Bowsaws

[Chris Hachet]

We have discussed bowsaws here before. I do not remember the consensus, and do not feel comfortable building my own yet, although that is coming. Who makes the best affordable one?

[David Weaver]

What size are you looking for, a small one or a big one?

[Chris Hachet]

What size are you looking for, a small one or a big one?

One smaller one for cutting curved parts and one larger one set up for ripping. I am finding some tasks, such as ripping styles for doors, are a tween task for hand saws. Back saws are a little too small and I wind up with too many teeth in the cut, and panel saws are too large.

So hoping that a bow saw will fill the gap...shop is staying wayyy to clean now that the table saw is seeing much less use. That, and I am developing a saw fetish instead of the usual hand plane fetiash as a hand a tool wood worker.

[David Weaver]

I don't have any experience with the small ones. I have the big all beech Emmerich - it's decent. The blades aren't super super great (except maybe the expensive turbocut blades, but I bought mine to rip only), but they can be sharpened. If you use the big one for rips, you'll likely want to extend the handle or you'll end up with one tired arm and one unused arm.

Thus far, the big pustch brand saw has not gotten good marks, I think you'd have to add a rubber washer or something between the frame and the handle to keep the handle from turning, and when you're going flat out, that's not cool. I don't remember who or where I saw that, but when I was looking around, I came to more than one complaint about the putsch saw, and highland was still selling them, anyway.

[Tony Wilkins]

I'm nervous about it but I want to make the bow saw that Bill Anderson built on The Woodwright's Shop a season or two ago. He's got the pins for that saw and for one smaller. Chester toolworks used to make a beautiful bow saw (not cheap) but I didn't see it anymore on his website.

[Ralph Boumenot]

Joel at TFWW has bowsaws. He also has plans and the parts to make your own. I used his small one at Amana and I was impressed with it. Making one isn't that difficult - it's basically just 3 pieces of wood and a couple of handles.

[Chris Hachet]

Joel at TFWW has bowsaws. He also has plans and the parts to make your own. I used his small one at Amana and I was impressed with it. Making one isn't that difficult - it's basically just 3 pieces of wood and a couple of handles.
Maybe I'll give it a try...What is TFWW?

[Tony Wilkins]

Maybe I'll give it a try...What is TFWW?

Tools for Working Wood dot com

[Chris Griggs]

Maybe I'll give it a try...What is TFWW?

Do it. It's very satisfying build. I was surprised how quick and easy it was too. The plans are actual full sized templates and very easy to follow. Its a handy saw too...kind like a coping saw on steroids. You can do pretty intricate curves with it like with a coping saw but the extra length makes it faster and easier to control. Its not a point and shoot tool and does take some practice to get good with it (like most tools), but I really find mine very useful.

[Stew Hagerty]

Check out Chris and Mary Yonker's saws. Although I have never tried one of their saws, I do have a couple of their other tools and they are very good. Plus they're really nice people.

[Chris Hachet]

Thanks!

I should have known that...

[Lloyd Robins]

The TFWW bowsaw is a very nice turning saw. Woodjoy Tools makes a very nice bowsaw. The CME saws mentioned as being on ebay are very nice, but ask about extra blades. The CME saws are quite affordable even with the recent price jump. A 14" bowsaw is about $72. The vendor is cmehandworksinc . They are nice people. I am not affiliated, but have purchase some of their tools. Good luck.

[Mike Holbrook]

I just bought a bowsaw from Glenn at Woodjoy Tools. I wanted a little larger saw than Joel at TFWW's 12" saw, so I ordered Glenn's 400MM saw. I just put it together a day or two ago and started playing with it. The Japanese Turbo, turning blade has been a little hard for me to get started but it will turn sharper corners than I thought it would. I wanted a saw for making longer gradual curved cuts not tight turns. I like the waxed string and two piece tensioner that comes with Woodjoy bowsaws, mine works very well. Glenn makes a great saw at a very reasonable price. One day I may do the TFWW kit too, when I have need of a smaller saw with an even tighter turning ability. For the moment I wanted more of a general purpose saw.

[Chuck Nickerson]

For a smaller bowsaw, TFWW. For a larger one, useful for cutting 10/4 and up stock, WoodJoy with a twist. I wanted a turning blade, so I ordered blades from Traditional Woodworker, then had WoodJoy make the saw to match the blade length. Works like a champ.

[Chris Griggs]

I wanted a saw for making longer gradual curved cuts not tight turns.

I hear ya. As much as I like my Gramercy, especially for tighter work like saw handles, I'd also like to by one of those 400mm turbo cut blades one of these days and make a saw for more gradual curves that are more typical of the furniture I make.

Glad to here its working out.

[Michael Ray Smith]

Do it. It's very satisfying build. I was surprised how quick and easy it was too. The plans are actual full sized templates and very easy to follow. Its a handy saw too...kind like a coping saw on steroids. You can do pretty intricate curves with it like with a coping saw but the extra length makes it faster and easier to control. Its not a point and shoot tool and does take some practice to get good with it (like most tools), but I really find mine very useful.

+1 to all that. I made one from the Gramercy hardware and plans. Part of the pleasure of using it is having made it, even if it's not a terribly difficult build.

