly you got from HF to perform that task? What is the order of operations--do you punch first, then mark the locations on the handle, or drill the handle, then mark the plate?

Best,
Bob

Bob,

The punch I got from Harbor Freight is by "Pittsburgh" and is called "Deep Throat Metal Punch", item number 91510. I don't think I paid more than $25 for it but can't be sure. I would post a picture but my wife has the camera. I know zero about metal working so I'm sure others here may have a better suggestion for you.

With regard to the order of operations, Bob R. on the Logan Avenue cabinet shop has a great podcast on his website showing how he built a Wenzloff Saw kit, and I found it very helpful.

Specifically in response to your question; I drilled the holes in the handle, test fit the back/plate (after you've cut the mortise), and then mark the holes to be punched in the plate by putting a 3/16" diameter drill bit through the handle and tapping it. The punch has a spur in the center that readily lines up with the mark from the drill bit.

The key lessons I learned were:

1) Be sure to file a mark on top of the saw plate to indicate the back of the brass -- so you can put it back in the same position when you Loctite the plate/back.

2) The punch has a half-inch diameter surround that the punch travels through. As long as the outer edge of your hole is more than a half-inch away from the lowest edge of the saw back, you can punch the holes after the plate and back are united. If your hole is closer to the bottom edge of the brass back than a half-inch, you need to punch the plate before you attach it to the back.

Sorry for the long/wordy explanation -- once you have everything in front of you I hope what I'm trying to say will be apparent.

Good luck with your saws!
Mike

[Robert Dean]

Thanks for the explanation, it is very helpful. I plan to take your advice when I put this one together. Bob R's video was helpful too. HF seems to have discontinued the 91510 punch, however, there is a clone of a Roper Whitney number 5 available for $30 or so from Amazon and other dealers. Does anyone know if it would be adequate for .02 and .025 blue tempered spring steel? (http://www.amazon.com/Steel-Punch-Sheet-Puching-Aviation/dp/B001CBRK86)

Bob