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Thread: Gramercy bow saw is killing me

  1. #16
    Join Date
    Aug 2006
    Location
    south jersey
    Posts
    355
    drilled hole and used bosch saber saw, cleaned up with the Gramercy boatbuilders....er...sawmakers rasp. cutting the notchs for stringers, gunwhales, keel etc is also tedious. the finished boat is striking...hope it floats.

  2. #17
    Quote Originally Posted by Mike Holbrook View Post
    Are you making a cedar stripper or using plywood or planks? If you don't want to buy a bandsaw but you need a tool that can make a long curved cut easier than a bowsaw you might think about a Jigsaw. A jigsaw with a plunging blade can make a long curved cut fairly fast, much faster than a bowsaw. If you want to make a longer cut and do it with hand tools. I think you need a bigger bowsaw with a longer blade. If you just need to make a couple longer cuts one time you might find a fellow woodworker in your area who has a bandsaw. Creekers are often willing to share if you can find one in your area.

    The Gramercy saw is a great saw, the blade just is not long or large enough to make long cuts. Guys who make long rip or curved cuts with bowsaws tend to use saws with blades and teeth that are twice or more as big as the Gramercy saw's 12" blade with small coping saw teeth.
    It is a skin on frame with plywood cross sections like this (pic is from Dave Gentry's website):



    I have a bandsaw and I cut outside with it. Inside refers to removing plywood that is not possible on bandsaw because blade has to go inside of plywood. I've done it with a jigsaw, and that works mostly fine except for tighter curves. I've some to realize my expectations from Gramercy saw were not appropriate for the tool. The 400mm WoodJoy saw would be much more appropriate and I think I will get the kit and build my own.

  3. #18
    Quote Originally Posted by John Powers View Post
    drilled hole and used bosch saber saw, cleaned up with the Gramercy boatbuilders....er...sawmakers rasp. cutting the notchs for stringers, gunwhales, keel etc is also tedious. the finished boat is striking...hope it floats.

    I cut notches with back saw for sides, then 3-4 hits with a chisel and mallet on the base line will cleanly remove it. Very fast this way and far less work than sawing bottoms, if that's what you are doing.

  4. #19
    Leather washers between the brass pin and body may help with the setting.
    Trevor Walsh
    TWDesignShop

  5. I empathize with your frustration, but I wouldn't try the live fish, if I were you. Even something like a barracuda, with well-set teeth, would be difficult to control, and as for a flounder...

  6. #21
    Join Date
    Aug 2012
    Location
    Missouri
    Posts
    2,151
    I hope I can be of some help here. I was taught by an old woodworker years ago and now I am old myself. There are two different saws, a turning saw and a bow saw. The bow saw more or less fixes the frame to the blade (picture tapered saw holder). The turning saw has straight holders. The frame of the turning saw just tensions the blade leaving the blade somewhat free to turn. Use the handle to guide the blade of a turning saw and forget the frame, maybe push it out of the way with your thumb and forefinger. If you try to use the frame to guide the saw much frustration will ensue. I had much trouble learning this until I was shown how to guide a turning saw. The same person who taught me had some large turning saws ( picture 3 footers) he used to cut 6x6 corbels and such. The frames looked the same as a bow saw used for straight cuts but we're very different in use. Hope this helps.
    jim

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