handsaw project: handle

[steven c newman]

I have a BIG toothed rip saw, medallion says WS & M Co. Some time it the past, someone had tried to "re-hab' this saw.. 230399 re-drilled holes, medallion out of place. Teeth were sharpened a might big230400There is 6 teeth per inch there. So, i think I can bring it back to life. First, a new handle. i did have just enough 1" thick Sycamore to make a blank.230401 Took the blank outside to my High Tech Bench ( back porch railing) and clamped it in place. My Tool Shop Sabresaw ( $14) made all the cuts, in about ten minutes or so. 230402Just laying there right now. next up, a trip out to the Barn Woodshop. I have a 1/2' round-over bit awaiting some work. A sanding sleave to smooth out the curves as well. Re-drill holes for the hardware. Now, about the saw blade. seems to be cut up a might. Might have been a nib at one time230403gone now. The other end was also cut up230404I'll just get rid of that spur, leaving a nice straight line. new handle will mean new holes. existing ones are more like slots. Then a finish. light stain & varnish, or, dark stain & varnish?????:confused:

[Kenneth Speed]

This is going to be interesting! I just had a Disston No 12 re-toothed, the previous owner had butchered it in trying to sharpen it. The blade was somewhere around 4 1/2 to 5 TPI! I named it JAWS.
I don't know if you're planning on cutting the new teeth yourself or sending the saw out to be sharpened, I'd recommend sending it out. The re-toothing was very inexpensive. All this is to say that i don't think you'll have a lot of trouble with the saw blade.

I am very curious to see how you proceed on the saw handle, specifically how you plan to slot it for the blade. I would have been inclined to cut the slot first in some manner and then shape the handle. My understanding is that that slot needs to be a close fit.

I'm curious about your choice of sycamore. Was there a specific reason or did you just have some 5/4 sycamore on hand?

[Jim Koepke]

My way of going about making a handle for a saw was to first make a handle of soft wood to get a feel for the shaping and hang.

To put the slot in the handle use the blade without any set on the teeth.

Here is my write up on my saw build:

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?180712-Back-Saw-Build

jtk

[steven c newman]

The sycamore is a blank I had on hand, leftovers from another such project. The last two I've worked on, I saw kerfed the slot, using the blade that will go into it. Shaping? maybe a bit of D-8 style? Not a whole lot of wood in there for too much "carving' to go. Teeth: Might leave them big, for now. Just a sharpening. Think I should file it rip??? 230480From an earlier project saw. Just a rough shaping here. 230481and all dolled up. The wood came from some old barn wood. I had left it 4/4 after planning down, as i wanted four corner posts for a chest of drawers. THAT project got scraped, soooooo. Glue up a wider blank230482and saw out some handles for saws. looks better than those "store-bought" ones down at the ACE Hardware store.....

[Kenneth Speed]

Well, I guess I just got a lesson in, "Be careful what you ask for because you might get it!" Now, I have to put making a saw tote in my to do file! Steve and Jim, thanksfor the tip! I''ll still be watching and I'll be interested to see the completed project.

Making one of those pistol grips for a dovetail or small tenon saw would be tempting! I've a L.N. dovetail I could use as a guide/pattern. I nearly always have cherry, curly maple and walnut kicking around.

Hmmm, if I find a nice old back saw blade with a beat up tote then I guess I don't have a choice do I?

[steven c newman]

230486Tote replaced a "Half-tote". Rather, there was just the bottom half of a tote there. Cleaned the blade up, resharpened (rip) and added a new black Walnut tote. Cost of the backsaw? $1.21 counting tax...

[Jim Koepke]

Kenneth,

Here is a file with instructions on the Gramercy dovetail saw with a pattern for a tote:

http://www.toolsforworkingwood.com/prodimg/gt/pdf/GT-DSAW9XX_INST.pdf

That is the pattern used as a guide for a starting point for mine. A prototype was made in pine and changes were made and noted to get the sizing and grip desired.

jtk

[Kenneth Speed]

Steven wrote, 230486Tote replaced a "Half-tote". Rather, there was just the bottom half of a tote there. Cleaned the blade up, resharpened (rip) and added a new black Walnut tote. Cost of the backsaw? $1.21 counting tax..."

Damn, $1.21! Highway robbery! I'm kidding of course. Its amazing, congratulations. I assume it feels quite comfortable in your hand. Thank you

[steven c newman]

230508the "before' picture of the $1.21 saw. A couple more photos:230509230510Yep, it was ugly. Second one is after a good sharpening.

[steven c newman]

Ok, let's see what we got...230576Sitting at the router table, waiting it's turn. 1/2" round-over bit in the router. After a lot of sanding, some extra shaping, it was time to fit the blade. Sawed a kerf, using a rip saw that was close to the size i needed. Seemed to fit ok230577Yep, a might rusty..... Once the kerf was where i wanted it, I drilled new holes for the hardware. A spadebit for the sawnuts to sit into, a forstner bit for the medallion to sit into. A couple regular driil bits to go through the saw plate, and away we go:230578230579A cheap $2 backsaw supplied some of the bolts, and the two brass items came from the original saw. Still needs a finish applied to the handle, and a re-fresh on those big "choppers" some call teeth. Seems to fit my hand...

[steven c newman]

the wood for this handle used to be a "collar-tie" from a garage/ buggy house that had fallen down. building was at least 100 yrs old. Picked out one "joist' to clean up. Turned out to be Black Cherry. The Sycamore was in a collar tie between two rafters. I had resawn it down to 5/4 with a "plan' to use the four pieces as corner posts for a chest of drawers. That plan got changed to a smaller Toy Box, so ihad a couple 4/4 planks left over. I had to glue up two pieces to make a blank wide enough for a sawhandle. Good thing i used one long enough to make two handles with. This is the second such handle out of sycamore I have done. I going to check out to find some more of this stuff. I do have more collar ties to mill up......

[Kenneth Speed]

Impressive job Steve!

What are your plans for the saw blade?

[steven c newman]

I'll just sharpen them big old teeth into the meanest RIP teeth around. I still need to put a finish on the handle......

[Kenneth Speed]

Jim and Steve and anyone else who is interested, I just stumbled upon a couple of nice drawings for saw handles in a book called, HAND TOOLS Their Ways and Workings by Aldren A Watson.

Ken