Thread: Saw Making Folded Backs

Long plate at the middle:plate 2 middle.jpgplate 2 middle.jpg

And at the distal end:

plate two distal end 3.jpg

Still having trouble with pictures, I'll try again later.

Hi Rob are you using this icon?

wwf add pictures A.jpg

To bring up this window?

wwf pic popup.JPG

If not, "Select Files" is the easiest way to add multiple pictures that you can then space apart or drag around.
That hasn't been working for me for a while now ... I've been using the "Basic Uploader" and putting up one pic at a time.

The "Manage Attachments" at the bottom of the page is really only needed for deleting a picture from a post.

(You might know all this already.)
Cheers,
Paul

Originally Posted by pmcgee

Hi Rob are you using this icon?

wwf add pictures A.jpg

To bring up this window?

wwf pic popup.JPG

If not, "Select Files" is the easiest way to add multiple pictures that you can then space apart or drag around.
That hasn't been working for me for a while now ... I've been using the "Basic Uploader" and putting up one pic at a time.

The "Manage Attachments" at the bottom of the page is really only needed for deleting a picture from a post.

(You might know all this already.)
Cheers,
Paul

Hi Paul,

I get all of those pop-ups and they appear to work. The Basic Uploader is what my efforts are defaulting to. I don't get the multi-file uploader any more. I assume the moderators are working at it.

Cheers,
Rob

Okay, now for the middle measurement:

plate 2 middle.jpg

And at the distal end:

plate two distal end 3.jpg

Now to add the back. I start my backs on in what is apparently a non-traditional way. I start the back from one corner of the plate and slide it lengthwise down the plate. The plate must be greased.

Insert the corner of the plate into the gap in the end of the back.jpg

Using a soft face hammer tap the back onto the plate.

tap the back gently on at the start to avoid wrinkling the plate end.jpg

And work it down the plate at a shallow angle.

Drive the back on at a shallow angle.jpg

Now bring the long axis of the back parallel to the top of the plate and keep driving it.

18 inch back half on 2.jpg

I found it necessary to switch from my 24 ounce soft face hammer to this 10 lb masons mallet.

10 lb masons mallet gets the job at the halfway point.jpg

It is a wooden handled round mallet styled like a carvers mallet. The core, top and bottom of the head are steel and the center is a stack of leather washers. Extremely effective but it reminded me that I need to add some gussets to the base of my work bench to prevent it ringing.

And finally the products. First the 12 inch back.

12 inch plate finished 1.jpg

And the 20 incher.

20 inch plate finished shot.jpg

And they are nice and straight.

20 inch plate is straight too 2.jpg


Factors that are important are:
1) Use a good vise. The jaws must be parallel and the grip on the plate must be good. If the jaws are not parallel or exert uneven clamping pressure on the plate the plate will warp or wrinkle giving rise to a bulge in the plate that is most evident at the tooth line.
2) Sand the plate to at least 280 grit to reduce friction.
3) Grease the top edge of the plate to reduce friction.
4) Use a securely mounted vise and workbench.
5) Us a heavy mallet as opposed to a light one. Less chance of bending.
6) Dress the leading edge of the saw plate to remove burrs.

Cheers,
Rob

Rob your method of getting the saw backs on is pretty well how I did mine.

I do some of my more delicate metal working such as holding brass while tapping etc, on my big (400 x 120 mm) leather faced vice. As well as protecting the metal it holds the work (even thin sheet metal) very firmly. Yes it does sometimes leave a mess that needs cleaning up.

This is a pic on my delicate persuader.

Originally Posted by BobL

Rob your method of getting the saw backs on is pretty well how I did mine.

I do some of my more delicate metal working such as holding brass while tapping etc, on my big (400 x 120 mm) leather faced vice. As well as protecting the metal it holds the work (even thin sheet metal) very firmly. Yes it does sometimes leave a mess that needs cleaning up.

This is a pic on my delicate persuader.

Hi Bob,

I just installed that new 8" Wilton vise and I have found that I can clamp saw plates directly with the metal jaws and not mark the plate. I assume that it is because the Wilton jaws have very fine teeth and that the jaws clamp together very precisely despite this being their third line 748 model. I also have a Craftsman 6.5" vise and have had trouble with plates getting waves in them. I examined the vise closely and found that the jaws do not meet cleanly. I suspect I bent it removing a universal joint. I think I will replace it with another Wilton and pass it on to some needy soul.

Nice hammer, what did you weight it with?

Cheers,
Rob

Originally Posted by rob streeper

I just installed that new 8" Wilton vise and I have found that I can clamp saw plates directly with the metal jaws and not mark the plate. I assume that it is because the Wilton jaws have very fine teeth and that the jaws clamp together very precisely despite this being their third line 748 model.

Apart from photos I've not see a Wilton but I have heard they are pretty good.

On my welding table I have an old (Australian) Dawn, 6" offset vice. I got for nothing - as it was jamming, no jaws and was quite rusty. During its restoration, instead of fitting toothed hardened steel replacement jaws I made up and fitted flat mild steel jaws which leaves anything made of steel unmarked but still holds the work real well.
However it will crush alluvium and brass so that is where I usually use the leather lined WW vice.


Unfortunately the mild steel suffered a bit from the welding process so they no longer look anywhere near as clean as in this photo.
For smaller mechanical work I have 2, 4" vices with teeth , and for saw filing I have a home made wooden thing.


[/QUOTE]Nice hammer, what did you weight it with? [/QUOTE]
Thanks - it's not weighted. The Western Australian Red Gum is dense enough and I mainly use it for light work.

I made some measurements of one of the two saw plates that I taper ground. I can do better on consistency but I think the results are pretty good. All measurements are in millimeters. Those measurements with inter-divisional measurement at the limit of the caliper I used are marked (+) or (-) where the reading was above or below the indicated numerical reading. All measurements were taken approximately 3 cm in along the edges as marked.

First the toe:

at the toe.jpg

At the heel:

at the heel.jpg

And down the tooth line:

the whole plate.jpg
I don't have a micrometer with a sufficiently deep throat to measure in the center of the saw plate yet.

Cheers,
Rob

The salts for the quenching bath have not arrived so I spent the day making backs.

Saw backs 022214.jpg

These are medium weight brass (bottom and extreme left ) heavy brass (upper left-center) and stainless.

Cheers,
Rob

Here they are.


These are light brass (LBB), medium stainless (SSM), medium steel (MSB), medium brass (MBB) and heavy brass (HBB). They range from about 9 to 14 inches in length. Listing these on eBay under 'Alamo Toolworks'.

ready saw backs.jpg

Cheers,
Rob

Hi Rob
Could not find them on eBay?
Cheers Matt

Matt,

Here's the listing # 271670767210. For you guys postage will be a killer. If you can organize it a group buy would be a better way to proceed as I can get several into a flat rate package. If you want a lot of them send me a p.m. and I'll give you a much better price.

Cheers,
Rob

Thanks Rob

Rob, you might want to have a look at http://tgiag.com/sawbacks.html.

Cheers
Peter