Stairsaw

**derekcohen** · 29th January 2006, 10:43 PM

OK, just because Mike is making all these terrific American saws (Gad, they are gorgeous!), our Australian pride is now on the line. So I took 5 minutes off to whip up a stairsaw in a pathetic attempt to address the balance of power.

Just kidding. A stairsaw has been on my to-do list for some time. I built this one over the past two weekends, about 6 hours in all.

The drive to build one increased recently after I completed the sliding dovetail plane. These two tools are meant to work hand-in-hand. For those unfamiliar with a stairsaw, they were used to cut the housings for stairs before the advent of the electric router. These days they are used for cutting the sidewalls for dados and sliding dovetails.

I am still in the process of filing the blade (donated by an ex-tenon saw). It is 10 1/2" long. The design allows the blade to extend and retract into the Jarrah body. It should be able to cut a sliding dovetail at least 1" deep.

<div><img src="http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Tools%20that%20I%20have%20made/StairsawcomboUbeaut.jpg" border="0" alt="" /> <br />

The design is a little different from the typical stairsaw. I wanted something longer (they are commonly about 6" long) and with a deeper blade to use against a guide (angled for a 1:6 dovetail).

Regards from Perth

Derek

**Ian007** · 29th January 2006, 11:03 PM

very nice Derek well done

one of these days I will find enough time to make some of my own hand tools

have a greenie.

Cheers Ian

**Wood Borer** · 30th January 2006, 08:20 AM

Great work as always Derek. Very handy tool indeed.

**niki** · 30th January 2006, 08:43 AM

Good day derekcohen

Sooo beautiful, if it was me, I would put it in a glass box.

Thank you for showing
niki

**Andy Mac** · 30th January 2006, 09:16 AM

Nice work Derek! The jarrah looks great, unusual to see a handle on a saw in a darker colour.
I have seen such things, but only in books. Is the extensive body there to keep the blade rigid, and if so, was the design around before the usual metal backed numbers appeared? I guess the adjustment is there as a depth stop for the trench/dado?
Cheers,

**RufflyRustic** · 30th January 2006, 09:41 AM

Wow - these would be great to try out! Great Work Derek!
Cheers
Wendy

**zenwood** · 30th January 2006, 09:55 AM

Gorgeous tool, Derek.

How did you fashion the handle and the spiral detail? Will it cut on the push or the pull?

The brass screws are very attractive too.

I've got one of the ECE saws: works well, but the adjustment nuts are a bit of a pain: they sit in a recess, which makes them very difficult to get to to stop them spinning when you turn the bolt from the other side. Whoever designed that disaster deserves several reddies.

You, however, deserve at least a greenie

**derekcohen** · 30th January 2006, 02:45 PM

Is the extensive body there to keep the blade rigid, and if so, was the design around before the usual metal backed numbers appeared? I guess the adjustment is there as a depth stop for the trench/dado?

Andy

Yes, the wide body acts to keep the blade rigid. The blade slides out of the body, increasing the depth of cut. The lower end of the body will act as a depth stop. The plan is to run it against a guide for both sliding dovetails and dados. I will be writing an article on this later.

How did you fashion the handle and the spiral detail? Will it cut on the push or the pull?

Zenwood

I cut out the basic outline, then shaped the tote, etc with rasps, files, rifflers and sandpaper. The brass screws (identical from each side) use an allen key to lock down, and they tighten up easily enough. Both sides lie fractionally below the surface of the wood since the sides are run along a guide.

Interesting to hear your experience of the ECE saw (which is much shorter).

Regards from Perth

Derek

**routermaniac** · 30th January 2006, 05:32 PM

Looks great derek, excellent file work. I recently came across a book on handtools that had a tracing for a saw handle for a dovetail saw and showed how to go about filing the handle once it was cut but I've forgotten the name of the book....

Your saw has just reminded me of this, I think I will give it a go when I get a chance...

Would be interested to find out where you sourced the brass nuts and bolts from as I have not come across these anywhere.

Well done!

**Auld Bassoon** · 30th January 2006, 06:04 PM

G'day Derek!

A STUNNING outcome - gets a greenie from me.

I'm glad to see that you're helping keep the Aussie reputation where it belongs!

Cheers!

**Auld Bassoon** · 30th January 2006, 06:09 PM

Originally Posted by zenwood

Gorgeous tool, Derek.

How did you fashion the handle and the spiral detail? Will it cut on the push or the pull?

The brass screws are very attractive too.

I've got one of the ECE saws: works well, but the adjustment nuts are a bit of a pain: they sit in a recess, which makes them very difficult to get to to stop them spinning when you turn the bolt from the other side. Whoever designed that disaster deserves several reddies.

You, however, deserve at least a greenie

G'day Zenwood,

I don't know if it would fit an ECE, but LN make sell several specialised plane/saw screwdrivers

The one second from left is the one I was thinking of.

Probably wouldn't be that hard to make a useable facsimile

**Clinton1** · 30th January 2006, 08:36 PM

Derek, is the blade going to have slots cut into it so it can be housed past the two brass screws?
I'm assuming that the screws extend into both sides of the handle/body, or not?

**Greg Q** · 30th January 2006, 08:40 PM

Originally Posted by routermaniac

Looks great derek, excellent file work. I recently came across a book on handtools that had a tracing for a saw handle for a dovetail saw and showed how to go about filing the handle once it was cut but I've forgotten the name of the book....

Well done!

That book is "Hand Tools, their ways and workings" by Aldren (Watson...I think)

Greg

**derekcohen** · 30th January 2006, 09:30 PM

Derek, is the blade going to have slots cut into it so it can be housed past the two brass screws?
I'm assuming that the screws extend into both sides of the handle/body, or not?

Hi Clinton

Yes and Yes.

I have not finished filing the blade, and only posted the saw now because I requested advise (on another forum) in this regard. Mike has been helpful here. Basically my plan is to make a double-sided blade - one side will be rip teeth and the other crosscut teeth (so the saw can be used with- and across the grain).

The blade slides in- and out of the body. If you look carefully you will see the kerf cuts up the side. The blade will be slotted so that it rides along the brass screws (which do extend through the saw). The screws tighten to hold the blade at the desired projection, and the lower end of the saw becomes a depth control.

I have a design for a saw guide that will make cutting sliding dovetails (or dados) quite straightforward. This comes later.

Regards from Perth

Derek

**derekcohen** · 30th January 2006, 09:35 PM

Would be interested to find out where you sourced the brass nuts and bolts from as I have not come across these anywhere.

Almost forgot to answer this one, RM!

The answer is ... wait for it .... drum rolls .... Bunnings!

These are actually brass-plated steel. The ones with a male and female part (same as all saw tote screws), in the metric section of the screw dept. They adjust with allen bolts.

Regards from Perth

Derek

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