Bowsaw and its Baby Brother

[Dave Anderson NH]

I've managed to get myself really sidetracked on this tool making thing. I haven't built a piece of furniture in months and excepting a plane rack which I picked the lumber up for today, it doesn't look like I will get to period furniture until Autumn. With what you see in the picture at the bottom or the page, I've now made 7 bowsaws. I'm about worn out on making them. Counting finishing and all the hand shaping, each takes about 15 hours. I also finsihed rubbing out the finish on 3 more panel and marking gages tonite and the second of 3 more brass headed plane adjusting hammers is sitting dormant on the lathe right now.

After quite a bit of use with my 12" bladed bowsaws, I found that I was unable to do really tight curves. The combination of size and weight, and the 1/4" height of my smalles blade prevented really tight curves. Since I really like the shape and style of the 18th century pattern 12" saw, I decided to wing it by making a smaller saw to use the standard 6" cut length pin style coping saw blades. I had a bit tiger maple left from the same boards I made the earlier saws from so I figured there would be a good match. After all, everyone needs a matched set of saws.

The saws were shaped and then dyed with an analine dye. Then I gave them a good heavy coat of boiled linseed oil to pop the grain, wiping off the excess as needed. The top coat is a dozen coats of 1# cut dewaxed garnet shellac rubbed out with steel wool and paste wax. The paddle for tightening the cord and the handles are black walnut treated essentially the same way.

[Kevin Gerstenecker]

...........those beauties are works of Art Dave! Outstanding pair of Saws. I don't think you could have used a better choice of wood, the design of these saws just lends itself to the look and character of Tiger Maple. Kinda gives them the old world look they deserve. Definitely A-1 work, and more than just saws...........heirlooms for sure! Thanks for sharing the photo, FABULOUS work, as always.

[John Miliunas]

Ah, where do you plug them in? And, you never mentioned what size motors those puppies take! (Nice job, Dave!)

[Philip Duffy]

-- - -beautiful, and a nice touch with the glass of wine! Phil

I've managed to get myself really sidetracked on this tool making thing. I haven't built a piece of furniture in months and excepting a plane rack which I picked the lumber up for today, it doesn't look like I will get to period furniture until Autumn. With what you see in the picture at the bottom or the page, I've now made 7 bowsaws. I'm about worn out on making them. Counting finishing and all the hand shaping, each takes about 15 hours. I also finsihed rubbing out the finish on 3 more panel and marking gages tonite and the second of 3 more brass headed plane adjusting hammers is sitting dormant on the lathe right now.

After quite a bit of use with my 12" bladed bowsaws, I found that I was unable to do really tight curves. The combination of size and weight, and the 1/4" height of my smalles blade prevented really tight curves. Since I really like the shape and style of the 18th century pattern 12" saw, I decided to wing it by making a smaller saw to use the standard 6" cut length pin style coping saw blades. I had a bit tiger maple left from the same boards I made the earlier saws from so I figured there would be a good match. After all, everyone needs a matched set of saws.

The saws were shaped and then dyed with an analine dye. Then I gave them a good heavy coat of boiled linseed oil to pop the grain, wiping off the excess as needed. The top coat is a dozen coats of 1# cut dewaxed garnet shellac rubbed out with steel wool and paste wax. The paddle for tightening the cord and the handles are black walnut treated essentially the same way.

[Glenn Clabo]

All I can say is WOW! Inspiring work Dave.

[Terry Quiram]

Dave

Great looking saws. I love curly maple. I never did thank you for the set of plans you sent. Thanks. As of yet I havn't had a chance to make one, "but its on the list." Do you take the tension off when you are finished for the day?

Terry

[Doug Evans]

It is an imperitive!

Doug

[Carl Eyman]

Truly up to the quality we expect from Dave Anderson of NH

[Don Henthorn Smithville, TX]

[QUOTE= I've now made 7 bowsaws. I'm about worn out on making them.

It is kind of fun to make bow saws. I have made thirty or forty over the years. Some of them I have sold to people who just want them to hang on the wall for decoration. The saws you have made are very good looking. They don't cut badly once you learn to use them. Thanks for posting.

[Dave Anderson NH]

Thanks for the kind words folks. They were fun to make, and they cut really well after a very short bit of practice on some scrap. In fact, at Wood Days at Canterbury I used the bowsaw to cut out the basic shape of the fences for the panel and marking gages I was making for my annual tool making demo. Terry- I don't bother taking the tension off the saws when I'm finished, the blades are short enough that I'm not really worried about them stretching like a bandsaw blade would. Doug- the saws are definately coming to Fergus/Cambridge/wherever in October along with a few other choice little items of interest to those of the Galootish persuasion. Don- 30 or 40? I hope they were space out over a good few years. 7 in the space of a year and a half means it will be a few years before I want to make any again. Phil- the glass of wine in my photos has become a bit of a joke trademark over the years. I get a lot of grief from some friends if I forget to inset one in my photos of projects. They do however excuse me when I take photos of events where it would be inappropriate. Though come to think of it, when isn't a glass of wine appropriate? LOL

[Jason Roehl]

They do however excuse me when I take photos of events where it would be inappropriate. Though come to think of it, when isn't a glass of wine appropriate? LOL

After all, it's NOON somewhere!!

[Steve Clardy]

Truly impressive work. [Got a cordless battery stuck in the end of them somewhere?] Steve

[Phil Phelps]

Very impressive. Lead on.

[Mike Schwing]

Boy you make some pretty stuff. A dozen coats? Sprayed on, wiped, or brushed?

[Dave Anderson NH]

I don't own any spray gear, and the results of brushing the shellac onto earlier bowsaws required a lot of cleanup with a sharp chisel and sandpaper to remove drips.The curved surfaces make brushing a losing proposition so I now pad the shellac on. As you might guess, finishing with a dozen coats of a 1# cut takes a bunch of time. I mixed the 1# cut since it is hard to apply a single coat heavily and it dries quickly without drips (well, almost). Thinner works out better in this case though my patience has often worn thin before I got all the coats in place.