Thread: Melbourne, Backsaw Making Workshop

Originally Posted by doug3030

I ventured into the timber vault and found one of my pieces of african walnut (

Lovoa trichilioides). The piece I found is roughsawn, 740 x 220 x 33 mm and it is indeed quarter-sawn. I have another piece somewhere in the timber vault that is a little smaller than this one (or is it a little bigger, all I can say for sure is one is a bit bigger than the other).

The mind is working on a cutting plan to make some handles for a matching set of backsaws and a nice tool-chest to hold them all out of the same timber.

Might be a bit of a squash though, will see how it goes

Doug

Gissalook willya Doug? (you know, the old MM trick of wetting it down 'n' stuff)

Originally Posted by FenceFurniture

Gissalook willya Doug? (you know, the old MM trick of wetting it down 'n' stuff)

A bit cold outside right now. I am staying right here where it's warm. I can post a piccy but probably after I clean it up a bit. Thicknesser needs the cobwebs blowing out occasionally. Might happen Friday

Cheers

Doug

Originally Posted by doug3030

A bit cold outside right now. I am staying right here where it's warm.

Oh P-lease! I have a statue of a smallish primate in yellow metal in the garden. There were two little almost spherical objects at his feet this morning. Ya might be in Melbourne, but ya ain't in Katoomba!

Originally Posted by FenceFurniture

Oh P-lease! I have a statue of a smallish primate in yellow metal in the garden. There were two little almost spherical objects at his feet this morning. Ya might be in Melbourne, but ya ain't in Katoomba!

Its my choice that I "aint in Katoomba" Same with the shed

Cheers

Doug

Sorry if I am being a pain talking about timber in this thread.

I really dont think I will have enough african walnut to do all I want to do.

How is Ironbark for saw handles?

It's all good Doug.

No idea on iron bark.

Gidgee especially ringed! Is what I'd love to use.

Blackwood or Myrtle. Qld Walnut (& ‘real’ Walnut) and Maple are good, too. She-oak and such like (River Red Gum), traditional apple.

Originally Posted by DSEL74

It's all good Doug.

No idea on iron bark.

Gidgee especially ringed! Is what I'd love to use.

Blackwood or Myrtle. Qld Walnut (& ‘real’ Walnut) and Maple are good, too. She-oak and such like (River Red Gum), traditional apple.

Ok, I thought gidgee might be a bit hard to shape. I have a $#!t|0AD of gidgee! It is not ringed, just fairly plain chocolate brown gidgee. I probably could supply blanks for the entire workshop from plain gidgee if thats what we all want At a reasonable price of course.

Cheers

Doug

edit: added a photo of a sample of the gidgee

Originally Posted by doug3030

Ok, I thought gidgee might be a bit hard to shape. I have a $#!t|0AD of gidgee! It is not ringed, just fairly plain chocolate brown gidgee. I probably could supply blanks for the entire workshop from plain gidgee if thats what we all want At a reasonable price of course.

Cheers

Doug

Gidgee is a little on the hard side but I have a thing for it. You will have to post some photos.

Originally Posted by DSEL74

Gidgee is a little on the hard side but I have a thing for it. You will have to post some photos.

Just added a photo to the post above, then I saw your post. Great minds think alike!

Cheers

Doug

Originally Posted by doug3030

Just added a photo to the post above, then I saw your post. Great minds think alike!

Cheers

Doug

I have never been accused of having a great mind before

It looks like the photo has a magenta colorcast. I assume the gidgee is actually brown.

Originally Posted by DSEL74

I have never been accused of having a great mind before

It looks like the photo has a magenta colorcast. I assume the gidgee is actually brown.

Yeah pretty much brown. there are patches of interesting grain throughout. All in all its an interesting stash.

Do you think it would be suitable as the timber of choice for the workshop?

Doug

Originally Posted by doug3030

Yeah pretty much brown. there are patches of interesting grain throughout. All in all its an interesting stash.

Do you think it would be suitable as the timber of choice for the workshop?

Doug

I guess it depends on the sizes you got and if people are happy with it. Have to see what Ian & Ray thinks about using it.

Originally Posted by DSEL74

I guess it depends on the sizes you got and if people are happy with it. Have to see what Ian & Ray thinks about using it.

No worries. It would be good if interested members could indicate if they would like gidgee totes from timber like that in the picture above. I have enough to meet demand, unless this course is going to be a lot bigger than I thought. Hoping Ian and Ray give it their seal of approval.

Originally Posted by doug3030

Sorry if I am being a pain talking about timber in this thread.

I really dont think I will have enough african walnut to do all I want to do.

How is Ironbark for saw handles?

Nope, this is precisely the place to discuss the wood, Doug. It's the handles that make the saw yours more than any other part, so you want to feel you've made the right choice.

If you can find a nice, sound, tight-grained bit of Ironbark, I don't see why it wouldn't make a good handle. But I have to add that I've had little success with most of the Eucalypts I've tried. Apart from being pretty coarse-grained, they tend to harbor many small flaws and splits that you don't find until you get the job 3/4 done, which can be a bit annoying. If you are in doubt about your wood, rough out the handle and watch it for a few days to see if any cracks or splits open up. These are most likely close to the end of the board, so I usually start laying out templates a good couple of inches from the ends if I have enough wood to play with.

Cheers,