Need help choosing a knew fret saw

[Glynne]

Go for it Toby.
Whilst I can a understand everyone's logic, I think it is nice to have a bit of luxury now and again even if you don't make full use of it.
I have an eclectic mix of tools from inherited ones (my Bailey no.5 was my Dad's and is over 55 years old), some car boot purchases (bought a woodie for £5 on Saturday), some cheap Draper stuff but also some really good ones like LN chisels (which I just love to use) and the Knew Concepts saw. Will I get the full value from them, yes because I love using them.
Give Matthew a call and enjoy your present.

 

[tobytools]

Go for it Toby.
Whilst I can a understand everyone's logic, I think it is nice to have a bit of luxury now and again even if you don't make full use of it.
I have an eclectic mix of tools from inherited ones (my Bailey no.5 was my Dad's and is over 55 years old), some car boot purchases (bought a woodie for £5 on Saturday), some cheap Draper stuff but also some really good ones like LN chisels (which I just love to use) and the Knew Concepts saw. Will I get the full value from them, yes because I love using them.
Give Matthew a call and enjoy your present.

if you check the link i added, check out the fancy handle he added to the saw, wow... not that is just silly lol
tho i may turn a new handle but first i see how it goes

cheers
TT

 

[wrightwoodwork]

I use the Eclipse have done for years to me they do the job and the Eclipse blades I'm still on the same packet of blades I've had for 15 years. I use the blade so it cuts on the forward stroke. I know it should cut on the back stroke. To me the secret is cutting with a light stoke there is no need to put pressure on the blade it won't cut any quicker only break the blade and have my finger pointing down the blade, so the blade is an extension of my finger

 

[tobytools]

I use the Eclipse have done for years to me they do the job and the Eclipse blades I'm still on the same packet of blades I've had for 15 years. I use the blade so it cuts on the forward stroke. I know it should cut on the back stroke. To me the secret is cutting with a light stoke there is no need to put pressure on the blade it won't cut any quicker only break the blade and have my finger pointing down the blade, so the blade is an extension of my finger

Thanks wrightwoodwork, and welcome to the forum
Thanks for sharing you fret saw technique.

I'll probably buy the Pegasus blades or what ever Mathew from wsh reccomends

Thanks
TT

 

[G S Haydon]

Nothing wrong with your choice Toby, you'll love it for sure. I think the video illustrates a less than ideal coping saw blade choice rather than the wrong saw for the job.

 

[Trafalgar]

Pegasus blades... a little flight of fancy perhaps....

 

[bugbear]

Nothing wrong with your choice Toby, you'll love it for sure. I think the video illustrates a less than ideal coping saw blade choice rather than the wrong saw for the job.

I don't know why the marketplaces are different, but (long ago) people on OLDTOOLs
hated coping saws - it turned out the commonest model in the USA has a bendy frame
and wouldn't put enough tension on the blade.

The Eclipse works just fine.

BugBear

 

[Racers]

Ignore then all Toby buy one :wink:

Pete

 

[Phil Pascoe]

He will, Pete. :wink:

 

[tobytools]

He will, Pete. :wink:

I have,
End of the day it's only money cant spend it when I'm gone might aswell enjoy it.
Not that it's my money

Just got off phone to Mathew at workshop heave. Had a chat about what I'm after and the best choice ect. He was very helpful and has send me by email a link to my shopping basket.

Standard 5" screw tension saw
Pegas reverse skip blades
And some other that are specifically for dovetails.

I'm one seriously happy chappy

All the best
TT

 

[AndyT]

Just a thought about the technique of using a coping saw to remove wood when cutting dovetails...

I think the technique commonly illustrated is to make the important straight tail cuts with your backsaw, then run a coping saw down the existing cut, almost to the bottom, turn sharply horizontal, and cut across to meet the kerf on the opposite side. That's fine if your original straight cuts have a kerf as wide as your coping saw needs, but if you have 'upgraded' to a really fine dovetail saw, or used a thin Japanese style saw, your ordinary coping saw blade will be too thick. You either risk spoiling the nice accurate cut by forcing the coping saw blade down it, or go looking for thinner fretsaw blades and a frame to take them. Hence the interest in the Knew Concepts saw and jeweller's piercing saws.

A simple alternative is to use the coping saw to make a third vertical cut down the centre of the waste, between the two nice fine straight cuts, saw nearly to the bottom, then turn one way aiming for a point close to the bottom corner, saw to meet the cut, come back to the centre, and turn the other way towards the opposite corner. This way the thick coping saw blade only works in the waste and can have all the room it needs.

