need a tenon saw

[jeff vanek]

looking for a tenon saw to use when i start my roubo bench, and suggestions on a tenon saw that won't break the bank?

[JohnPeter Lee]

Guess that all depends on how big the bank is.

Edit. I bought an old 26" groves rip saw, at ~7PPI at the LFOD parking lot sale last year that has some "issues". But the handle was sound and actually quite beautiful - extremely comfortable. I cut it down to 20" and sharpened it up and it serves me well for deeper, thicker rips. Saw plate is plenty thick and now a bit stiffer after the shortening. Cost me 5 bucks. You could find a saw with good bones, then alter to fit your need.

I also have an older 14" Adria rip and a newer 14" Bad Axe cross that I'm willing to sell, but they're not cheap - might break the bank. I was fortunate to get one of the latest batch of Disston 77s from Mike Wenzloff and that has made the two other saws redundant now.

JP

[David Weaver]

How deep does it need to cut?

The more convenient and pretty something is, the more it will cost you.

You might consider a panel saw instead if budget is an issue, and then just clean up your work to your line.

If you're looking for a big back saw that's got a deep plate and 16+ inches long without being a crosscut loppy and heavy miter box saw, i'm not aware of anything cheap.

[Mike Brady]

Lie-Nielsens are a good value and they are available at-once. There are nicer saws and you can wait a long time for them. Unfortunately, the entry point is over a hundred dollars for anything decent.

[Mike Siemsen]

You don't have to use a tenon saw to cut those big tenons, sure it is nice but a big ripsaw wielded properly will do just fine. Try it!

[Richard Line]

Here's a bit of heresy you might try. I picked up a Footprint tenon saw on sale ( they're not that expensive when not on sale). The handle isn't all that great and the plate is on the thick side, but I quickly taught myself to cut tenons using it. So, with a tenon saw that has a thick plate, start the cuts, when it bottoms out switch to a panel saw and finish the cuts. The tenon saw will get the kerf established and the panel saw will follow the kerf.

[Jim Matthews]

This is a practical solution; the stiff backsaw should cut straight, and the panel saw (if the plate is thin enough) references the backsaw kerf.

This has worked for me, in the past.

[Jessica Pierce-LaRose]

Yeah, I jump right to the panel saw for anything close to that range - heck, I jump right to the panel saw whenever I think I can get away with it - the backsaws just take too long. As you start the cut, use the back of the plate by the handle more, where it's stiffer for a little more accuracy. If your saw doesn't have a whole lot of set, once you get started, it should run right through things.

I've also had a lot of success with these cuts using a pullsaw.