Re-sawing Tool - The neanders friend

[David Paulsen]

Hi all. This is my first thread, and english isn't my first language, so please excuse any hick-up.

I've been wanting to show you this for a while now, as I think you might enjoy to see this tool I have made. I got the inspiration from Tom Fidgen who calls his a "kerfing Plane".
http://www.theunpluggedwoodshop.com/bent-laminations-and-the-path-of-least-resistance.html

It's a saw plate mounted in a, sort of, plane body which has a fixed fence to kerf a track around a board, allowing him to resaw to a certain thickness. In his case for bent laminations.

I thought that was pretty handy as I do a lot of re-sawing in my shop (can't stand to waste precious wood) and always found it a bit hard to make the saw track straight. But of course I made it with a moveable fence.

So it took me a couple of days to plan and build this little "saw gauge" as I like to call it

260782
260784


Want to see it in action?

I had a board from an old cabinet where some old Danish carpenter had glued a thin piece of oak onto some (cheap) pine to give substance without wasting too much precious wood.
260785
I'd wanted to free the oak from its ancient bond. So I set the "saw gauge" and tightened the wedges.
260786

Then I easily saw the kerf around the board, making sure the fence was tight against the face. (I'm sure you have no trouble in seeing how it works)
260787
Then my 4 tpi rip saw goes to town, without me having to check all the time if I'm on the line or not.
260788

Board is almost free:
260789

Hand plane to the rescue
260790

That's how it works. Its made from canadian elm by the way. Finished with oil and wax.
If I didn't have one now, I would surely build it again. It saves a lot of trouble.

Hope you enjoyed

Regards
David

[Brent Ring]

Very Interesting and Informative. How long did it take you to make it?

[Jim Koepke]

Interesting idea, thanks for sharing.


Hi all. This is my first thread, and english isn't my first language, so please excuse any hick-up.

David,

For a second language, your English is better than a lot of native speakers. Must be the education system that actually educated you.

jtk

[Kees Heiden]

Neat idea and nice execution. Is it hard work or very easy to saw the groove? I was thinking along a similar line for a similar job. I would use the thinest cutter in a plowplane, about 3mm I guess. Of course your special tool makes an even thinner groove.

A similar tool is to be seen in the catalogue from Wertheim, an Austrian woodworking tool company. The catalogue is from 1869. Here is a link. You need to scroll through until you find it on a page with a lot of saws.
http://pudl.princeton.edu/viewer.php?obj=qr46r156v&vol=v2phys&log=v2log#page/16/mode/2up

[Jonathan McCullough]

Really cool. How many tpi on the saw part? Do you think a shorter saw length would work as well, or perhaps if it were breasted, so that it presented only a few teeth at a time and therefore less drag?

[Zach Dillinger]

I have thought about making something similar for cutting tenon shoulders. I would include a depth stop on mine, something for which you have no need. Great execution!

[William Adams]

Very cool!

I've long thought a tool like that would be perfect for sawing the lids off boxes.

[Mike Allen1010]

Great idea David -- I'm definitely building one of these.

Thanks for sharing!

All the best

Mike

[Tony Shea]

I agree, really cool tool. It is something I really could have used for a lot of years without a bandsaw. I got pretty good at resawing by hand but still used the flip the board technique to stay on line on both edges. But I could see this tool let the saw just follow the deep kerfs and create a much quicker resaw.

I think the tool is brilliant and incredibly well executed.

[Tony Sade]

For a second language, your English is better than a lot of native speakers.

I'll echo Jim on this comment, with one exception. Around here, a "hick-up" is what we call it when 2 or more good-old boys get into a fight. ;)

On the real subject of the thread, I think your creation looks very useful, especially for resawing.

How did you fix the blade to the tool--slots/holes and screws? Any problem with the blade moving?

Thanks

[Chuck Nickerson]

I have thought about making something similar for cutting tenon shoulders.

Zach - Stephen Sheperd (Full Chisel blog) has done something along this line.
If I recall, picture a stair saw designed to run on its side.

[Jeff Wittrock]

Thanks for posting this. It looks like something I could really use as I often cut thin strips for laminations.
Not only a very good idea, but very well executed besides.

[Winton Applegate]

David,
Your first post here is a winner !
I have studied the heck out of this marvelous craft woodworking for more than a decade and have never come across a tool like the one you are demonstrating.
Way to go.
By the way this is my first reply here though I have been looking in from time to time? This is without a doubt the best hand tool forum I have found.
Keep the posts coming.

[Stanley Covington]

David:

Very nice! Do you think a slightly curved blade ("breasted") would be an improvement or not?

