Hack. Scroll saw blade in coping saw frame.

Re: Hack. Scroll saw blade in coping saw frame.

John K Jordan

Very clever idea Virgil! I also wanted to use scroll saw blades in a hand saw but I didn't think to modify an old coping saw frame. That would have saved me a lot of time!

Instead, I got out the heli-arc welder, bent and welded some steel rod, machined some flats, drilled and tapped, and added a handle I'd made for something else. The blade ends are pinched by socket screws and washers. (My scroll saw blades don't have pins)

I got the idea from a friend who made one from wood. I rarely use it but it looks nice hanging on the wall.

Seems like some company would sell a frame that fits the scroll saw blades. Maybe they are available somewhere.

JKJ

Very cool.

Virgil Johnson

Nice saw!

There is such a saw... *LINK*

John in NM

Its called a jeweler's saw frame, looks just like the one you made (but not as nice and sturdy). They accept blade lengths up to around 8" as I recall.


https://www.amazon.com/JSP-GERMAN-JEWELERS-ASSORTED-BLADES/dp/B06X9QT787/ref=asc_df_B06X9QT787/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=216548929909&hvpos=1o1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=6284107533532273913&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9

Re: Hack. Scroll saw blade in coping saw frame.

Bill Tindall, E.Tn.

I like clever ideas, especially ones that avoid spending money.

If you own a band saw it works even better.

Re: Hack. Scroll saw blade in coping saw frame.

Virgil Johnson

"If you own a band saw it works even better."

I have a band saw. How would it work with this cut?

Re: There is such a saw...

Virgil Johnson

The local store had a jewelers saw also but it could not saw to the middle of an 8" board.

band sawing waste

Bill Tindall, E.Tn.

I learned to band saw the waste away at the Headley shop.....where I learned almost everything else I know about making furniture.

Most important is to have the correct side of the drawer up or it will ruin your day. You do what you would guess. Cut in from one side to the far corner. Then do the opposite. For tidying up you can use the band saw teeth like a milling machine (blade teeth facing base line)and nibble away at what ever is left right up to near the base line. A pesky corner is left which I mow off with a tiny Japanese pull saw. Or it can be chiseled when the base line is chiseled.

Re: Hack. Scroll saw blade in coping saw frame.

Dick Coers

I think it was on Classic Woodworking on PBS. The guy used a router and a dado clean out bit that has a bearing on top. Very short cutting length on the bit, so the bearing runs on the hand cut lines. Saw out the waste, then establish the depth line perfectly by trimming to final depth with the router instead of parring. Sorry, can't find the technique on line. Will keep looking

Which side should be up?

Dan Bundy

For those of us (me!) who aren't the sharpest chisel in the roll, which side should be up?

Re: Which side should be up?

Bill Tindall, E.Tn.

Look at PIC 1 in Virgil's initial post. Imagine the result of band sawing waste if the near side of that drawer side was up and you sawed to the hand saw kerfs.

Re: There is such a saw...

John in NM

That is the trouble with them

Although I've seen some deeper framed varieties, none of them would do as well as the one John made. Since they are designed for cutting rolled sheet metal they typically use tiny and very fragile blades, and the method of tensioning the blade requires a learned feel for it to keep from breaking very fine blades. A deep frame would aggravate that problem.

Looking at the picture...

John in NM

You don't need a deep frame - you just need to turn the blade 90 degrees so you can cut sideways. Coping saws make this easy, I remember that the method with a saw frame is to bend a twist into the blade with pliers. You might need to anneal the blade ends with a propane torch first.

changing blade angle...

Bill Tindall, E.Tn.

I have a small fret/jewelers saw that takes fret saw blades. Any I have used can be bent so that a frame of any size can saw away dovetail waste. I mount the bade in the jaws of the saw, grasp with pliers and bend 90 degrees.

bend the blade/ any saw works just fine

Bill Tindall, E.Tn.

Apparently it is not commonly known that blades suitable for dove tail waste removal can be bent at 90 degrees. Any size frame becomes suitable for sawing any size panel or board the dovetails are cut from.

lost in this discussion.....

Bill Tindall, E.Tn.

.....those are nice looking dovetails. Good functional size and spacing, good drawer side thickness, nice straight cuts.

I applaud functional dovetail making. It encourages other to learn to use this useful joint.

Re: band sawing waste

Derek Cohen (in Perth, Australia)

Cut in from one side to the far corner. Then do the opposite. For tidying up you can use the band saw teeth like a milling machine (blade teeth facing base line)and nibble away at what ever is left right up to near the base line. A pesky corner is left which I mow off with a tiny Japanese pull saw. Or it can be chiseled when the base line is chiseled.

Bill, how is this less work that sawing away the waste with a fretsaw?

Regards from Perth

Derek

Best way to remove dovetail waste

Bill Tindall, E.Tn.

Possible ways: chisel it away, hand saw it away, band saw it away. There may be others but these techniques are most commonly used by people putting furniture products out the door.

Answer: Obviously, there isn't a "best" way. So it would seem that personal details gravitate /shops people doing a lot this this kind of work to one means or another. I could spend a paragraph speculating on what these details could be but I don't see the usefulness of the exercise. Our job here on WC is to discuss widely used possibilities and let each woodworker find out for themselves what is best in their circumstances.

The fret saw in your picture cost a fourth of what I payed for a used 20" Delta band saw. This detail affects my choice.

clarifying blade bend in fret saw

Bill Tindall, E.Tn.

A picture being worth at least a paragraph....

One's happiness with this means of removing waste will depend on whether a 7/16" drawer side or a 7/8" case top is being sawed, how taunt the bade can be made in the saw frame and how aggressive a bade can be found to fit the dovetail saw kerf.

Re: Best way to remove dovetail waste

Derek Cohen (in Perth, Australia)

Bill, I was not displaying a specific make of fretsaw - use which ever you choose. I was commenting on a method.

Multiple bandsaw cuts vs a single fretsaw cut. Mmmmmm ....

Incidentally, cost of tools is an individual choice. Some enjoy quality tools and others enjoy what ever gets the job done. Live and let live.

Regards from Perth

Derek

Re: changing blade angle...

AlanWS

Twisting the blade is brilliantly simple! Why didn't I think of that?