I can't believe that I am the only person to have done this but a quick image search failed to come up with a picture of what I am trying to describe. Does anyone else ever do this? Maybe on really big dovetails, using a bandsaw to remove the waste?

 

[tobytools]

I know what your trying to say I have done so recently when doing some big dovetails. This wouldnt be possible when doing very fine dovetails.
Maby you could show with pictures what your saying for the benefit of other.

I'm still umming and rrrrring about getting a japanese style disposable dt saw. I use a vintage western style on ATM that I sharpen myself :S

Thanks Andy
TT

 

[bugbear]

A simple alternative is to use the coping saw to make a third vertical cut down the centre of the waste, between the two nice fine straight cuts, saw nearly to the bottom, then turn one way aiming for a point close to the bottom corner, saw to meet the cut, come back to the centre, and turn the other way towards the opposite corner. This way the thick coping saw blade only works in the waste and can have all the room it needs.

I can't believe that I am the only person to have done this but a quick image search failed to come up with a picture of what I am trying to describe. Does anyone else ever do this? Maybe on really big dovetails, using a bandsaw to remove the waste?

post411280.html?hilit=%20previous%20discussion%20#p411280

BugBear

 

[Trafalgar]

Within the realm of dovetail saws and somewhat of an aside, there is nothing about an extraordinarily fine kerf that lends any inherent accuracy to cutting dovetails. What one needs is a saw with proper set in relation to the saw's plate thickness. Too much set in any saw, fine plate or not, results in a saw that will rattle around in its own kerf and won't "track." Proper set, again in relation to the plate thickness, is what makes a saw feel like it's tracking.

A high tooth count saw, which is usually associated with thin plate, is nice for eliminating spelch at the back of the cut (push saws) or in the front of the cut (pull saws). They will track no better than a thicker saw as long as the thicker saw has correct set.

Moral of the story -- if you want to remove dovetail waste with a coping saw then consider a saw that's not quite so thin. That, or do the two-cut cha-cha-cha workaround with your coping saw. Sawing out the waste, to me, is only efficient if you can drop the blade down and pretty much start sawing straight across just above the baseline (a very slight curve into the baseline cut). Otherwise, chopping is much faster if speed is a goal.

 

[woodbrains]

A simple alternative is to use the coping saw to make a third vertical cut down the centre of the waste, between the two nice fine straight cuts, saw nearly to the bottom, then turn one way aiming for a point close to the bottom corner, saw to meet the cut, come back to the centre, and turn the other way towards the opposite corner. This way the thick coping saw blade only works in the waste and can have all the room it needs.

I can't believe that I am the only person to have done this but a quick image search failed to come up with a picture of what I am trying to describe. Does anyone else ever do this? Maybe on really big dovetails, using a bandsaw to remove the waste?

Hello,

I don't make a third cut for the waste between the tails, as I use a Japanese saw with a thin kerf, so just chop. However, I do make a third cut in the waste between half blind pins. It makes chopping the waste from these much easier, since the waste is essentially in an undercut and does not always want to lift up through the narrower gap. It has to break along the grain to do so, so a third cut just gives it a helping hand here and makes everything much easier, especially in tough woods, that keep the waste holding together.

Mike.

 

[G S Haydon]

Nothing wrong with your choice Toby, you'll love it for sure. I think the video illustrates a less than ideal coping saw blade choice rather than the wrong saw for the job.

I don't know why the marketplaces are different, but (long ago) people on OLDTOOLs
hated coping saws - it turned out the commonest model in the USA has a bendy frame
and wouldn't put enough tension on the blade.

The Eclipse works just fine.

BugBear

Agreed. The coping saw in the video is a Stanley with a round bar. I have a "fat max" stanley, round bar and and very springy.

Charles, I like to buy fancy coping saw blaes. Makes me feels special 8) :lol:

 

[Cheshirechappie]

A simple alternative is to use the coping saw to make a third vertical cut down the centre of the waste, between the two nice fine straight cuts, saw nearly to the bottom, then turn one way aiming for a point close to the bottom corner, saw to meet the cut, come back to the centre, and turn the other way towards the opposite corner. This way the thick coping saw blade only works in the waste and can have all the room it needs.

I can't believe that I am the only person to have done this but a quick image search failed to come up with a picture of what I am trying to describe. Does anyone else ever do this? Maybe on really big dovetails, using a bandsaw to remove the waste?

That's exactly the way I do it now. It has the advantage that the saw can work with the blade aligned parallel to frame for both cuts, without needing to be turned at all. That's what saves the time - no fiddling about with angle settings. Another advantage is that pretty much any old coping saw and blade combination will do - no need of expensive thin blades.

The little 'peak' of waste left can be chopped out very quickly.