Thanks,

Stan

[Charlie Stanford]

Hi all. This is my first thread, and english isn't my first language, so please excuse any hick-up.

I've been wanting to show you this for a while now, as I think you might enjoy to see this tool I have made. I got the inspiration from Tom Fidgen who calls his a "kerfing Plane".
http://www.theunpluggedwoodshop.com/bent-laminations-and-the-path-of-least-resistance.html

It's a saw plate mounted in a, sort of, plane body which has a fixed fence to kerf a track around a board, allowing him to resaw to a certain thickness. In his case for bent laminations.

I thought that was pretty handy as I do a lot of re-sawing in my shop (can't stand to waste precious wood) and always found it a bit hard to make the saw track straight. But of course I made it with a moveable fence.

So it took me a couple of days to plan and build this little "saw gauge" as I like to call it

260782
260784


Want to see it in action?

I had a board from an old cabinet where some old Danish carpenter had glued a thin piece of oak onto some (cheap) pine to give substance without wasting too much precious wood.
260785
I'd wanted to free the oak from its ancient bond. So I set the "saw gauge" and tightened the wedges.
260786

Then I easily saw the kerf around the board, making sure the fence was tight against the face. (I'm sure you have no trouble in seeing how it works)
260787
Then my 4 tpi rip saw goes to town, without me having to check all the time if I'm on the line or not.
260788

Board is almost free:
260789

Hand plane to the rescue
260790

That's how it works. Its made from canadian elm by the way. Finished with oil and wax.
If I didn't have one now, I would surely build it again. It saves a lot of trouble.

Hope you enjoyed

Regards
David

Pretty cool, but I just use a tenon saw to make starter kerfs before getting after it with a rip saw.

[David Paulsen]

Brent: It took a couple of days to make. The planning took a bit more, cause initially I wanted to tighten the arms of the fence with screws, but as I couldn't easily obtain the hardware I wanted, I went with the wood action.

Jim: Thank you... I was raised by wolves, but luckily they had a television set, so I learned from watching Seinfeld and cartoon networks . Joke aside, I did learn from tv and internet mostly. Haven't had that much of an education but have always loved the language.

Kees: Thank you for the link to that catalogue, it's interesting. It's very easy to cut the groove. Takes no time or effort at all.

Jonathan: I wouldn't think that making it shorter would be a problem at all. Making it slightly breasted, I think, would be a fine way to go. It works though, as it is, without too much hassle. The blade is from an old dovetail gents saw. I would think between 16-19 tpi. Haven't counted though. Wouldn't think it matters much.

Zach: Sounds like a good idea. I actually regret that I didn't mount the blade the same way as you would a staircase saw. Would have given more options for use. Like long rabbets for instance... And it would have made the blade a little more stable.

William: That idea is fun, I like that! Should then have the possibility to extend the blade.

Mike: Thanks Mike. Glad you enjoyed!

Tony Shea: Thanks Tony. That's what I used to do before this tool as well, and it definitely gets the job done! This way doesn't go a lot faster, but its more enjoyable and who doesn't like to fettle with more than one tool...

Tony Sade: Thank you Tony! Like I wrote to Zach, I regret I didn't mount the blade, like in a staircase saw. The blade is mounted with two bolts in inserts. And the front of the blade is a little bit too loose for my liking but hasn't made any noticeable effect yet. In the planning stage I had the idea that I also wanted to try if I could cut old-school (thick) veneer with this aid, and so I thought that the fence should be able to get as close to the blade as I wanted/needed, and so decided to hold the blade on the side. It wouldn't have made a problem, though, if the blade was in the middle of the body, as the fence is below the body and extents right in where you want it. Prototype no. 1. The second would be better, if I could be bothered to make one :)

Jeff: Definitely... This would make laminating so much easier. Thats why Tom Fidgen made his I believe!

Winton: Thank you Winton, I agree, this forum is great!

Stanley: Thanks. Yes, I do think a slightly breasted blade would make it a bit better, and I think I will create that slowly as I sharpen the blade from time to time. But it works hassle free at the moment.

Charlie: Hey Charlie, you are right... This tool is not an absolute need. Guess thats why you don't really find any about. But it does make the process of re-sawing more enjoyable, and I do think it would be a great aid for laminations, or other cuts where you need a great precision. I used to do it the same way, with my tenon saw. But as I do re-saw quite a bit in my shop, I find I'm happy about this fun little project.

[bridger berdel]

i wonder if this could be a detachable accessory to a saw. that way you could move it between saws for different uses, and it would always cut the right kerf.