A couple of Disston gentlemans half back saws

[planemaker]

Hi Paul. Your not alone. It takes me around 4 days to complete a closed handle backsaw.

Stewie;

[Bushmiller]

Hi Paul. Your not alone. It takes me around 4 days to complete a closed handle backsaw.

Stewie;

Thanks Stewie.

I was starting to contemplate Harri-Karri (I think I'd use a gentlemen's saw).

Regards
Paul

[rob streeper]

Hi Rob. I am a little surprised how different your handle is to the original version.

regards Stewie;

Hi Stewie,

I changed the handle characteristics from the original to accommodate my larger hands. I wear a US size 11 glove and I find that the handles of a number of the new-age custom saw makers are uncomfortably small. The Wenzloff dovetail saw I rehabbed in my earlier post is very small for my hand. I can use it but the lower horn digs painfully into heel of my palm. I also changed the hang-angle so that the force vector projects more toward the toe of the saw as I find that the geometry of saws of this type results in a lot of down-pressure on the teeth in use. The blade is made to the dimensions of an original so the handle looks larger relative to the blade than does the original.

Cheers,
Rob

[Heavansabove]

Hi Stewie,

I changed the handle characteristics from the original to accommodate my larger hands. I wear a US size 11 glove and I find that the handles of a number of the new-age custom saw makers are uncomfortably small. The Wenzloff dovetail saw I rehabbed in my earlier post is very small for my hand. I can use it but the lower horn digs painfully into heel of my palm. I also changed the hang-angle so that the force vector projects more toward the toe of the saw as I find that the geometry of saws of this type results in a lot of down-pressure on the teeth in use. The blade is made to the dimensions of an original so the handle looks larger relative to the blade than does the original.

Cheers,
Rob

I take a size 10 glove (by the chart I found on the Web), and find Wenzloff, Gramercy and vintage dovetail saws work fine - close but no digging in. But I need to go up a size in gloves to XL I think perhaps my fingers are longer than average. XL leather gloves I recently purchased in NY are a pretty tight fit.

In other words there are a number of hand factors to consider. Ron has a chart of 4 relevent dimensions http://www.bontzsawworks.net/home/hand-sizing/, an additional one is how thick your hand is - this is important for the space between the grip and the cheeks - Sawdustmaker is quite thick for example (hands) and finds some saws too small in this dimension to get his hand around the grip.

Cheers
Peter

[rob streeper]

16 inch no 8 gentlemans saw rhs.jpg18 inch gentlemans saw lhs 2.jpg18 inch gentlemans saw lhs handle detail.jpg

[rob streeper]

My connectivity is still really sporadic. I'll keep trying...

[Heavansabove]

Rob, nice looking 1/2 back. What is the ppi, looks like 10 or so? And what size file did you use for sharpening? From memory you have a retoother for cutting the teeth.

Regards
Peter

[rob streeper]

Rob, nice looking 1/2 back. What is the ppi, looks like 10 or so? And what size file did you use for sharpening? From memory you have a retoother for cutting the teeth.

Regards
Peter

Hi Peter,

Thanks. I used a 5.5" XS file on both. The 18 inch saw is 11 ppi and the 16 incher is 13 ppi. Both have the 0.035", taper ground, hammer tensioned and cryotreated blades with 304SS bushings to lock the handles to the plates. They are filed cross-cut with 20^o fleam and no bevel. The rake on the 18" saw is 15^o and the 16" saw is at 21^o. Using both of them I can say that the 18" one is the working saw. It starts easily and cuts smoothly, cleanly and rapidly. The hang-angle on the 16" saw still needs some work as it is a little tetchy in use. The 16" is closer to the configuration of the orignial Disston saw pictured above and given it's performance characteristics I'm wondering if part of the reason that these saws were produced so briefly is that they weren't set up correctly causing them to be somewhat more difficult to use.

Cheers,
Rob

[Sawdust Maker]

... - Sawdustmaker is quite thick for example (hands) and finds some saws too small in this dimension to get his hand around the grip.

Cheers
Peter

Many would agree with this comment, sans brackets

[rob streeper]

Here's the 16" saw. 13 ppi and the handle is set closer to the orientation of the original.

No 8 gentlemans 16 inch RHS.jpg

[planemaker]

Very nice work Rob.

[rob streeper]

I took advantage of the weather today, gathered up all of my almost-done saws and called home a couple of already sold saws and went to the engraver. Here's the results.

No 32 engraved.jpgNo 20 engraved.jpg

[rob streeper]

Better pictures showing the markings.

SN 32 LHS handle closeup 1.jpg

SN 32 LHS back detail 3.jpg

[Simplicity]

Very nice Rob very nice