What's the right saw for this job?

[Sam Shankar]

I'm trying to cut a very gentle curve on the edge of a cherry table top. The top is 1.25" at its thickest but, because it curves through a beveled edge profile, the cut gets thinner as it goes.

The plans I'm following suggest a jigsaw. I picked up some very sharp bosch hardwood blades that look promising but, ugh, I hate my somewhat crappy Dewalt jigsaw. The blade always deflects away from vertical on me. And I'm in no rush. The only backless handsaw I have is the Stanley sharptooth that breaks down big stock. What's the right hand saw for this application? I'll obviously be cleaning up the curve by hand (with a block plane, I guess).

table profile.jpgtable profile2.jpg

[Jim Koepke]

It would be easy to do this with a regular rip handsaw. Draw the curve first. It would be easy to make a template to get all the corners the same. Then make straight cuts to remove material, then clean it up while smoothing the curve with a bench plane, block plane or spokeshave.

jtk

[Scott Winners]

With the tools I have here I would be inclined to mark a good line on the tabletop, use a jig saw to cut the profile to the line on the top, let it veer away from vertical if it wants to.


The next step would be to plane the edge at the table top down to the line and then use some kind of caliper or marking gauge to mark the underside of the bevel on the bottom of the table. Once you have your jigsaw cut flush with the line on the top surface, and your future bevel at least a little undercut on the sides, you have a reference edge and just need to drill a pencil shaped hole in a scrap of 2x4.

Then plane to the lines. I would probably start with a #5 Bailey, then use a scrub plane a little bit and go back to the #5. Cherry is not too bad to plane in my experience, unless it has some figure in it. Figured cherry sucks for planing.

Is the bevel on the ends the same as the bevel on the side edges?

[Oskar Sedell]

What Jim said. Dont need no special saw. Just waste away the wood close to the line in straight cuts and plane away the rest. The other option, what I would do is to waste away close to the line with a hatchet, then drawknife or jack plane followed by spokeshave or smoothing plane.

[Jim Matthews]

As noted above, "Stop cuts" near your desired line.

Chisel close, plane to finish.

[Phil Mueller]

Methods suggested above, or my typical go to would be a coping saw or bowsaw, then plane square to the line.

[Prashun Patel]

I made that table top a few years ago. You can use your jigsaw. Just cut a little proud of the line. This is a perfect application for a block plane. It will fair and square the convex profile perfectly. It will also clean up the ragged corners the jigsaw will likely leave on the bottom edge.

[Derek Cohen]

Bandsaw in my case.

Then double iron hand plane ...



Regards from Perth

Derek

[Sam Shankar]

Thanks all. It's a high-stakes curve so I'm a little nervous. Sounds like handsaw/jigsaw to a pretty rough spot and then plane to finish is the right solution. I guess I could also make a template and rout it, but then I'd get kicked out of the Neanderthal forum! I beveled the edges to 60 degrees with the jack plane over the weekend. I feel like I finally know how to sharpen well enough to make this task genuinely fun. Shop smells nice too.
bevel finish.jpg

[steven c newman]

Didn't Disston (and others..) sell a Ship's Saw? For use by Ship's Carpenters to do all the curved work on board a wooden ship....

[Prashun Patel]

If you think the bevel was fun, fairing the curve is going to be a real joy. The narrow edge will be a cinch to do in comparison to the bevel. The ability of a small soled plane to make such curves perfect is still one of the magical experiences for me.

[Jim Matthews]

Didn't Disston (and others..) sell a Ship's Saw? For use by Ship's Carpenters to do all the curved work on board a wooden ship....

Might be oversized for the job...

https://www.totalboat.com/2018/05/25...s-boat-builds/

[steven c newman]

Pair of saws.JPG
Pheonix Warranted Ship Saw...had a home in my old tool chest lid..
IMAG0190.JPG
This one was by Atkins, Disston also made their version of the Ship's Carpenter Hand Saw

To plane that curve smooth,,,either a spokeshave, or...a Stanley No. 20 Compass Plane, set to the curve.

[Mike Allen1010]

My understanding is most vintage saw manufacturers offered saws intended for shipbuilding. Rather than a single “ship saw” model, they offered a range of different sizes and configurations (i.e. rip versus cross cut etc.) With a saw plate that was narrower than standard models (less than ~<2 inches at the tip) referred to as “ship point”. This narrower saw plate was more suited to cutting subtle curves associated with shipbuilding.

Just my understanding I’m no expert, maybe Pete Taran will weigh in here with a definitive FAX-.

Cheers, Mike