Back Saws #2 and #3

[Elijah A.]

Here is my second try. These are gifts, one is for my father-in-law and the other is for a long time friend. They still have blemishes and they are not perfect, but they have character. The one in the front cuts well and I still need to put teeth in the back one, hoping to get it done by this weekend!

[Timberwolf]

Here is my second try. These are gifts, one is for my father-in-law and the other is for a long time friend. They still have blemishes and they are not perfect, but they have character. The one in the front cuts well and I still need to put teeth in the back one, hoping to get it done by this weekend!

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Nice work, they look great!!! Tell us how you made them..

[Elijah A.]

Thank you! I bought materials from McMaster Carr. Spring steel Shim stock and a 36" 3/4 x 1/4 brass bar. I slitted the back with my drill press and squeezed the slot shut with a harbor freight press. Shaped the handles (scrap red oak) with rasps and sanded them to 600 grit. Bought the brass split nuts and medallion from Isaac at Blackburn Tool works. I enjoy building these saws! With each one they seem to be getting a little better

[Derek Cohen]

Hi Elijah

Nice going. The hang angle on these is an improvement on the first saw you built.

The difficult part (until you have done a few) is creating and shaping, then sharpening the teeth. What tpi did you choose, what rake angle, and how did you form these? How much set did you add? Did you do more to tune up the set? Post some pictures of the teeth.

This may be a little daunting, but there will be advice on how to improve what you have done.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Timberwolf]

Thank you! I bought materials from McMaster Carr. Spring steel Shim stock and a 36" 3/4 x 1/4 brass bar. I slitted the back with my drill press and squeezed the slot shut with a harbor freight press. Shaped the handles (scrap red oak) with rasps and sanded them to 600 grit. Bought the brass split nuts and medallion from Isaac at Blackburn Tool works. I enjoy building these saws! With each one they seem to be getting a little better

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Well you sure did a nice job building your own saws from scratch, starting from the raw materials to the finished product!!!!!


I built my first { and only } DT saw about ten years ago but I converted a new German "gents" saw blade into the open handle pistol-grip saw such as yours. I had to reshape the teeth..For the back spine, I just epoxied the 3/4" X  .090" brass bar stock directly to the steel blade..no screws or rivets..just glue, and it has been fine for about ten years or so. I do have a small milling machine I could cut a slot with, but wanted to see how well just epoxy alone would hold up, and so far, so good. The drill press can work very well for slotting as you have demonstrated.
 

At a tool meet years ago, I saw a vintage DT saw that was housed in a nice, old home-built wood scabbard and liked the idea so well that when I got home, I built my own version of it..It's a good way to protect the teeth.
Thanks for posting!!

[Elijah A.]

Hey Derek,
Thanks! I filed at 15 ppi rip. My sharpening skills are weak but it does cut surprisingly well. I have the lee valley set of files. I tried to stay with about 5 degrees of rake. I think I'm going to try and make the gullets a touch deeper. I don't have a small saw set so i used a small screw driver to add set and at first I added too much, then I took a diamond stone to both sides and it seemed to help. Can't grab a photo right now. Thanks for the comment!

[Elijah A.]

Timberwolf, thanks so much! That's beautiful!

[Derek Cohen]

Hey Derek,
Thanks! I filed at 15 ppi rip. My sharpening skills are weak but it does cut surprisingly well. I have the lee valley set of files. I tried to stay with about 5 degrees of rake. I think I'm going to try and make the gullets a touch deeper. I don't have a small saw set so i used a small screw driver to add set and at first I added too much, then I took a diamond stone to both sides and it seemed to help. Can't grab a photo right now. Thanks for the comment!

Elijah, 15 tpi and 5 degrees of rake is what I would choose. Some might find the rake angle too high, but I like it aggressive. 

For setting a saw, I use a technique from Mike Wenzloff, who made a number of saws for me. My variation is also used (although I did not know this at the time I started) by my good friend, Pete Taran .... and just when I thought I had added something new 

The saw is first set with a pistol setter. I like the Ellipse #77 or a Stanley #42X.

Mike offered this method (using paper as a depth stop to even the set) ....



I did not have a smooth-sided metal vise, and so I wrapped copy paper or blue tape (for deeper set) around the plate, placed the saw plate on the flat cast iron top of my bandsaw, and then tapped the teeth gently with a steel gennou ... just enough that the teeth break the surface of the paper. Well, Pete later told me that he does the same. Of course, he got this from me 


I don't think that there is a number for the amount of saw set. It depends on the wood. Experiment to find what works for you. Note that one layer of blue tape is 0.147mm thick, while copy paper is 0.05mm. The set of a Veritas dovetail saw is 0.07mm. 


Regards from Perth


Derek

[Arlin Eastman]

I think they look great.

[Elijah A.]

Thanks Derek, ill check it out!