[Charlie MacGregor]

Now I know I've spent too much time on Sawmill Creek. I was four posts down the thread before I realized it wasn't about bone saws. I was very confused for a moment.

[Mike Holbrook]

Chris, I like the 400mm size. It is small enough to do most curves and large enough (15.75") to perform well as a utility saw with the Universal Turbo blade. At only $130 I think it is an outstanding deal as well. It is a very comfortable saw for me to use standing at my bench on wood clamped in a vice. I had a lesser bowsaw I bought many years ago that I never was able to saw a straight line with. Glenn's saw was very easy to achieve good results with immediately. The larger Turbo blade moves through wood faster than I thought it would. I believe I can figure out what types of sawing I might like to do with bow saws with this one saw.

Glenn places a leather washer between the handle and frame which provides just the right amount of tension between the handle and frame for adjusting the blade angle. The waxed string provided with the saw and the two part tension system have been a pleasure to deal with as well. If it were not for the original bowsaw I bought I would be wondering why anyone would claim bow saws are hard to use.

[Chris Hachet]

Chris, I like the 400mm size. It is small enough to do most curves and large enough (15.75") to perform well as a utility saw with the Universal Turbo blade. At only $130 I think it is an outstanding deal as well. It is a very comfortable saw for me to use standing at my bench on wood clamped in a vice. I had a lesser bowsaw I bought many years ago that I never was able to saw a straight line with. Glenn's saw was very easy to achieve good results with immediately. The larger Turbo blade moves through wood faster than I thought it would. I believe I can figure out what types of sawing I might like to do with bow saws with this one saw.

Glenn places a leather washer between the handle and frame which provides just the right amount of tension between the handle and frame for adjusting the blade angle. The waxed string provided with the saw and the two part tension system have been a pleasure to deal with as well. If it were not for the original bowsaw I bought I would be wondering why anyone would claim bow saws are hard to use.Mike, the 400 MM size from which maker? Thanks, Chris

[Chris Hachet]

Mike, the 400 MM size from which maker? Thanks, Chrisnever mind, figured it out...woodjoy tools...thanks!

[Winton Applegate]

Here yah go. I will make you feel good about anything you make by showing you the most quick'O dick'O geeterdone sort of saws. Any thing you make has got to be prettier than these.
First I will say I was impressed with and enjoyed the Woodwright's Shop saw build show. I seem to remember him emphasizing the importance of orienting the grain right for the curved parts so they don't break.

Anyway back in the day I couldn't find much for blades even if I wanted to make my own saw. I finally just bought various bandsaw blades to cut up and make my own frame saw/bow saw blades; see first photo of the white boxes of blades.
Then I wasn't so sure I was going to like a bow saw so I threw some thing together to try it out before getting "too prissy" and "too lost in details to be productive". I forget why I decided to go with teak for the vertical handle/tension lever things. Maybe it was as simple as I had never worked teak before.

The "hardware" is just sheet metal that I cut an organic blob on the end and drilled and tapped one side and drilled and pressed a brass pin through the plane dowel handle to hold the two sheet metal layers. I turned the dowel on my metal lathe to fit through the teak . I figured I would make pretty if and when I got into bowsawness.

The other photos are of my frame saw for resawing that I mentioned in another post. I show some close ups here to show the "hardware" which are just machine thread bolts with a slot hacksawed in one end and a steel pin slip fitted through to hold the blade.
I started out making the saw all out of purple heart. In use I found that as a one man saw that big chunk of purple heart on the end opposite to the handle end was just too heavy and caused the saw to act up. By substituting the lighter, in color but also in weight, wood on that end the saw had a better balance. Doesn't look as great in the photos but such is life.

[Mike Holbrook]

Chris & Tony I believe I have seen info on the bowsaw building class Bill Anderson does. If I remember what I read correctly, the saws made in that class are very close to the 400MM saw Glen at Woodjoy makes, although I think Glenn's saw has additional useful featuress (wax string, two piece tensioner, handle locking system). I originally tried to talk Glenn into providing me pieces (a kit) to make my own saw with. I think Glenn would have done it but we were both stuck in building projects when I first talked to him and we put the order oh hold. After restoring 10-15 panel and hand saws and building 4 planes I decided to just order the saw from Glenn. The saw Glenn provides is made from maple and thick enough for me to add my own touches later if I want. Once I figure out appropriate wood(s) and obtain a supply I may make another saw, designed to fit the best non Japanese blades I can find, working off Glenn's basic design.

[Chris Hachet]

Chris & Tony I believe I have seen info on the bowsaw building class Bill Anderson does. If I remember what I read correctly, the saws made in that class are very close to the 400MM saw Glen at Woodjoy makes, although I think Glenn's saw has additional useful featuress (wax string, two piece tensioner, handle locking system). I originally tried to talk Glenn into providing me pieces (a kit) to make my own saw with. I think Glenn would have done it but we were both stuck in building projects when I first talked to him and we put the order oh hold. After restoring 10-15 panel and hand saws and building 4 planes I decided to just order the saw from Glenn. The saw Glenn provides is made from maple and thick enough for me to add my own touches later if I want. Once I figure out appropriate wood(s) and obtain a supply I may make another saw, designed to fit the best non Japanese blades I can find, working off Glenn's basic design.

Keep me posted, you have struck a cord with me as I'd like to do a project like this....