Scott Winners
05-22-2021, 4:11 AM
Lets keep it simple. How many saws are really needed to build a house full of furniture? Set aside the big toothed saws with lots of set a person might need to cut a timberframe in green wood to build the house, lets just look at furnishing the house. Empty house, you got the furniture you accumulated as a bachelor/ bachelorette, a new spouse, baby on the way. You need to make furniture.
I know, going in, there is more than one correct answer. Let us assume for the moment the house has kitchen cabinets and bathroom vanities already installed by the builder. You will still have to do some casework, but you aren't going to have to install kitchen counter tops on day two.
For me, bare minimum, I would need:
1. a circular saw with two blades, both carbide, one for framing cuts and one for finish cuts. A piece of angle iron and a couple clamps for a budget track saw for long cuts.
2. 5-6 point rip saw for resawing 8/4 stock down to 4/4, filed probably 8 degrees rake, 8-12 degees regular fleam, no gullet slope and something like 15 thousandths of an inch set comparing the plate just above the teeth to the max width at the tooth tips*.
3. general duty crosscut at 8 teeth per inch, with 14 degree rake, about 20-25 degrees of fleam, no gullet slope, and about 15 thousandths of an inch of total set.
4. Fine crossut saw around 12 teeth or points per inch with 13 degree rake, 18-20 degrees of fleam, no gullet slope and 7 thousandths total set.
*I measure set with calipers, and compare plate thickness just above the teeth to kerf width at the tooth tips for total set on the saw. I don't see any point in saying I use such and such a saw set on such and such a setting. If the fool thing cuts straight my set is probably pretty even L/R and you might need a different settting on your set to get to the same place.
5. dovetail saw
6. carcass saw
7. tenon saw
If I had to cut the list down even more on a really skinny budget I would lose #4, the fine crosscut handsaw and use #6, the carcass saw, to get the job done. I can look up the tooth patterns on the back saw group I got from Lee Valley if you need it; they are in good working order out of the box, but I will need some lobetalol and a magnifier if I ever have to sharpen those tiny things.
Once the crib for the baby was done I would be begging the wife for either a radial arm saw, a band saw with two blades, or a table saw next. Or maybe a coping saw if I was going to be doing a lot of dovetailing. Or maybe a Japanese style saw that cuts on the pull stroke with no functional set for flush cutting if I couldn't sharpen a chisel.
I know perfectly well I don't need 26 saws in my till with 6 more on pegs in the shop outside the till. I can't think of 32 different tooth shapes that are worth having in the shop without egregious overlap for just furniture.
I am willing to be a little flexible on the set on the rip saw. For dry hardwood I don't think I want enough set to match the kerf of the circular saw blade. In green/wet Doug Fir I have a 5 point rip with enough set on it match the kerf of my coarse circular saw blade and it isn't "that bad", but in kiln dried north american hardwood I would rather have 10 thousandths of set and some planing to do after the cut was completed, compared to dialing in a lot of set and working that hard to saw.
What saws would you need, bare minimum, to get started with the baby's crib, and what you would want to have as soon as possible after that?
I know, going in, there is more than one correct answer. Let us assume for the moment the house has kitchen cabinets and bathroom vanities already installed by the builder. You will still have to do some casework, but you aren't going to have to install kitchen counter tops on day two.
For me, bare minimum, I would need:
1. a circular saw with two blades, both carbide, one for framing cuts and one for finish cuts. A piece of angle iron and a couple clamps for a budget track saw for long cuts.
2. 5-6 point rip saw for resawing 8/4 stock down to 4/4, filed probably 8 degrees rake, 8-12 degees regular fleam, no gullet slope and something like 15 thousandths of an inch set comparing the plate just above the teeth to the max width at the tooth tips*.
3. general duty crosscut at 8 teeth per inch, with 14 degree rake, about 20-25 degrees of fleam, no gullet slope, and about 15 thousandths of an inch of total set.
4. Fine crossut saw around 12 teeth or points per inch with 13 degree rake, 18-20 degrees of fleam, no gullet slope and 7 thousandths total set.
*I measure set with calipers, and compare plate thickness just above the teeth to kerf width at the tooth tips for total set on the saw. I don't see any point in saying I use such and such a saw set on such and such a setting. If the fool thing cuts straight my set is probably pretty even L/R and you might need a different settting on your set to get to the same place.
5. dovetail saw
6. carcass saw
7. tenon saw
If I had to cut the list down even more on a really skinny budget I would lose #4, the fine crosscut handsaw and use #6, the carcass saw, to get the job done. I can look up the tooth patterns on the back saw group I got from Lee Valley if you need it; they are in good working order out of the box, but I will need some lobetalol and a magnifier if I ever have to sharpen those tiny things.
Once the crib for the baby was done I would be begging the wife for either a radial arm saw, a band saw with two blades, or a table saw next. Or maybe a coping saw if I was going to be doing a lot of dovetailing. Or maybe a Japanese style saw that cuts on the pull stroke with no functional set for flush cutting if I couldn't sharpen a chisel.
I know perfectly well I don't need 26 saws in my till with 6 more on pegs in the shop outside the till. I can't think of 32 different tooth shapes that are worth having in the shop without egregious overlap for just furniture.
I am willing to be a little flexible on the set on the rip saw. For dry hardwood I don't think I want enough set to match the kerf of the circular saw blade. In green/wet Doug Fir I have a 5 point rip with enough set on it match the kerf of my coarse circular saw blade and it isn't "that bad", but in kiln dried north american hardwood I would rather have 10 thousandths of set and some planing to do after the cut was completed, compared to dialing in a lot of set and working that hard to saw.
What saws would you need, bare minimum, to get started with the baby's crib, and what you would want to have as soon as possible after that?