Which coping saw?

[Froggy]

Hi chaps,

I need to buy a new coping saw for dovetails. Can anyone recommend a particular one or are they all much-of-a-muchness? And does the blade matter? I would've thought the thinner the better, but straight or spiral? I'd appreciate any feedback.

Thanks Froggy.

 

[Paul Chapman]

These are good http://www.classichandtools.com/acatalog/Fret-Saws.html

Cheers :wink:

Paul

 

[Froggy]

Cheers Paul. If it's good enough for Rob it's good enough for me :lol:

 

[yetloh]

I prefer a piercing saw which has a finer blade and goes round corners more easily.

Jim

Just looked at the link and realised that is exactly what the link shows.

 

[Racers]

Hi, Froggy

The main problem with coping saws is the lack of tension you can put in the blade, this limits the amount of control you have over it.
I made a bow saw that takes coping saw blades and can put loads of tension on the blade, resulting in tool that is very easy to use.
This is it.

And this is what you can do with it.

Pete

 

[yetloh]

Not really a problem with a piercing saw which has an a adjustable frame, in my experience.

Jim

 

[Froggy]

Thanks for responses guys.

Pete that's a great bow saw. How do you get and release the tension on the blade?

 

[Racers]

Hi, Froggy

By winding up the string at the top it pulls the arms inwards and they pivot around the stretcher pulling outwards at the other end and tensions the blade.

You can use straight arms and a straight stretcher, i just like curves :wink:

Pete

 

[Froggy]

Hi, Froggy

By winding up the string at the top it pulls the arms inwards and they pivot around the stretcher pulling outwards at the other end and tensions the blade.

You can use straight arms and a straight stretcher, i just like curves :wink:

Pete

Of course pretty obvious when you look at it. Thanks Pete, I'll give that a go.

 

[Derek Cohen (Perth Oz)]

Here is a fretsaw that I can recommend, even if the review I wrote was of a prototype. I've been watching this saw evolve, and the final version (which I have not seen in the flesh) promises to be all that dovetailers dream of.

Disclaimer: I have no interest in this saw other than hoping the maker succeeds. He is a good bloke, an enthusiast. Not even a woodworker - a jeweller - and my part was simply in helping him understand why a woodworker wanted one of his saws ...

Review here: http://www.inthewoodshop.com/ToolReviews/KnewConceptsFretsaw.html

Regards from Perth

Derek

 

[Froggy]

That does look like it would do a good job Derek, but are they on sale, from where and how much?

Cheers Froggy.

 

[Derek Cohen (Perth Oz)]

Hi Froggy

The link is in the review: http://store.knewconcepts.com/index.html

Cost? Not sure, but the 5" aluminium version is $49 USD. Wait a month and the latest version should be out on sale.

Regards from Perth

Derek

 

[Alf]

Cost? Not sure, but the 5" aluminium version is $49 USD.

Or £43 in the UK. Sigh. Evidently it's not just woodworkers who suffer from a gulf between US and UK prices for the same thing.

Anyway... Interesting stuff, Derek. Must admit I think I'd have gone the whole hog and wondered if there was a way of getting the best of both worlds and incorporating the wider angle adjustment of a coping saw rather than just stuck at 45°. But I'm demanding like that. :lol:

 

[Derek Cohen (Perth Oz)]

Must admit I think I'd have gone the whole hog and wondered if there was a way of getting the best of both worlds and incorporating the wider angle adjustment of a coping saw rather than just stuck at 45°.

Hi Alf

I did discuss this with Lee. He decided that a variable angle set up would end up being too fragile. In the end we agreed that a fixed 45 degrees on each side plus central 90 degree settings would be ideal for the woodworker using it for dovetails.

I think one gets away with the variable setting on a coping saw because the blades are thicker and wider, in other words that part of the rigidity is built into the blade rather than just the saw. Then again, the coping saw balde cannot turn on itself as a fretsaw blade can.

£43 seems dear. I wonder what the postage from the US would be?

Regards from Perth

Derek

 

[Alf]

Mmm, fair enough. To be honest I'd just like a coping saw that didn't twist except when actually asked to, having lost patience with the piercing saw some time ago.

And yes, £43 seemed a lot to me too, especially when Pete's bowsaw option is a lot prettier! A search revealed that UK jeweller folks are getting all excited about them though, apart from a gentleman who must be Jacob's jeweller brother. But I digress. I assume the one you've got, being made with 45° settings with woodworkers in mind, will only be an option direct anyway, unless some woodworking outlet or other takes it on. It'll be interesting to see what happens; someone putting a little effort into a coping or piercing saw design would seem to be something of a gap in the market. Wither the LN saw? Where's the black 'n' brooding Veritas option? The more I think about it, the more appalled I am. Dammit, am I supposed to chop my dovetail waste?! :wink: :lol:

 

[GazPal]

The new jeweller's saw design looks and sounds good, but IMHO £43 is a wee bit too much to pay for a saw that can only be adjusted to 45deg and intended solely for use in crafting through dovetails. My good old faithful Eclipse coping saw (Currently £9.12) with 360deg blade rotation and Eclipse fret saw (Currently £14.94) have seen in excess of 30yrs unfailing service and their combined cost - if I found myself buying new - seem more attractive prospects by the minute when compared to £43. The reasons being they're already among my kit, are more than capable of doing their respective jobs extremely well and provide a great deal more flexibility in practice.

Perhaps I'm biased. :wink:

Hand tool aquisition, invention and innovation are always a good thing. Especially after at least gathering a little experience and learning the basic skill sets along the way. I'll always wish the innovator the best of luck, but honestly feel the concept of the piercing saw Derek co-designed - via consultation - is possibly far better suited to finer metal and inlay work (Where materials tend to be rotated about the blade as it cuts) than potentially less intricate woodwork.

I seem to recall seeing very similar aero-frame inspired piercing saw frame designs - possibly Grobet - advertised and in use quite a number of years ago (My wife's a goldsmith & jeweller), but specific details escape me at present.