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Jacob, while a "bellied" (another term I've seen used commonly) saw is indeed lighter than a parallel blade of the same length, I can assure you the curve has other benefits! It does make the saw a bit stiffer in the middle, which is useful, but have a look at a video of a couple of sawyers...

David, I agree in principal with what you say - a steady rhythm, constant file angle & even pressure is what it's all about and a skilled sharpener does not need to joint well-maintained teeth as a rule. Most people nowadays don't use files much so they have to acquire a feel for efficient...

Tibi, in my view you have not put enough rake or enough fleam on those teeth for a crosscut saw. The generally-advised starting point is 15 degrees of rake and 15-20 degrees of fleam. The amount of rake is far less critical on crosscut teeth compared with rip teeth, where a change of just a...

Jacob, I think you & DW are talking at cross-purposes. "Breasting" in US (& most Australian) use refers to putting a curve in the tooth line to compensate for the rotary action of arms flailing back & forth. You seem to be using "breasting" for what is called "jointing" in the US or "topping"...

No saw can be "soft" but they do need to be flexible and reasonably stiff, so the blades are tempered to something close to, if not the same as, a re-sharpenable saw. It's extremely difficult to find out what alloy is used for any given hardpoint saw, and no doubt different makers use different...

Dunno how you sharpen a saw if you don't look at individual teeth, Jacob! Actually, the tooth line doesn't have to be straight, Dave, "breasted" saws have a curved tooth line, for e.g. Even set is very important, that's what determines if the saw runs 'true', but it's also important that the...

:D Yep, know that feeling well! I've done two panel-planes - you'd think I would have learnt after the first. My shoulders still ache every time I look at them, but are soothed by how well they perform, so I'm getting over it. It's no coincidence, perhaps, that since then I've done a string...

Very satisfying polish you have there, Dan, but it won't last if you use the plane... ;) There was a time when I read too many magazine articles & felt my plane bottoms should all be shiny & flattened to Hubble telescope tolerances. That meant hours of work on even a medium sized sole...

Yes indeed! :) And I also tender my apologies for the partial side-track, tibi.... Thanks for that gauge chart, CC, that will be very useful. I often find myself getting thoroughly confused between the various standards. Your suggested thicknesses are much closer to what I would've expected...

Ok, let me recant just a little. :confused: Perhaps I should've said "no clear definitions that are universally adhered to". A few years ago I wrote an article on back-saws for a local magazine (Aus. Wood Review) and I did a fair (but by no means exhaustive) amount of research looking for...

:D Like I said, tibi, whatever size works for you is the best size! But you might need a slightly longer saw to chop up that tree... :unsure:

Well, they may make sense to you Cc, but I've yet to find a clear & consistent definition of any of the above. :) If you mean that we should have saws that we personally find just right for doing each of those jobs, I fully agree! Backsaws come in a bewildering number of sizes, lengths & tooth...

Very little doubt you've got a 15 there, parvum. The 'Turk's cap" style of thumbscrew disappeared somewhere early in the 20thC and most (all?) later Norrises have the plainer heads on their thumbscrews. barryvabeach - you say, "The sides of yours are in a straight plane , though it tapers in...

His work is flawless and he has a great eye for style (imo), but you're making amazing progress. Don't underestimate yourself! ;) Yes, that's the standard procedure. Some advocate bending before cutting out the side profile to avoid kinking of the narrow sections, but that makes it much...

Blimey Dan, you don't ever take the easy road, do you!? :D I doubt anyone who hasn't made a plane or two themselves could fully appreciate just what a remarkable job you've done. The size alone would be challenging enough for me, but the thought of bending up that elegant egg shape...

It's called market dominance, Dan. The large country to the west of you is incapable of coping with the intricacies of the metric system, so the rest of the world is dragged into the past.... :) One thing that makes bronze more expensive than brass is that tin is more costly than zinc, but...

Mike, reduced slot depth in split nuts is a pretty common problem, the bolt heads & nuts were sanded in the factory to smooth them to the sides, & many get further attention from "restorers" later in the saw's life. However, I don't recall ever seeing the slots totally removed like yours have...

I have read so many times over the years that hammer-setting is the superior way to go, but I have yet to read WHY! I can see that in a factory situation, done by skilled hands, hammer-setting would be a lot quicker, but how better??? I'd be grateful if someone can enlighten my ignorance. In my...

For donkey's years I used a round "carver's" style mallet for dovetailing & mortising & was perfectly happy with them. Then for no particular reason, I made myself a "square" mallet with a head that weighed around 450g (close enough to a pound in old money). After a bit, that became my go-to...

From that very large mouth, & if they are 3" long, I suspect they are bottle openers. Not meant for planing wood but for taking the caps off beer bottles after the planing is done for the day..... ;) Cheers, Ian