Blades for wooden bowsaws ?

[Max Power]

Any advice where to get blades for wooden bowsaws or is it a case of using bits of bandsaw blade ?

 

[Woody2Shoes]

You could do worse than use a blade made for a metal bowsaw e.g. https://www.axminster.co.uk/bahco-bowsa ... s-ax820254
Fine Tools sell full saws https://www.fine-tools.com/gramercy-tools-bow-saw.html and kits.
I half remember Classic Handtools doing them too

 

[colinc]

Depends what you mean by bowsaw. I made some 24” bow saws using bahco blades as indicated above but they are very aggressive and intended for cutting logs. I have also re-bladed an old Marples bowsaw using a short length of bandsaw blade, but it took a bit of experimentation to get the right one. Even bandsaw blades are a bit aggressive for hand work in a cabinet maker’s style bowsaw.

What sort are we talking about here?

 

[Sheffield Tony]

I made my own ... use a good hacksaw (cobalt steel blades help) tu cut a blunt hardpoint saw into strips. Only the teeth are induction hardened, the rest is normal saw plate. Clean up with a file, cut teeth with it held in a metalwork vice. Ok, it is a bit of a bother, but it worked well.

 

[Sean Hellman]

I have only ever used old bandsaw blades, of which I have plenty. Easy to drill holes through. They can be old and blunt and no good for the bandsaw but they work fine for frame saws. I have gone up to 3tpi 1inch saw blades. Not tried my ripper 1.1/4 2 tpi blades in a frame saw yet.

 

[Steve Maskery]

Does anyone have any tips for drilling holes in BS blade material? I have a box of blade which I ordered which are the wrong size. My fault. I ordered 3040 when I should have ordered 3430mm....
I used to have a nice home-made saw and fancy making one again. I do remember that the hardest part was making the blade.

The blades I have are 3/4 x 3 TPI, 3/8 x 6TPI and 1/4 x 24 TPI.

 

[lexi]

You can heat the spot red hot where you want to drill. Run the drill bit through it. I do that on mechanical hacksaw blades that need sizing to fit my smallish machine.

 

[colinc]

Steve,

Did you mean a 12” or 24” saw?

The one in my small bowsaw that you saw is a piece of Tuffsaws bandsaw blade it drilled very easily. I think the teeth are hardened and the body of the blade is softer. I will check what it is and let you know.

I had a collection of samples to test. What I did find was that the set on some bandsaw blades were just too aggressive for fine work.

I think if I was making a bow saw I would consider the Gramercy kit of blades and holders. https://www.fine-tools.com/gramercy-tools-bow-saw.html

Here is a link to their drawing;

https://toolsforworkingwood.com/extra/i ... l_8x14.pdf

Regards,

Colin

 

[ED65]

They can be old and blunt and no good for the bandsaw but they work fine for frame saws.

But wouldn't you just sharpen the short run of teeth in the frame saw?

 

[colinc]

I checked what I used in my 12" bowsaw.

It's out of a Tuffsaws 1/2" 10/14 M42 blade.

I think that the comment above about old bandsaw blades work work well is perhaps because new ones are to aggressive for a handsaw and a bit of wear calms them down. That's what I found anyway.

regards

Colin

 

[xy mosian]

Often bandsaw blades have a 'hook' tooth. This can be tricky under hand power. The very tips of the teeth can easily be taken back a little with a suitable file, hardened teeth need a diamond file of course. I suppose this is fast blunting but it works well, I have found.
xy

 

[Sean Hellman]

They can be old and blunt and no good for the bandsaw but they work fine for frame saws.

But wouldn't you just sharpen the short run of teeth in the frame saw?

They seem to work just fine, and I would set them rather than sharpen