Sawsmithing

[Mark Koury]

Hello everyone!

I’ve been lurking for a while - taking in the sights, so to speak. I have an interest in handsaws - history, care and feeding ;)

The reason for this post is my inability to find any primary references about sawsmithing. I did see Bob Smalser’s excellent post about straightening hand saws. Since sawsmithing was a apprenticed well known trade over the past many years, there should be something written about it. Does anyone know about any sources?

Thanks!

Mark

[Jim Koepke]

Hello everyone!

I’ve been lurking for a while - taking in the sights, so to speak. I have an interest in handsaws - history, care and feeding ;)

The reason for this post is my inability to find any primary references about sawsmithing. I did see Bob Smalser’s excellent post about straightening hand saws. Since sawsmithing was a apprenticed well known trade over the past many years, there should be something written about it. Does anyone know about any sources?

Thanks!

Mark

Here are a few sites to start you out:

http://www.vintagesaws.com/

Check out the library, it has some interesting articles.

http://www.disstonianinstitute.com/

Of course, you can guess which company this one is mostly about.

I am not sure who Harvey W. Peace was, but apparently he made handsaws:

http://www.hyperkitten.com/tools/hwpeace/

This site has a few of the links above and then some more of interest:

http://www.geocities.com/sawnutz/index.htm

Here are a couple more sites that are mostly links:

http://oldtoolheaven.com/links/links.htm

http://www.georgesbasement.com/links/GalootLinks.htm

This should keep you busy for an evening or two.

jim

[Mark Koury]

Jim,

Thanks for the references! You‘re right! It will no doubt take a day or two to sort out.

Mark

[Ray Gardiner]

Hi Mark,
Welcome, I am new here myself. There is a lot of experience and knowledge
lurking around this forum, always learning something new.

"Hand-Saw Makers of North Amercia" by Erwin L. Schaffer which I just got
from the vintagesaws website. This excellent book will point you towards lots
of primary references for further research.

[Michael Faurot]

I did see Bob Smalser’s excellent post about straightening hand saws.

I saw that post too, gave it a try on some flea market beaters, and have pretty much made whatever bend or bow worse. I suspect the problem is mine, versus what Bob Smalser wrote. So along the lines of Mark's original question, but specifically related to straightening and fixing kinks--are there any videos that show how to do this? I think I need to see a saw being straightened before I'll be able to do it myself.

[Bob Strawn]

Brent Beach (http://www3.telus.net/BrentBeach/sawjig/)

has quite a bit of useful data that has been very solidly researched. Between Bob Smalser and Brent Beach, you have some great resources.

Here are a few of tricks I made up.

For a basic guide to start making fine teeth, I use two sections of all-thread. 32 tpi is a bit rough to do normally. With a pair of sections of all thread supported on two small grooves cut in a straight board, it is quite easy to line up and make lovely teeth. with an angle set, matching sloped gullets are also fairly easy. Even if you mangle the treads, it still works as a guide, and the all-thread can always be rotated a few times for a fresh face if it gets too deformed.

Any steel that will form a good burr for scraping with will make for decent teeth on a saw blade. I got this idea from reverse engineering, sort of, the concept that good scrapers can be made from old saw blades. If you can find a nice resilient spring steel that will hold a bur, then it is all the better.

Proper stoning of the side of the blade is the trick to eliminating drift. I lay the body of the blade on enough sheets of shim steel to just allow the kerf to touch the honing surface. This assures an even depth of kerf on both sides. As long as your blade is straight this will tend to keep your cut from drifting.

Here are a few things I have learned.

Even teeth are not actually important, they may even be bad. Variable gullet length can actually improve a saws function. Unless you have a plan to it however the saw will not look pretty. I made a very good bow saw blade that you will never, ever get to see pictures of. Works great, looks like a first work. It was actually my fourth, but I learn slow. :rolleyes:

Even jointing and kerf however are as critical as sharpness however.

Proper jointing is critical to smooth running of the saw, otherwise you will never have enough teeth touching the wood to get a smooth cut. After the initial grinding the tops of the teeth to give a small even flatness, then filing to that edge is the actual critical fine art of sharpening a saw.

The smaller the kerf, the more likely you are to have the work resist and even lock down and hold your saw as you cut. The larger the kerf the easier it is to put a touch of 'English' on the blade and curve or bend the cut. For a fine straight cut, a thin kerf, and a perfect start are the dream. It is quite hard to adjust a cut angle after it has been started with a fine kerf saw.

Buy a razorsaw ryoba 650 and 651 for reference. If your saw does as well, then please give me lessons! :)

Bob

[Jim Koepke]

All those links and this one slipped by me:

http://norsewoodsmith.com/node/89

jim

[Brian Kent]

I missed the post by Bob Smalser about straightening hand saws. Anybody have that link?

[Bob Strawn]

I think this is the article (http://woodcentral.com/cgi-bin/readarticle.pl?dir=smalser&file=articles_857.shtml)

Here is the Master List of Bob Smalser articles (http://woodcentral.com/cgi-bin/articles.pl#smalser)

Happy to oblige.

Bob