Panelsaw Re-handle

[MooreToolsPlease]

Evening folks,
I've just spent a couple of hours in the workshop re-handling a panel saw that used to belong to my Dad, he gave it to me about 6 months ago.
Up until now I havent had the time to get around to it!
The saw is a Disston ( could anyone give me any clues as to which it might be?), from around the 70's when he was doing his apprenticeship in pattern making. It hasn't been used for a number of years, but the rust soon came off with some elbow grease and wet & dry.
The original handle is beech, but in no way is it comfortable, added to that a nice split, the saw desperately needed re-handling.

Unfortuneately I forgot the cam in the workshop, but I will briefly explain what the process was.
I started with a piece of american walnut, thicknessed to 16mm.
I decided it would be best to laminate 2 halves together to form the handle. I was unsure of the final thickness, so I kept them big for the time being.
I pinned both pieces together in pleaces that wouldnt interfere with the final handle, this was so I could fix the old handle to the top to drill through both pieces at the same time.
The screws required a 8.5mm hole.

I first drileld through the old handle with this size, then double stick taped it to the new handle blank. I drilled through the old handle, and just marked the surface of the blank. I then went through the new handle with a 4mm drill centred in the 8.5mm mark. This was due to using a flat bit for the counterbore to sink the screw head below the surface.

Finally I used the 8.5mm drill to go right through the handle blank.
I made the handle in 2 pieces because I couldnt think or any other way to make the recess for the saw to adjoin the handle. I placed the saw plate onto one half of the handle with the connecting parts for the screw in place. then traced around the outline. I set up a router with a half inch bit, with a depth to match the saw plate. Then slowly worked away the excess material going upto the line.
A test fit revealed i had the router a little too deep, a few swipes of a smoothing plane soon made it a nice tight fit.

Next came the glue up, I wanted to make sure everything was aligned properly. So I put in the saw plate and screws to make sure there was sufficient pressure to clamp the pieces together. I used 5 additional clamps for the remainder of the blank.
I was quite nervous whilst it was drying incase I wouldnt be able to get the saw plate out, I applied plenty of wax to the plate before hand just incase. Luckily it was a success!

Here is one last picture of the new handle blank mounted to the saw plate

Next it is time for the shaping!! does anyone know of a website with plans of handle designs on it so I can finish it up?
I hope this is of use to some people.

 

[Paul Chapman]

Next it is time for the shaping!! does anyone know of a website with plans of handle designs on it so I can finish it up?
I hope this is of use to some people.

Hi Matt,

If you have a look at this thread https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/forums/view ... hp?t=11620 there was a discussion about saw handles and some links to pictures of various saw handles, which you might find helpful. In the third post on that thread, Mike Wenzloff posted a link to some pictures he took while making the handle of a saw he made for Philly, which might be useful - I've seen that saw and the handle is a particularly nice one. Have a look at Mike's website as well.

Hope this helps.

Cheers :wink:

Paul

 

[Alf]

I made the handle in 2 pieces because I couldnt think or any other way to make the recess for the saw to adjoin the handle.

With glue these days it's more than effective a way round the problem. But fwiw here's a tip.

Cheers, Alf

 

[MikeW]

fwiw, this is why I don't rehandle the "cover top" type of handles anymore--but a blank split and glued is the safest solution.

The slot in the handle of these saws is cut with a .045" cutter of 7" diameter so that it does not cut all the way through the top of the handle. By cutting a straight slot in a solid handle it will show a long gap on the top.

This gap can be plugged with a sliver of wood, shaped so it fits down in the slot against the blade, following the curve of the blade. I do have a picture somewhere or can take another of what this ends up like. I used epoxy to glue the sliver in.

Easier, though, to lay out the arc on the two halves and router out a very even and shallow area conforming to the layout.

Take care, Mike

 

[Alf]

Doh. Totally failed to take in the curved top of the blade. Perishin' Disstons. ](*,)

Okay, so first thing to do is buy a nice British saw... :wink:

 

[MikeW]

Doh. Totally failed to take in the curved top of the blade. Perishin' Disstons. ](*,)

Okay, so first thing to do is buy a nice British saw... :wink:

Yes--or an older Disston.

Here's an illustration. It refers back to the above mention of cutting straight slots and filling in at the top with basically a veneer strip cut to fit down over the curve of the blade.

The green lines would be the angles of the straight cuts, the yellow piece a shape for the filler veneer. Of course, one needs to work off the saw at hand...

So what I have done as regards the veneer strip is to cut a block about the size of the yellow, but without the curved portion. Cut the veneer from the same wood and then draw the curved portion and cut on the bandsaw. Test insert it. Snug fit, but not tight.

Assemble the saw, keeping the nuts slightly loose. Put a tiny amount of epoxy into the slot at the back 1/3 or so, put epoxy up near the portion of the veneer which will just sit down into the handle slot, and slide it home. Snug up the bolts.

If you did not use too much epoxy, it will not get onto the blade and the handle can still be taken off.

Take care, Mike