Frame Saw

**ch!ppy** · 27th September 2012, 06:29 PM

Originally Posted by IanW

Chips, I have never had the misfortune to have used any type of pitsaw.

I have only seen one in the flesh (or metal?), & it was a very long time ago, & although I remember thinking "My, what big teeth you have, grandma", I didn't notice what the rake angle was - I was far more interested in avoiding such things at that stage of my life, having spent too many hours on one end of a crosscut, with a large hardwood log hiding my old man on the other end. (The old b*gg*r could saw away all day without seeming to tire, while my arms and shoulders would be burning with fatigue!) The barn at home was built from pit-sawn wood, and you could clearly see the saw marks, about 3/8" apart, or more. Given that these would have been cut from large billets, that's a hefty bite - no wonder you only cut on the down stroke!

Cheers,

cant be that much of a misfortune Ian, it hasn't stuck (aka traumatised) in my mind that much

, is dam hard, and dare i say boring work if you 'had' to do it day in and day out, for short stints here and there if you treat it like fun it kinda is, makes ya fit! fwiw i reckon the guy on top has the best of it even though it may seem he is doing most of the work, the guy beneath gets the saw dust and has to lift upwards, he also needs to move the saw clear of the cutting edge so it doesn't drag and potentially dull the teeth on the back stroke. you just dont cut stuff like this (normally) unless your demonstrating something in some way (or just a bit wacky) and even a hundred years ago they had circular saws and such, i know a couple of circular saws that are still rigged up to go, bushman style (old tractor or engine at the side linked by a belt to a 'jacks' made platform with a big old circular blade in it (incredibly dangerous things), they just use em for chopping firewood now but once they used them for more...reminds me of my two favourite plumbers, even though backhoes were available, of course they were expensive in the early days, but worth it imo and they could have bought one, they specialised in laying sewer pipe (by hand), two continental brothers they were, friendly, happy, boisterous always laughing and joking...until it was work time at first light, then it was pure speed and hard work, pick and shovel in hand, one in front swinging the pick and the other removing with a shovel, sometimes to great depths (6'-10' or more), nothing stopped these guys and how they didnt hit the other guy in the head with the pick on the back stroke was not only a miracle but human art in motion, the only time they stopped was to take drink from a flagon of white wine they always had alongside ,i guess red wine is too heavy for working, might be unsafe!.

**pmcgee** · 27th September 2012, 09:55 PM

Originally Posted by IanW

- not the most reliable, I'm afraid, and not easy to put into words, but I think it's the best we have. (And the reason you need a few saws....

).
Cheers,

Amen to that Ian.

Originally Posted by ch!ppy

that link Graeme gave earlier has Japanese blades for frame saws (bowsaw type)

Thanks for that Chippy ... i hadn't followed that link. (Frame Saws, Bow Saws, Turning Saws)

BTW it also linked to a German site on saw sharpening which is new to me ... I haven't decoded it yet ...

Das Schärfen von Handsägen

**msiemsen** · 28th September 2012, 08:43 AM

A frame saw is any saw with the blade held in a frame, a Jewler's saw, a coping saw, turning saw, cooper's saw, some bucksaws (a buck saw is used for cutting wood to length, usually firewood or logging) often called a Swede saw in my neck of the woods. As an aside the saw buck is an x shape so the $10 dollar bill is sometimes refered to as a sawbuck, and the $20 as a double sawbuck.
The saw that is demonstrated in the Logan video by Bob Rozaieski is a reproduction of a saw in Roubo's book. The blade is 2 1/2 ppi. The blade is the tough part, a wide carbon steel bandsaw blade of about 3 ppi can be filed to remove the hook tooth and give satisfactory service. Most bandsaw blades have to aggresive of a rake to work well by hand. Here is how I and my friends made ours, Including Bob's
Building a Roubo type frame resaw | Mike Siemsen's School of Woodworking
Your piece would probably be as easily ripped with a regular handsaw.
Only 11 Months to go to WIA 2012 | Mike Siemsen's School of Woodworking has several photos, if you go down a bit you can see the saw in use cutting 12" white pine.
Mike Siemsen
Welcome to Vintage Saws! has the best tutorial for saw sharpening.

**pmcgee** · 28th September 2012, 02:41 PM

Thanks for the great link Mike - I think Bob linked to it too, but I had forgotten already. You guys did a great job there.
Thanks for the link to the volute carving too.

I like the saw vice

what was clamping it on the other side?

... I just pasted in the pic-link and now I see it is 3 saw vices i think ... but the question still stands

Thanks,
Paul

**msiemsen** · 28th September 2012, 04:57 PM

There are 3 vises in the photo, each is 16 inches long. They are clamped with a 2 carriage bolts and wing nuts, bar nuts would be better. I'm glad you liked the posts.
Mike

**snafuspyramid** · 29th September 2012, 11:26 AM

Originally Posted by pmcgee

Amen to that Ian.

Thanks for that Chippy ... i hadn't followed that link. (Frame Saws, Bow Saws, Turning Saws)

BTW it also linked to a German site on saw sharpening which is new to me ... I haven't decoded it yet ...

Das Schärfen von Handsägen

I've noticed that article too, it's fantastic. If there's enough interest I can translate it?

**jmk89** · 29th September 2012, 12:12 PM

I would certainly be interested in reading a translation of the German article

Screwing up in new ways every day

**pmcgee** · 29th September 2012, 12:34 PM

Originally Posted by jmk89

I would certainly be interested in reading a translation of the German article

No problem with Google Translate (well Chrome actually) ...

Before the saw I wanted to push myself, and long, it looked as if I would succeed.Although I have worked for decades in my spare wood and since the 90s rediscovered the work with hand tools for me, I also acquired the ability to sharpen tools - but since it was about plane irons and chisels. The sharpening of hand saws for me was a book with seven seals and facilitates checked, since I had Japanese exchange saws. Like everyone else I've admired her incredibly clean, easy cut. To dovetails and similar sawing I would have married without my zoom Dozukis and their relatives never! My last, long unreasonable blunt European handsaws I threw away about ten years ago, so, unfortunately

Sounds like the user manual for a Chinese coping saw ...

**jmk89** · 29th September 2012, 02:13 PM

Translation programs have a way to go - thankfully as SWMBO is an accredited translator

Screwing up in new ways every day

**snafuspyramid** · 29th September 2012, 10:37 PM

I would have married without their zoom Dozukis, indeed.

It's quite a long article, so it'll take me a while, but I'll have a go at it in the next few weeks and see how things progress.

**jmk89** · 30th September 2012, 07:03 AM

I look forward to hearing how you get on!

Screwing up in new ways every day

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