That's why they make proto types

[Zahid Naqvi]

Here are the results of my latest adventure. I was replacing the round handle of a gents saw with an open/pistol grip handle for use as a dovetail saw. Didn't notice the skew until after I had it assembled and made a few test cuts, I wonder why all my kerfs kept drifting towards left :rolleyes:

May not look pretty but it gets the job done.
30747

or will it, the skew/twist revealed.
30748

Now to figure out how to make that perfectly perpendicular cut(for housing the blade) with a handsaw.

[Dave Anderson NH]

Well Zahid, you aren't the first, nor are you likely to be the last to make a saw handle and have the kerf for the blade turn out out of square. Not that I'd be willing to admit to having done it myself you understand.:rolleyes: :D

[Dan Moening]

You should have skewed it for a 1:8 ratio. :D

Nice effort, nonetheless. ;)

[Alan Turner]

Cool. An auto dovetailer.

How about a high fence and then use the bandsaw to cut in the blade kerf, and finish by hand for the slot for the top of the back. Just a thought. I have never made a saw handle, so my 2c should be taken cum grana salas.

[Zahid Naqvi]

Cool. An auto dovetailer.

How about a high fence and then use the bandsaw to cut in the blade kerf, and finish by hand for the slot for the top of the back. Just a thought. I have never made a saw handle, so my 2c should be taken cum grana salas.


Aha! I suspect I will need a bandsaw for that, don't have one yet:( . But it is top of the list for this year.

I like your auto-dovetailer idea, now if I can control the skew to a precise 1:8

[Mike Wenzloff]

Hi Zahid,

I only have a minute, so I'll see how short I can make this and answer any questions it conjures later.

I use a marking guage to scribe a centered line to the upper and lower extents of the cut. Depending on the wood, I might use a pencil after to make the scribe line show up better.

Then using a saw with the same kerf width as the blade I am installing, saw the slot for the blade, all the while watching to make sure it tracks at both points of the scribe line.

Make sense? Perhaps later I can take a picture of cutting one if that would help. The picture is worth a 1000 words type of thing.

Take care, Mike

[Wes Bischel]

Now Zahid, that really sounds like something I would do! Then I would follow my Uncle's sage advice - "Get a bigger hammer.":D

Good luck with the fix,
Wes

[Zahid Naqvi]

Hi Zahid,


Make sense? Perhaps later I can take a picture of cutting one if that would help. The picture is worth a 1000 words type of thing.

Take care, Mike

Surprisingly I know exactly what you are saying, although I am a very visual learner. I have used the scribe and guide concept before for making deeper cuts that need to follow a line, i.e. handcut finger joints. I will probably start working on a new handle tonight. I was thinking of making it in two parts glued together. That way I can also chisel out the slot for the brass spine making it much cleaner and tighter.

[Mike Wenzloff]

Hi Zahid--I'm trapped at the computer now and thought I would provide a link.

Leif Hanson has a great web site. On his site he has a section on making backsaws from start to finish. The link below is direct to the issue you are facing:

http://www.norsewoodsmith.com/ww/dovetail/handle/bs-handle1.htm

Tha home page address is:

http://www.norsewoodsmith.com

We also use a drill press to waste material for the back's mortise. From there, it is just paring cuts to widen and deepen. Do use a drill bit smaller than the back is thick. Also do not drill quite as deep as you will intend the back to seat. This way it makes it easy to widen and deepen to have a good fitting back.

Take care, Mike

[Alan DuBoff]

I've only made one saw so far, which I gave away this year for Galootaclaus. My handle was a bit different in that it was completely done with rasps and files for the most part. Since the flat area where the saw nuts are drilled through the wood did vary in thickness a little.

I used a pair of dividers to divide the thickness in half, and as I cut it I lined it up with handle to center everything, then used a straight edge to get a straight line around to cut to.

I did that very carefully and slowly until the cut started to groove nicely, and then it was a matter of just continuing the cut. Then I used a 1/8" chisel to mortise out the area for the back.I made it fit nice and snug for both blade and back. Only a couple of my saws were thin enough for this task, as the blade I was using was .020".

If you're interested, you can see the saw here:

http://www.softorchestra.com/woodworking/tools/saws/handsaws/galootaclaus_2005/

Yeah, I know there are bad links, that was intentional recentely.

Mike Wenzloff gave me some tips before I did it, and then I just incorporated using the dividers to make sure it was centered. The recipient seemed to like it.

I'm looking forward to using one of Mike Wenzloff's kits next. They look superb, as do his saws.

[Alice Frampton]

There's another way if you have trouble getting the kerf straight. Clamp your kerf-cutting blade of choice onto a block on a flat surface (such as a workbench) so it's raised exactly half the thickness of your handle stock.

http://premium1.uploadit.org/prenwyth//sawhandlekerf002.JPG

Then simply run your handle flat on your flat surface, backwards and forwards along the blade and cut the kerf. Even if you don't use this technique for the full cut (it is rather tedious) it'll give you a good start.

http://premium1.uploadit.org/prenwyth//sawhandlekerf001.JPG

Cheers, Alf

[Cliff Ahlgren]

This is a problem I have been contemplating for the past couple weeks since I have two rip-filed panel saws that need new handles.

What kind of wood should I get for these handles? Is Rosewood any good for this type of thing?

[Louis Bois]

Excellent idea Alf!!! hmmm...do you chop your mortises using the same logic?!?:eek::D

[Zahid Naqvi]

If you're interested, you can see the saw here:

http://www.softorchestra.com/woodworking/tools/saws/handsaws/galootaclaus_2005/



Alan, that handle is just awesome, I can't believe you gave it away.

[Zahid Naqvi]

Alf, that's a neat idea, I think I'm gonna use it.
Mike, I have several pages from Leif's website book marked as reference, he's got some great stuff in there. Thanks for the saw handle link I hadn't seen it before.

[Alan DuBoff]

Alan, that handle is just awesome, I can't believe you gave it away.Yeah, I wanted to keep it, but it was created to give away for Galootaclaus 2005. The person that got it is a very accomplished woodworker, http://www.rockymountainfinefurniture.com/ is his website. He says he likes it better than his LN, as the handle I made kinda fits your hand (there's a finger and thumb slot). It actually looked a bit different when it shipped a couple days after that photo was taken.

The handle got quite a bit darker after the BLO had time to soak into it, and the pockets in between the burl became almost black, and it had a cork type of look to it. I would have liked to put a few coats of shellac on top of it, but I just rub'd paste wax on it.

While not as fun, but higher quality materials, check out Mike Wenzloff's saw kits.

I bought a new Crown gent saw and cut the handle off, but the blade was useless for hardwood. A bit of sharpening and it cut pretty good. I prefer the pistol grip.

I traced the handle from this Disston 70, but you can see that it got altered (intentional) with the eye and a rasp.;-)

http://www.softorchestra.com/woodworking/tools/saws/handsaws/disston70/small_disston70_left_stand.jpg