Improved Coping Saw

9/27/04, 12:06 AM #1

Bob Smalser, Seabeck, WA
Guest

Improved Coping Saw

Bob Smalser, Seabeck, WA

>As the lads I'm writing for have made good progress in the last year, the next article I write for them is gonna be on something a bit more complicated than basic tools and joinery:

It's an improved coping saw....more blade tension that in the commercial models....good enuf to cut dovetails with.

Also making a run of 8 to demonstrate some precision technique applicable to any multiple or furniture project.

I�m still playing with how light I can get them without risk of breakage, but the unfinished trial saw cuts two-pass dovetails in hard maple like butter and with enuf accuracy to clean up with 3 chisel strokes. Not too bad considering zero practice with a brand new design.

And the blade twangs to a nice high �C�.

Will finish the article and post the design when I get it all worked out.

Caulking mallets (accurate Drew replicas) will be later this winter when my blacksmith partner and I are freed up from summer projects and I finish negotiating the price of original "black" mesquite.

Re: Improved Coping Saw

9/27/04, 1:13 AM #2

Tom Colligan, Peoria
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Re: Improved Coping Saw

Tom Colligan, Peoria

>Bob, great work; I really marvel at your imagination and skill. If you would explain, what's a caulking mallet? Thanks,

Re: Improved Coping Saw

9/27/04, 1:25 AM #3

Bob Smalser, Seabeck, WA
Guest

Caulking Mallet

Bob Smalser, Seabeck, WA

>Designed to hit a steel caulking iron driving cotton or oakum into a boat seam....and to do it all day every day without carpel tunnel.

The head is bound in tool steel and has kerfs down its center to absorb some of the shock to your arm.

Only custom made these days and decent ones are 200 and up.

Re: Improved Coping Saw

9/27/04, 9:19 AM #4

paul womack
Guest

Re: Improved Coping Saw

paul womack

>I'm still playing with how light I can get them without risk of breakage,

A LOT lighter, I'd guess. With such short arms, even if you're aiming for a lot of tension, your arms look over built.

I'd do some experiements with dimensioned scrap, as opposed to fully built arms.

Make a dimensioned but not shaped arm, replace an existing arm with it, and wind on tension until the experimental arm snaps. 2-3 iterations of this with different arms should tell you all you need to know. Non uniform arms can be lighter - the most strength is needed in the middle. For this reason some European designs make a bridle joint on the stretcher so the vertical arms aren't weakened by a mortise at this critical location.

BugBear

Improved Coping Saw

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