japanese saw

Re: But....

Charlie

Yep, addressed that in a post to Bill.

I've made a few, nothing to write home about, I liked using a somewhat dull 12" tenon saw (13 PPI or sump'n like) to trim and sort of came in from all around the leg toward the middle. I don't know if I liked the dull saw as much as it was what I had on hand, but they do tend to be a little less "catchy" than something really sharp. So dull isn't necessarily always a bad thing I guess.

Sandpaper of course works if for some reason the initial trimming wasn't spot on, which for me was sometimes the case, and most saw cuts need some kind of clean-up and you're not going to have much luck planing the bottom of a trimmed Windsor chair leg - which of course you know. Files and rasps work too, but the paper on a flat surface saves you from yourself.

I can't recall what Mike Dunbar uses/used. Surely his strategy would work. He may very well have used a Japanese saw, I don't know. Might be worth a look at one of his books as a sanity check.

the way I learned

Jack Guzman from Maine

When I'm finished sawing I fine tune it by placing a low angle plane upside down in my bench's face vise level with the bench top and holding each leg in turn I plane them even using a skewing motion across the blade. Before this step I bevel the edges with a spokeshave to eliminate tearing of fibers. Works great.

fine tuning the cut

Jack Guzman from Maine

The way I learned to do this is after making my saw cuts I bevel the legs bottoms with a spokeshave. I place a low angle plane in my face vise upside down level with the bench top and holding each leg in turn I skew it across the plane iron. Works great.

Re: fine tuning the cut

Charlie

Not sure what problem we're trying to solve then, any reasonably fine-toothed saw can make the initial cut, you have one you like, and you have a method for cleaning up the cut and applying a chamfer, which is never a bad idea for a chair or table leg.

You're too experienced for second guessing what already works in your shop.

Sometimes boredom sets in and we start looking around at our kit for something to get juices flowing again.

Take a break. Go hit some golf balls or something.

golf balls

Jack Guzman from Maine

I'm not concerned with the quality of the cut. I have saws that will cut nicely. It is the ease of the cut and being able to direct the cut. Cutting a piece held in a vise is one thing but when cutting an object like a leg,held only by my hand and cutting horizonally, the saw I use is ideal. I was just looking for a longer lasting version of what I use. This has been a very useful thread.--Jack

as to the subject---since caddying 50 some years ago I dislike golf :-)

Re: golf balls

Charlie

"Any saw's gonna work here..." in Curtis Buchanan's inimitable East Tennessee drawl:

8:28 mark in the video:

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=curtis+buchanan+leveling+chair+legs&qpvt=curtis+buchanan+leveling+chair+legs&view=detail&mid=71A2F4CD312B9C348FFD71A2F4CD312B9C348FFD&&FORM=VRDGAR&ru=%2Fvideos%2Fsearch%3Fq%3Dcurtis%2Bbuchanan%2Bleveling%2Bchair%2Blegs%26qpvt%3Dcurtis%2Bbuchanan%2Bleveling%2Bchair%2Blegs%26FORM%3DVDRE

He's using a Japanese saw!

Re: golf balls

Charlie

...keep watching to see how he fine tunes the saw cuts....

Re: golf balls

Joe shelton

That drawl ain't East Tennessee.

He's from Nawth Caliner.

Curtis

Jack Guzman from Maine

Charlie, Curtis Buchanan is the guy I learned most of my chairmaking techniques from. I've seen all of his videos. Another source was Peter Galbert. He makes windsors in a similar way.

Re: golf balls

Charlie

Half my family lives in Knoxville and points east in TN.

Sounds like it to me.

Anyway, they share a border...

Re: Curtis

Charlie

Email the ole boy and ask him what brand saw he's using in the video.

His response will probably be priceless.

Re: Curtis

Jack Guzman from Maine

He's using a western style crosscut saw. Looks alot like an Adria. I prefer a pull saw and I cut horizontally while the chair stands on the bench.

Re: Curtis

Charlie

You must not be watching the video I posted.

He's using a dozuki to cut the legs.

Re: Curtis

Charlie

Japanese saw in this video:

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=curtis+buchanan+leveling+chair+legs&qpvt=curtis+buchanan+leveling+chair+legs&view=detail&mid=71A2F4CD312B9C348FFD71A2F4CD312B9C348FFD&&FORM=VRDGAR&ru=%2Fvideos%2Fsearch%3Fq%3Dcurtis%2Bbuchanan%2Bleveling%2Bchair%2Blegs%26qpvt%3Dcurtis%2Bbuchanan%2Bleveling%2Bchair%2Blegs%26FORM%3DVDRE

If he's used an Adria in another video, then I guess he meant what he said in the video posted above when he said "any saw will work here..."

Table saw technique

Ellis Walentine

I know, heresy. Not exactly hand tools, but there's a tablesaw technique that levels chair feet. You raise your blade just a hair above the table, set the saw on the table, turn on the saw, and rub the longer foot across the spinning blade. The additional upside of this (besides that there's no skill or hand work involved) is that the foot ends up flat on the plane of the table. I regret that I can't recall whether it was Brian Boggs or somebody else I know who first turned me on to this trick.

Ellis

Re: Table saw technique

Derek Cohen (in Perth, Australia)

The technique must be well known. I have seen Thomas Johnson, who restores antiques on his You Tube channel, demonstrate this there.

Regards from Perth

Derek

Re: Table saw technique

Steve D, in CT

Hand tool people can still drag the chair leg over the blade without turning it on. Nice and quiet with minimal dust. Extra effort too!

Re: Table saw technique -- The first who demoed that was

Gary Rogowski. Tom Johnson's is not exactly the same as he cut out a lot more materials.