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View Full Version : Big thumbhole ripsaw with custom sawplate & DIY handle


Tristan Williams
10-17-2011, 5:22 PM
I'm a big fellow at 6'6", so I've got a long arm stroke to match, and I don't have a bandsaw so all stock prep is done by hand. For years I've kept an eye on ebay and local flea markets for a nice big ripsaw to ease the pain, but I've never had any luck. I was chatting with Pedder a few weeks back and he pointed me towards Lui Rocca, a bloke from the UK who has started making saws on the side as Springwood Handsaws - especially the big stuff, it seems! So that got me thinking..
After some dialogue with him he sorted me out with two shiny new sawplates, a 29" progressive pitch ripper 5 - 3.5ppi and a 27" 6ppi crosscut. Beautiful stuff. I was keen to try making my own handles and he was able to sort me out with enough black walnut for the two of them. Real upstanding chap Lui - a pleasure to deal with, in-progress photos, and a very decent price to boot!

I designed my own handle design, something of a cross between a classic Disston thumbhole handle and I threw in a bunch of influences from eg the D7 and some backsaw handles I like, to end up with something a little more ornate.

I started by printing out the design and using a glue-stick to paste it to the blank:
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/--cjTLmELikA/Tpvay6ryYvI/AAAAAAAAAYU/qxiUBi_Fm2k/s720/IMG_20111015_181310.jpg

Then I drilled for the sawnuts:
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-JrQ1Gjeq9Eo/TpvbAAUO44I/AAAAAAAAAYc/QeFL0LA9HKA/s512/IMG_20111015_181922.jpg

I used forstners and spade bits to hog out the curved parts:
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-BsNSvi18J38/TpvbOiES8XI/AAAAAAAAAYk/bFl-oYKQHew/s512/IMG_20111015_183104.jpg

Then used a coping saw to cut the shape:
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-eP4Q-Fc-45w/TpvbeSl5a2I/AAAAAAAAAYs/ZhlHZVSfAGY/s720/IMG_20111015_204253.jpg

I was having too much fun when carving and forgot to take any photos, but I used rasps and files until I was happy with the rough shape - this was a whole lot of fun!
I then carefully measured the kerf of each of my saws until I found one that matched the thickness of the sawplate. I clamped this saw to my bench with a ~1/2" block of wood underneath it, and shimmed with paper so I could pull the new handle along the teeth and start a perfectly centred slot for the plate:
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-j_MIoEfk1wM/TpvbsnfCHxI/AAAAAAAAAY0/KX-fMvHBwNg/s512/IMG_20111016_184138.jpg

Once the slot was well started I switched back around the normal way and finished the slot to depth:
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-vZpbwKwxWAU/Tpvb5huxF-I/AAAAAAAAAY8/7QBllSd4Qfs/s512/IMG_20111016_184537.jpg

I marked up the sawplate for drilling and used a sharp cobalt bit with slow speeds and a bunch of coolant to drill it through. Every time it started to make any high pitched noises I paused and replenished the coolant - it was an easy process in the end:
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-mcz95SP55EM/TpvcJIOfS8I/AAAAAAAAAZE/vd00UXlL90E/s512/IMG_20111016_190718.jpg

Next up I spent a few hours doing my most hated of woodworking activities - sanding. I didn't bother taking off all of the tool marks, I went until I had a nice comfy handle and left it at that. I mixed up a batch of finish, based on a recipe I've heard from Pekka Huhta, an old boatbuilders' classic. 2:2:1 boiled linseed oil : mineral spirits : pine tar. This went into a freezer bag along with the handle. I let this soak while I cleaned up the dust from all the sanding:
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-MDWLjj_tOXs/TpvcVNd5xBI/AAAAAAAAAZM/Radv8eD8kOE/s512/IMG_20111017_003626.jpg

I left it in there for about 30 minutes, then took it out and wiped all the excess off. The rest of the finish is kept for next time. It will keep oozing out of the endgrain for a while. I let that dry for 24 hours, then rubbed in some paste beeswax (50/50 beeswax & mineral spirits) and assembled the saw! The sawnuts are simple brass M6 furniture nuts, joined with a short length of brass M6 threaded rod.
The completed monster:
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-cMM9ldxLbZc/TpyTz3pga3I/AAAAAAAAAa4/hX7jrXvodBM/s800/IMG_6442.jpg
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-BN0MxXA45-8/TpybZ8JNg8I/AAAAAAAAAb0/JryRzkyvCCA/s640/IMG_6437.jpg
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-jzqFVFzUV-U/TpybZ5Ro7GI/AAAAAAAAAb4/yZiY_YwmtEI/s800/IMG_6438.jpg
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-0xQzhbDSx9k/TpyT2ylGktI/AAAAAAAAAbE/GPAANZVCeFE/s720/IMG_6440.jpg

It was a great experience to make this handle, surprisingly easy and very satisfying. The result is supremely comfortable, and the finish is very tactile and easy on the hands. The performance of the plate is very impressive - it really is a monster. I tossed a piece of 4" pine at it for its first test run and it chewed through it in no time. I'll be enjoying this saw for years to come :)

Thanks Lui!
Tristan Williams
10-17-2011, 5:40 PM
And for fun - this is how it makes my sawtill look:
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-BaKCW0uML2Q/TpygHCn1RmI/AAAAAAAAAcE/mCdSHWz31qA/s640/IMG_6444.JPG
Kinda dwarfs the others there. Many saws awaiting rehab.
Klaus Kretschmar
10-17-2011, 5:53 PM
Chapeau, Tristan!!

