Technic tips? Shaping a bowsaw handle by hand.

Re: Technic tips? Shaping a bowsaw handle by hand.

Dan Donaldson

>Could you clamp the hand drill down with the bit aligned in the two planes, then make a small fixture to allow you to slide the blank into the bit? I am thinking of a drill clamped to a benchtop, and some kind of a small fence to keep the blank aligned while it is pushed into the bit.

Hmmmm

Dave (Arlington, VA)

>Thanks, Dan. An interesting thought.

So far, I've been drilling with an eggbeater, followed up by a brace. Though I wouldn't mind using an e***** hand drill (which I already own). The eggbeater I've used with a small bit so I could drill slowly and try to keep it lined up in two dimensions. Then when I thought I had it (wrong each time - so far) I followed up with a brace and a 1/4" bit - and tried to follow the eggbeater's pre-drilled hole.

I only made a "blank" on my first effort - but the hole I subsequently drilled was enough off-center as to make it impossible to have enough wood at the end of the handle to properly shape it. Since then I've tried drilling first (using various (failed) strategies for keeping the drill bit in line in two dimensions - unfortunately I'm falling short in either theory or (certainly) execution).

I appreciate your post, and I think I understand your suggestion. I'll give it some additional thought.

Thanks -

Dave

Re: Technic tips? Shaping a bowsaw handle by hand.

Todd Hughes

>I would drill two holes from either end and have them meet in the center doing this in the blank befor you shape it of course. Just mark an X on either end and drill in the center. Much easier to if you have the work piece chest high and held sideways so you are drilling horizontal and Not verticle by the way ....On a handle this long should be no trouble. I used to drill the hole down the center of a 24 in. Pipe Tomahawk now that will teach you how to cuss.....Todd

Re: Technic tips? Shaping a bowsaw handle by hand.

Pam Niedermayer - Austin, TX

>If you're using a brace, you can hang all sorts of tiny levels from the arm, which should help.

Pam

I don't get it

Adam Cherubini, NJ

>Dave,

What do you care where the hole is? Why not simply bore a hole in a block, insert the metal, then shape it?

It takes two people to drill a straight hole. I use framing/shipwright's augers or a semi-normal brace and bit. Clamp two squares to the work for the two planes, and find a friend.

Next question I have is why you are using a metal handle at all. Wouldn't it be simpler to make the whole thing wooden? I don't know if you've already made the arms or not. You'd have to make the wooden pin portion of the handle twice as large as the brass to allow for a much bigger blade retaining pin.

The handle to arm/cheek fit needn't be anything special. If you are looking to reduce unwanted play/rotation try putting a rubber o-ring on the handle's pin or shaft. You can also shim with paper, but the o-ring works better for me.

To tell the truth (not sure what sort of saw you are making) for my larger (700mm) frame saws, I do better by not holding the handle at all. So rotation realy isn't a problem. If you do hold the handle, its the heavy frame that is the problem. Its amazing how much you can take away from those frames before they crack. My frame saws are all very light.

Adam

Re: Technic tips? Shaping a bowsaw handle by hand.

Todd Hughes

>A tradtional way to make sure the bit is going in straight is to hang a ring on the bit. As long as the bit is level it will stay in the center....Todd

Re: I don't get it

Chad Boehlke

>I try to K.I.S.S. my projects also. My bow saws don't have handles, thus I all don't have a way to turn anything. I have used old spendels from chairs if I need a handle. Cheap, easy, and its done. Chad Boelhke

Re: Technic tips? Shaping a bowsaw handle by hand.

Dave (Arlington, VA)

>Hi Todd -

Thanks for your post. I think my question may have been unclear because it seems to me if I drilled from both ends (assuming I could get them to meet in the middle) that this would make it easier for my brass rod to come loose and slide all the way through the handle. I must be misunderstanding your post.

Regards -

Dave

P.S. I can't even imaging drilling straight through a 24" tomahawk pipe. My hat's off to you.

Re: Technic tips? Shaping a bowsaw handle by hand.

Dave (Arlington, VA)

>Hi Pam -

My apologies for being dense - but I can't visualize what you are suggesting for the levels nor where to hang them on the brace.

Regards -

Dave

Re: Technic tips? Shaping a bowsaw handle by hand.

Dave (Arlington, VA)

>Hi Todd -

Thanks again for your thoughts. Unfortunately, as with Pam's post, I can't visualize how to hand a ring on a drill bit. Would you mind adding a few details for me?

Thanks -

Dave

Re: I don't get it

Dave (Arlington, VA)

>Hi Adam -

Thanks for making the point of needing two people to drill a straight hole.

Your suggesting of drilling first and then shaping was my plan "B" but either my pieces of wood were too narrow or my aim was too far off because that hasn't worked yet. I am currently in the process of trying that approach yet again - using a somewhat larger blank.

As to making the handle entirley out of wood, frankly the thought had not occurred to me. This is the first time I've made a bowsaw and this is the only way I've seen it described. I do see how wooden handles would make this problem easier to solve - but I think I'm too far down this road now.

Thanks for your suggestions. I appreciate it.

Regards -

Dave

Re: I don't get it

Dave (Arlington, VA)

>An interesting solution, Chad. I've been thinking of trying this again, but with one of my kids. If I do, I may try your approach.

Thanks -

Dave

Re: Technic tips? Shaping a bowsaw handle by hand.

Skip in Falls Church

>I was sitting here thinking through the problem and a possible solution popped into my head. It sounds a drill guide could work. I was wandering through the thought process - make a wooden drill guide and use it to square up for drilling. That should work - but as I took it a little farther I realized that a handy way to do it would be with a doweling jig, if you have one.

The one I have automatically centers on the stock. A drill guide would let you make the adjustment for pretty close to square then drill the hole. Any way, just a thought.

Skip

Re: Technic tips? Shaping a bowsaw handle by hand.

Dave (Arlington, VA)

>Hi Skip -

Thought for sure I replied to your post earlier this afternoon - but I sure don't see it.

Anyway -- I was just saying that I don't have a dowling jig, nor a drill guide, so I'm out of luck on those options for the time being. Currently I thinking I'll re-try Adam's suggestion (but more carefully this time). This time I'm going to use my poppets (or at least one of them; I've juryrigged another quasi-poppet with a hole in it so the side of the handle with the brass rod in it can protrude through. I am hoping that the rotation of the handle around the poppet "points" will give me an idea if I have it centered along the axis of the brass rod.

I'm definately not gifted at 3-D visualization.

Again, thanks for your thoughts.

Regards -

Dave

Re: Technic tips? Shaping a bowsaw handle by hand.

Skip in Falls Church

>Just make a drill guide of your own. Drill a hole in an appropritate sized piece of wood, stick a dowel in it so that you can line up for a square cut on the bottom and cut the bottom square to the hole. Then clamp it on to the stock and drill.

Or, if you want, you could borrow my doweling jig if it has a drill guide small enough. The drill guide sizes that came with mine are 1/4, 5/16 and 3/8.

Skip

Re: Technic tips? Shaping a bowsaw handle by hand.

Pam Niedermayer - Austin, TX

>Sorry for leaving you hanging. I've been sick for about a week, only coming into cogency now and then. Anyhow, John Alexander's video "Make a Chair from a Tree" shows how to do this. I haven't been able to find some other photo.

Basically, you get a tiny level that's cradled in a U shaped device with open hooks on the tops of the U's. Put those hooks on the brace handle, so that when you turn the brace the level indicates level. This will be sufficient for determining up and down level. Side to side level is fairly easy to see if you stand behind the brace.

You can also do this with a very long drill bit in the brace, drape the level over the drill shank.

Pam