Handsaw Recommendations

Re: Handsaw Recommendations

mikew

>Hi Stephen,

I decide which saw to use depending on the finished surface I desire and the type of wood I'm sawing.

For ripping to rough width on NA hardwoods short of hard Maple, I use saws from 3 1/2 ppi to 5 1/2 ppi. For the harder woods, I might use up to a 7 ppi rip.

For crosscutting to rough length and again depending on the finish of the cut I desire and the type of wood, I use between a 4 1/2 ppi to 12 ppi.

All the saws are from 16" panel saws to 28" blade length. Some are quite old up to the 1950s era for the vintage saws. I do have new saws I use, and in particular in conjunction with bench hooks. These are of the shorter variety and the cuts can be a near finished surface.

It sounds like your saws are simply dull, improperly set or both. But make no mistake that ripping is a workout no matter. However, cross cutting should be a fairly easy task with a sharp saw.

It pays to have a variety to select from, too. I have what many would say is too many, but hey, they are the one type of tool I go nuts over. The less the variety of woods, or using woods of similar hardness can cut down a good set to only a few. I work in a wide variety of wood and so justify my variety on that basis.

And there are decent new larger saws being made. Even the Roberts & Lee from England, and some of the Pax are OK, though the handles generally suck. But we are woodworkers...

Take care, Mike

Re: Handsaw Recommendations

Stephen Kirk in Quakertown PA

>Thanks Mike, I'm looking up some saw sharpening files, as I should really learn to do that. I believe that making a kneeling type bench would help me set my body up better for the cut. Using the table saw and a roller stand is probably too high.

Another question, though. I notice with the bigger saws that I get a good deal of blade wobble as I push through on a cut, which makes it harder to pull back. Is that a symptom of my technique, the sharpness/set of the saw, or both?

Oh, and there are people who think you can actually own too many saws! Shame on them.

Re: Handsaw Recommendations

mikew

>Hi Stephen,

Really good Bahco files are available from Pete Taran at vintagesaws.com. LN carry Grobet, also very good.

My local Ace Hardware carry Nicholsons, as does Tools for Working Wood and Lee Valley.

For the larger saws, save money and find Nicholsons. For teeth greater than maybe 10 ppi, go for the smaller, better files from LN or Pete. But, hey, that's personal opinion.

I believe Chris Schwarz in an upcoming issue will be going over this subject in either Popular Woodworking or Woodworking Magazine. I think there are a lot of plans for a saw bench around, but even low purpose built saw horses with a wide sturdily-attached top [for using clamps or holdfasts are a good way to go.

There can be a couple issues with the blade wobble. It can be a tension issue [Bob Smalser has a great article on retensioning] to not enough or uneven set to technique.

Even with na saw I know is otherwise fine, I do notice that when I get tired I'll get vibration and it takes concentration at that point to keep it from happening.

Take care--happy sawing. Mike

Re: Handsaw Recommendations

Thom D

>For what it is worth the Japanese are still making big saws from the size needed for resawing boards from trees, right on down. Also, if one can work around the limitations of the frames, some of the European bowsaws are pretty darn effective.

Also, I don't think too many modern workers are going to actually use up the good old saws they have bought at flea markets. More likely problem is that they will become more expensive which will reduce the tendency to think that expensive new saws are a rip-off.

In my grandfather's shop, he built houses and all the attendant bits and pieces like windows, they started every day with the rythmic sawing of rip saws preparing the stock, must have gone through quite a few saws doing that.