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Thread: Wooden-backed dovetail saw
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21st September 2005, 10:46 AM #1
Cousin of Bent Nails
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Wooden-backed dovetail saw
G'day.
I recently set out to make myself a dovetail saw.
I was given a rough old Disston panel saw which had seen the end of a very fruitful life. I chopped a section out of the blade, and then set to work making my new dovetail saw. I'm only very new to this tool-making thing, so it seemed like a good challenge.
I had heaps of Euro Beech for the handle, but I didn't have any brass for the back. What I did have was a nice straight strip of Qld walnut. But as Derek Cohen advised me, timber is fine except it provides little ballast. This provided a challenge: how would I get weight into the back of the saw?
In the end, I drilled a series of holes in the back, boxed it all in from the sides, and poured molten lead into it. Perfect. Now it's got heaps of ballast!
So below is the finished product. It's been cut with 15tpi in a rip profile. The only potential issue is the thickness of the blade. It will be fine for 9/10 of the dovetails I'll make, but it's a little too thick to make tiny pins.
This was lots of fun, and a great way to burn up a Saturday when my wife was away!
I think the end result is okay, though it is only a beginner's piece.
Cheers,
GWWhere you see a tree, I see 3 cubic metres of timber, milled and dressed.
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21st September 2005, 02:12 PM #2
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Sister of the DarkSide
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Nice work - how does it go cutting dovetails now?
cheers
RufflyRustic
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21st September 2005, 03:59 PM #3
Cousin of Bent Nails
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Thanks Ruffly.
The plus side of a thick blade is that it's very stiff and straight -- no flex in it. Also, if a cut goes astray, you can pull it back into line easily.
But so far, no stray cuts. It seems to hold a nice straight line. I haven't tried making thin pins with it yet, so I don't know how it would go.
Whatever the case, it was fun to make, and it is very satisfying to use a tool you've made yourself.
Cheers,
GWWhere you see a tree, I see 3 cubic metres of timber, milled and dressed.
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23rd September 2005, 01:12 PM #4
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What a little beauty. You are to be congratulated on your efforts.
- Wood Borer
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23rd September 2005, 02:51 PM #5
Cousin of Bent Nails
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Thanks, Borer.
All in the name of fun. Mercifully, this one was pretty much frustration-free.
Regards,
GWWhere you see a tree, I see 3 cubic metres of timber, milled and dressed.
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23rd September 2005, 03:10 PM #6
Bricoleur
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Nice work Green 'chips,
Did you completely refile the teeth, or work with what was already there? What is your opinion of the ballast issue? What I mean is, can you feel the lead do its thing? Questions questions always questions...
One of the things I remember my dad (not step dad) telling me as a kid in the shed, was letting the saw do the cutting; you do the pushing and pulling, not the forcing downwards. But then again, I've always been impatient!
Cheers,Andy Mac
Change is inevitable, growth is optional.
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23rd September 2005, 03:51 PM #7
Cousin of Bent Nails
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Andy -
The original teeth were far too coarse. This was a piece of blade from a standard Disston crosscut panel saw! I had to cut new teeth using a double extra slim taper file (a challenge to find, believe me!).
Re: ballast. Derek C made the point, and who was I to question? It seemed to make a lot of sense at the time. And now that the saw is built, it still makes a lot of sense. All I have to do is the forwards and backwards bit; the ballast does the rest. Might I also add that it makes the cut feel a lot more confident. The extra weight helps to keep you moving in the same direction.
Cheers,
GWWhere you see a tree, I see 3 cubic metres of timber, milled and dressed.
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23rd September 2005, 08:14 PM #8
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Evening.
Yes I read Derek's post which I knew would be well considered, and as usual correct
. I guess I hadn't really considered the ballast issue for the choice of back, always thought of it as a suitable material to wrap around a blade, vis. able to be folded and strong enough to prevent blade distortion. The extra advantage of mass makes sense, and I just wanted you to confirm that!
I agree too that some files are difficult to obtain, older catalogues can be extremely frustrating!
Cheers,Andy Mac
Change is inevitable, growth is optional.
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