Dean Arthur
02-11-2021, 5:38 PM
Does anyone have any first hand experience with some of the larger, more obscure Japanese saws for timber framing? I've got a Gyokucho 655 ryoba that has worked great for general construction but I've been toying with the idea of getting a larger saw for dealing with larger cutoffs, etc. that a ryoba won't do well with.
An outfit called the Shelter Institute who builds timber frame has a good video of them using a Silky Zorin 370 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5I0qP3TaR0Y (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5I0qP3TaR0Y&feature=emb_logo)
Some say this saw is discontinued, but they appear to have some in stock.
I also came across a Willow Leaf Log Saw on the woodcraft site but they aren't in stock and may not be in the future https://www.woodcraft.com/products/13-1-2-sakimaru-willow-leaf-log-saw-hikoza-hikoza
This past winter I have been using some of the folding pruning saws in the yard and I wonder if these would be an even better option. Something like the Silky Katanaboy or Big Boy 2000, etc. They come in a variety of tooth patterns and are easily available. Folding seems like a nice option for a job site as well.
Not sure what size to get - these saws go from 340mm up to 650mm. Any suggestions that I might have missed would be well appreciated.
Locally I came across an ad for the Makita 16" and 10 1/4" circular saws for a really reasonable price. I'm tempted (particularly with the 10 1/4) but I wonder how much use I would really get out of them since I don't do this professionally. I'm not planning on doing a full timber framed structure - more for architectural elements, perhaps a roof and/or pergola. I did find a good deal on a chain mortiser though, since I hate cutting mortises by hand.
An outfit called the Shelter Institute who builds timber frame has a good video of them using a Silky Zorin 370 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5I0qP3TaR0Y (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5I0qP3TaR0Y&feature=emb_logo)
Some say this saw is discontinued, but they appear to have some in stock.
I also came across a Willow Leaf Log Saw on the woodcraft site but they aren't in stock and may not be in the future https://www.woodcraft.com/products/13-1-2-sakimaru-willow-leaf-log-saw-hikoza-hikoza
This past winter I have been using some of the folding pruning saws in the yard and I wonder if these would be an even better option. Something like the Silky Katanaboy or Big Boy 2000, etc. They come in a variety of tooth patterns and are easily available. Folding seems like a nice option for a job site as well.
Not sure what size to get - these saws go from 340mm up to 650mm. Any suggestions that I might have missed would be well appreciated.
Locally I came across an ad for the Makita 16" and 10 1/4" circular saws for a really reasonable price. I'm tempted (particularly with the 10 1/4) but I wonder how much use I would really get out of them since I don't do this professionally. I'm not planning on doing a full timber framed structure - more for architectural elements, perhaps a roof and/or pergola. I did find a good deal on a chain mortiser though, since I hate cutting mortises by hand.