Pair of shop made backsaws

[Mike Allen1010]

I recently saw some pictures of Chris Vandiver's beautiful Groves and Son's Backsaws and despite my best efforts to resist I couldn't help myself from attempting to build a couple saws based on his beauties. Chris was kind enough to send me some pictures of his saw handles with dimensions that I used as templates for the totes.

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Both saws are built from parts I got from Mike Wentzloff- .025" thick saw plate and slotted backs. Split nuts from Joel at TFWW. The darker saw is rosewood and is 18" x 4.5" under the back (1" wide brass back). Filed 10 PPI crosscut.

I go dark woods for crosscut saws and light woods for ripppers for easy identification on the bench. I've used cocobolo and Walnut before and this was my first saw handle from Rosewood. I may have to rob a liquor store as it was a joy to work -- very fine texture and no tear out/chipping with the rasps etc.
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The other is maple -- 14" x 3 1/4" under the saw back. Filed 12 PPI Rip.
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Although not aesthetically great, (the crispnesss of the detail around the lambs tongue, mortice etc. didn't turn out as clean as I'd hoped) however they work great and that's all I was really hoping for. Maybe someday I'll have the patience and talent to get the aesthetic details right, but at least for now I have some tools I can put to work in the shop.

I enjoyed building tools I can use woodworking. Back saws have been among the most challenging tools for me to build. My first three or four were totally unusable with wild bends in the Saw plates from misalignment of the saw backs, mortice and tote. Thanks to some very gracious and helpful coaching from Klaus, Chris V. and others these saws came out perfectly straight -- at last victory!

In total, if I consider the time, effort and $ in parts I've invested in building my own saws, I would have been better off to write Klaus or Mike W. a check. Like many things in woodworking, if I only knew then what I know now!

Many thanks to Klaus and Chris for all their help! Thanks for looking,

All the best, Mike

[James Owen]

Beautiful saws!! The totes look very comfortable, and they have a nice, balanced look to them. Great job!!

[David Weaver]

Nice saws, Mike. I'm with you on the lamb's tongue and the horns - they are very hard to get right for "us" (the non-professionals). I haven't gotten one that I like yet.

When you look back after you're done, though, you have to spend a lot of money to get someone to do a nicer job than you did with nicer wood, but I'm also with you on the time - you really get an appreciation for the folks who can make them for money, and do it quickly enough to make it worth their time.

Planes are the same way. Somehow you always end up with so much more time preparing the surface and tweaking than you ever expected, on both the metal and the wood.

[Chris Griggs]

Those are really, really nice Mike. Its funny, when you start making or working on you own tools (and I've only made a couple) suddenly some of the new, expensive, high quality saws and planes (LV, LN, Gramercy, Wenzloff, etc...) don't seem all that expensive. Also, if you've ever tried to price your own work you very quickly realize how valuable your time is.

[Dave Beauchesne]

Mike:
Don't beat yourself up ! I would be proud to say I had made those saws - nicely done!!

Dave Beauchesne

[Philip Duffy]

Fantastic and useful as well, no doubt. Philip

[Klaus Kretschmar]

Beautiful, Mike!!!

You took the right handle pattern for these 2 beauties. Groves and Son made some of the most impressing and beautiful saw handles that were ever made. Your saws reflect that outstanding design in a very nice way. Those little dings and dangs don't count if the general design and the technical stuff is well done. It's not more than a matter of practice to shape the details of a handle crisp. Once you've done 15 or 20 handles, you will make it "while sleeping".

I'm glad to hear that the blades are sitting straight. That IS important. To achieve a truly straight blade on a backsaw is not that easy. One has to know one thing or two to do that step right. Congrats and welcome to the club!:)

Cheers
Klaus

[Derek Cohen]

Hi Mike

I think that you have done a fantastic job with both! I do have a favourite, however - the Rosewood. I love the inclusion of the sapwood at the horn.

Speaking of the horns, they are beautiful. I like the graceful lines. I would be concerned about their breaking, however, as they are also quite delicate. My modification would be to taper them in slightly. That would preserve the line and remove some of the more fragile edge.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Jeff Bartley]

Great job Mike! I too love the feel of the Groves and Sons handles and it looks like you nailed the form! I like the sapwood on the horn too. Bravo! Jeff

[Ron Bontz]

Nice saws mike. I like the Groves and Sons handles as well. Did you use a template? I have been trying to decide on a handle for a large back saw as well.

[Mike Allen1010]

Did you use a template? I have been trying to decide on a handle for a large back saw as well.

Hi Ron,

Below are a couple links to Mike Wentzloff's site and Ray Gardiner's excellent site (backsaw net) that have a range of templates for saw handles available:


http://www.backsaw.net/cpg/thumbnails.php?album=7


http://www.wenzloffandsons.com/faq/36-saw-kit-tech/71-saw-patterns.html

Ron, I think these are great places to look to find Historically significant saw totes and hopefully what you're looking for for your own project. Many thanks to Mike and Ray for all the time and effort they have invested in making all this knowledge and information about handsaws available to the public!

I wasn't able to find a template per se of what I wanted. A fellow creeker here was kind enough to send me some photographs of the Groves and Sons totes in his collection and those are what I used as templates for these handles (Thanks Chris!).

Many thanks to all for the very kind comments.

Derek and Klaus, I really appreciate your help and suggestions. You guys are both personal heroes of mine and I never would've attempted to try building backsaws if it weren't for the inspiration and guidance you've provided.

All the best,

Mike

[Bill McDermott]

Mike, Some things look better to me when I can see the traces of handwork. Your excellent saw handles scream DESIGN, FUNCTION, STYLE but they also very subtly say "I made this by hand". In my opinion, that is vastly better than a flawless CAD/CAM product. I hope you (proudly) sign or stamp your working pieces of art in some way. I also think your idea of light/dark : rip/cross is very clever and practical. Another Bravo. Bill

[Jeff Wittrock]

Those are just lovely saws.

[george wilson]

Of the Wenzloff link above,I like the Taylor best,followed by the LN.

Nice saws,keep working!