Excellent job on this large ripper. That is one beast of a saw for sure, it reminds me slightly on the monster ripper from Pedder and me. I love the proportions. And the handle? Well, if that was your first attempt, I've nothing than to applaude. Very beautiful! I do like the slightly rounded shape of the handle top, that's not that easy to make. You did it really great.

You didn't mention it, but I guess that Lui sent you taper ground plates. He does great work!

Cheers
Klaus
Tristan Williams
10-17-2011, 6:27 PM
Chapeau, Tristan!!
Excellent job on this large ripper. That is one beast of a saw for sure, it reminds me slightly on the monster ripper from Pedder and me. I love the proportions. And the handle? Well, if that was your first attempt, I've nothing than to applaude. Very beautiful! I do like the slightly rounded shape of the handle top, that's not that easy to make. You did it really great.
Thanks Klaus! That means a lot coming from you :) It is indeed my first attempt.


You didn't mention it, but I guess that Lui sent you taper ground plates. He does great work!
He sure does! I'm very impressed with this saw plate. I toyed with making my own for a while but didn't attempt it because of the taper grinding issue. These plates are taper ground, and not just a little bit either. He's done an excellent job.
Randy Reitz
10-17-2011, 6:59 PM
Wow, that's a beautiful saw. I especially like your method for cutting the slot. I hadn't seen that before.
Jim Matthews
10-17-2011, 7:00 PM
This saw deserves a proper name.

Arthur had Excalibur.
Thor held Mjolnir.

Tristan wields the Board's bane?
Rick Lapp
10-17-2011, 8:11 PM
Then old "boat soup" recipe ought to have some Japan drier too. Rick
george wilson
10-17-2011, 9:55 PM
An excellent first try!!:)
Jonathan McCullough
10-17-2011, 10:28 PM
I like how you've combined a bunch of different styles to your liking. The TPI looks especially aggressive too. That'll go through a soft pine board in a couple of strokes. How did he taper grind the plate?
Jim Koepke
10-17-2011, 11:30 PM
Very nice, especially for your first handle.

jtk
Matt Owen
10-17-2011, 11:36 PM
That's just gorgeous!!! I hear you on the sanding. No fun. I don't see any tool marks, though. Great job!
Eric Brown
10-18-2011, 7:32 AM
Tristan it looks really good. The most important thing though is that now that you have a saw that fits you better, what else besides saws are you going to modify? Plane handles or something? Most people are afraid to try what you did and now you know there is no good reason for the fear. Good for you. Keep it up. You might be surprised at what you can do.

Eric
Tristan Williams
10-18-2011, 5:35 PM
Thanks for the nice comments :) I hope this thread serves to get more fencesitters a little nudge to try this themselves! The core of the work took maybe 5 hours, then add a few for sanding. You could easily cut that in half if you were less fussy about the shape.


This saw deserves a proper name.
Its tough - I'd call it Mongo if the Schwarz hadn't stolen that one already for his massive mallet! Its big, its brash, and it has an insatiable appetite for wood.


I like how you've combined a bunch of different styles to your liking. The TPI looks especially aggressive too. That'll go through a soft pine board in a couple of strokes. How did he taper grind the plate?
I'm not sure how he taper ground it. You could ask him - his blog is here: http://handsaw-maker.blogspot.com/


Tristan it looks really good. The most important thing though is that now that you have a saw that fits you better, what else besides saws are you going to modify? Plane handles or something? Most people are afraid to try what you did and now you know there is no good reason for the fear. Good for you. Keep it up. You might be surprised at what you can do.
I have lots more toolmaking projects in the queue, thats for sure! I've built a few Krenov style planes before, I'll no doubt build a few more in the future. Next time I might try the traditional one-piece construction method. But of course for that it'd be best to machine myself a set of floats (I have a benchtop milling machine). I want to build a new bench, and for that I'd want a big twin screw wooden vice. That sounds like an interesting challenge - so onto the list goes constructing an old fashioned screwbox and make some big wood screws and nuts. The list of projects is pretty much endless, and it so easily goes along the lines of "hey, how hard could it be to make that tool I need for myself?" and then I find another line on the list... For a programmer by trade like me it is deliciously recursive, and full of lots of fascinating problems to solve. My folks always taught me that you can do anything you set yourself to - well, I try to test that as often as possible :D
maximillian arango
04-08-2014, 11:58 PM
Hate to bump an old thread but nice work

One quick question are thumb hole saw handles more comfortable?
Rob Luter
04-09-2014, 5:56 AM
This saw deserves a proper name.

Arthur had Excalibur.
Thor held Mjolnir.

Tristan wields the Board's bane?

How about Jack (the Ripper)
David Weaver
04-09-2014, 8:06 AM
One quick question are thumb hole saw handles more comfortable?

They are similar to any other saw that's been designed for ripping (i.e., some of the non-thumbhole handles are pretty large and easy enough to get an extra hand on).