Frame Saw WIP

[woodbloke]

I started the frame saw project today. I found an oddment of beech from an old sash cramp bar which I'm using for the main 'H' of the saw. You can see from the pic:

that the 12.5mm hole has been drilled for the handles (the square elm blocks) and the smaller hole is for the tensioning rod which will be a 6mm piece of studding. The mortises have been penciled in and will be cut with the router later on. All the tenons will be loose in the frame as the thing needs to pivot slightly as tension is applied...so the shoulders on the centre rail will be very slightly radiused. The black bit of stuff is an oddment of ebony used to prevent the frame racking when tension's applied and the silvery bit of metal is an oddment of titanium :shock: that I'm going to use for the blade plates that link to the handles. Also in the pic are the two bits of Dragon bandsaw blade that Ian let me have.
I've made the dimensions on the saw identical to commercial one's available from the Continent so I'll be able to fit a Turbocut Jap blade if need be later on. This is going to be quite a good little project...lots of shaping to do on the handles. It's essential though to make a full size drawing of the thing so you can work out exactly the correct size for the centre stretcher - Rob

 

[RobertMP]

I'll be interested to see how this turns out.

I made a really crude version to finish off hack sawing through cast iron soil pipe when plumbing in the downstairs cloakroom I've just built - needed the deeper throat. 2 bits of beech (well unused coffee table legs) with a bit of softwood between them, a hacksaw blade and a loop of string with a stick to twist it tight. felt better to use than the hacksaw!

All back in pieces now but I did think it would be nice to make one properly

 

[Night Train]

I recently made one to see if bandsaw blade was any good for hand sawing. The jury is still out on that one.

I'll see if I can get a photo.

It is a 36" long bit of 3/4" 3tpi blade.

Don't think it will be useful but I might make my students have a play with it.

 

[woodbloke]

My one is more or less a replica of the ones that you can see on the Continental sites like Dick. They seem to be used a lot more over there than the UK...should be a useful bit of kit to have in the 'shop though. I was prompted to make one having seen the Barnsley boys in F&C using one for apprentice pieces - Rob