Re: Derek Cohen.....maker of fine hand tools......

Re: Derek Cohen.....maker of fine hand tools......

Thanks John.

In the case of the dovetail saw, the plate was purchased with punched teeth from Blackburn Tools (quite a long while back - he was having supply issues). This is very cost-effective for guys like myself, who may make the occasional saw. I’ve done about a dozen. But some I have filed from scratch, and this can be necessary when restoring a saw as well.

Completely rebuilt G.Nurse & Co dovetail saw (17 tpi), 8” long plate …

To file teeth from scratch I use the paper templates that Blackburn Tools have on their website. These consist of lines on paper, which you wrap around the edge of the plate. The lines mark the position of the teeth. 

Another way - which I have not yet tried - is to use a steel hacksaw blade as a template. 

The dovetail saw above required the teeth to be shaped and sharpened, and then set. I built this saw in March this year, and wrote an article, here. It is the same saw as the one here, except I softened the lines of the handle, having decided that I did not like the chiseled edges of the original.

Regards from Perth

Derek