Bowsaw
Derek Cohen (in Perth, Australia)
>Finished a bowsaw. I really enjoyed this project. After the recent family-orientated pieces (bed and chest of drawers for my son), I took time out for something different. Making tools always seems to bring with it its own sense of satisfaction, and this just continues when you make something with the tool you made.
Anyway I digress. This is my first ever bowsaw. Never even used one before. The impetus came from a Perth woodwork association I recently joined. They will be exhibiting works made by members at the next Perth Wood Show, only thing is that the items have to be made from two rough sawn blocks of timber, one Australian Jarrah, the other American Oak, both 12�x6�x 1-1/2�. So I decided to build a bowsaw (well, I wanted to build one anyway).
I was somewhat inspired by one of the bowsaws in Sandor Nagyszalanczy�s book, �The Art of Tools� (see page 101). God, that is stunning. Well, I said I was inspired � I did not say I was capable.
What I enjoyed was building curves (after all the straight furniture). Out came some of the spokeshaves. My favourite is the Stanley #53 (adjustable mouth spokeshave) while the #55 (convex spokeshave) was essential. I also had a new Veritas spokeshave (low angle spokeshave), and this promises to be good but I found it quite different in practice to the others.
As you will see from the picture, I used a little artistic license. I suppose I should name it something like �Hands across the Pond� or �International Harmony�, or something. This was the first time I have used American Oak, and I was lucky to have been given a quartersawn piece. It feels like it will hold up to the stresses.
I�m afraid a few electrons did get burned here. I cut out the pieces on my bandsaw, and I used my $69 lathe to turn the handles (almost another first here as well � just my third time at a lathe). The rest was made with spokeshaves and scrapers. The blade comes out of a bandsaw, 6 tpi. I was a little unsure whether to use it or not, or file one myself, but I had a spare one (pre-riser kit on my 14� machine) and thought to give it a go. The blade length is 11�. The blade holders were made out of brass bolts, cut down the center and then tapped for screws. I am not sure what timber the spinner is made out of � just a piece of burl I had in my scraps box.
Regards from Perth
Derek
