How many saws...?

**IanW** · 4th July 2012, 07:29 PM

Originally Posted by Berlin

Here's the list:

17 tpi 8" dovetail
15 tpi 12" tenon saw (rip)
12tpi 20" cross cut
8tpi 24" cross cut
5tpi 26" rip

Matt - that looks like a sensible lot and would certainly cover a wide range of tasks comfortably. For me, I would prefer somewhat coarser teeth than you've specified. I'd put 15 tpi on both the small saws, and 10 tpi on the 20". I would have wanted finer teeth years ago, but have become coarser in my mature years....

Originally Posted by Berlin

Ideally, the 12tpi would be a half back but for now I'll make use of the orphan S&J skew back adopted (took into my brutal Dickensian Workhouse).

I will modify a 20tpi gents' for the Dovetail but i think my tenon saw is ready to be shown the door. If I stick with the Victorian Workhouse analogy, this orphan was left on the steps because it had two left feet and a hand full of thumbs. It needs specialist care and a quiet toolbox at the back of someone else's shed

Saws can be brought back to reasonable condition from a pretty sad & sorry state. Put an afternoon aside & come over to my shed when it's mutually convenient. We can talk saws & pitches & rake angles, & you can try a range of different saws & find out what really works best for you. It's quite possible we can make a very servicible silk purse from your pig's ear of a gents' saw, and unless it's a complete dog, we may be able to kick your panel saw into something quite useful. And if you are really pining for a spiffy-looking half-back, we can send you off to Bunnies for some "saw plate" and put you to work. From the job you did on your dovetail plane, I have no doubt you could make yourself a saw or three..

Cheers,

Cheers,

**Berlin** · 4th July 2012, 11:04 PM

I will definitely take you up on your kind offer Ian. I've been meaning to get in touch but have been flat out with work

The problem with the little old back saw isn't cows and calves (giraffes and kittens after i got at it) but a hugely bent spine, dimpled plate and a wickedly wandering kerf in the handle that bends the heel of the blade to the left!!! I could coax it back, but I've lost sympathy for it.

I'll take the advice about the coarser pitch too. It suits me if they cut as fast as possible. I've barely got enuogh hours as it is!

Cheers

Matt

**IanW** · 5th July 2012, 09:31 AM

Originally Posted by Berlin

......The problem with the little old back saw isn't cows and calves (giraffes and kittens after i got at it) but a hugely bent spine, dimpled plate and a wickedly wandering kerf in the handle that bends the heel of the blade to the left!!! I could coax it back, but I've lost sympathy for it.

Sounds like a set of life-threatening injuries requiring intensive care, Matt! Don't chuck it away just yet, though, bring it over, just for fun. You're right in that it would probably be easier to make a new saw from scratch, but I like a challenge!

Originally Posted by Berlin

I'll take the advice about the coarser pitch too. It suits me if they cut as fast as possible. I've barely got enuogh hours as it is!

Yeah, and with the inflation of time, hours are getting shorter & shorter! Just keep an open mind re the tpi business, and I'll get you to try a few different combinations to see what suits you best. When it comes to saws, different folks definitely like different strokes, which I'm sure is why there were so many combinations of length & tpi available, back when hand saws were a big part of every work day.

Cheers,

**bridger** · 5th July 2012, 08:08 PM

when you have a saw with the handicaps of low quality to begin with, generally shoddy condition overall and plenty of specific damage between it and cutting wood, it's hard to give the benefit of the doubt. I guess at the least there is some card scraper stock there. or pass it off to someone more desperate for a saw than yourself.

just know when to call it.

**Berlin** · 5th July 2012, 11:26 PM

Originally Posted by bridger

when you have a saw with the handicaps of low quality to begin with, generally shoddy condition overall and plenty of specific damage between it and cutting wood, it's hard to give the benefit of the doubt. I guess at the least there is some card scraper stock there. or pass it off to someone more desperate for a saw than yourself.

just know when to call it.

Yeah, the problem was/is that it has a cool name (Abram Brooksbank), who is known for top notch straight razors, has a cool canon logo AND belonged to a beloved ancestor... I'm not made of stone. It's tough to give the flick, but I figure if I can, the other cling-ons don't stand a chance.

**TobyC** · 6th July 2012, 03:32 AM

Berlin,
Checked my email and found a new post from Matt. Thought you might find it useful, or at least interesting.

Toby

**Berlin** · 7th July 2012, 09:44 PM

Thanks for that Toby, that is very interesting.

I had a cool session with IanW on Friday. He sorted out my troublesome dovetail saw and now it cuts fast and straight and it may even keep its place on the team

It was great to see theory put to practice. Reading how to sharpen a saw is completely different to watching it being done. So today, in an effort to cement the lesson, I embarked on an ambitious (given my greenness) restoration of my 22" 12tpi skew back. I'd made a hash of it before watching Ian do it, but this time I'm very pleased with the outcome. My new 8tpi x-cut (9 degree rake, 20 degree fleam... nominally) is now a pleasure to use.

Regarding the sash saw, stay tuned. A 14" half back saw is in the pipeline !

!

**pmcgee** · 9th July 2012, 04:24 PM

Originally Posted by Berlin

Providence just intervened and supplied a 22" 12tpi ?brand x-cut from the back if my FIL's garage. So I'll work around that as a starting point.

I'll let you guess how many of the four screws came loose... yep. 3.

There is an etch but you'd need technology i don't have to reveal it. The best I can make out is "...keen edge... Tempered" which probably doesn't narrow the brand down.

A better pic.

**Berlin** · 9th July 2012, 09:26 PM

Cool. Same etch but different handle to mine. Is that one of yours? It looks pretty sweet.

**pmcgee** · 10th July 2012, 01:22 AM

No - not mine

Spear & Jackson rip saw

**pmcgee** · 10th July 2012, 01:32 AM

Originally Posted by Berlin

Regarding the sash saw, stay tuned. A 14" half back saw is in the pipeline !

!

Excellent.

**pmcgee** · 16th July 2012, 04:02 AM

Originally Posted by IanW

BD, I always thought that carving tools must be like clamps in that "you can never have too many". The carvers I know have a staggering number of tools, yet seem to be constantly on the lookout for more.

So if you're the carving type, forget it, you just have to accept your fate. Your only solution is to build more storage.

Cheers,

I think you have the carving guys all wrong Ian.

... but then again ... [ame=http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=2598753853374188483]Woodcarver David Calvo at Work[/ame]

Paul

**IanW** · 16th July 2012, 07:11 AM

Originally Posted by pmcgee

... but then again ...

I rest my case............

**Berlin** · 18th July 2012, 10:34 PM

350mm, 10 point half-back light sabre is ready! Many thanks to saw Jedi IanW who walked me right through the process and furnished me with all the bits I couldn't find (practically everything) including the beautiful piece of Bull She-Oak for the handle.

Please excuse the crappy phone photos but that's the technology I had on hand. I'll take some proper ones when I've got it all tweaked up.

I haven't sharpened it yet but the idea is it should do the bulk of the work on the bench other than large rips and cross cuts or fine DTs.

Cheers

**Blue-deviled** · 18th July 2012, 10:41 PM

Originally Posted by Berlin

Half-back 10 point light sabre is ready! Many thanks to saw Jedi IanW who walked me right through the process and furnished me with all the bits I couldn't find (practically everything) including the beautiful piece of Bull She-Oak for the handle.

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