My hand tools are another story. They all travel with me and I never had a suitable method of transporting my hand saws or my water stones so today I finally did something about it. I had worked out a design for a briefcase style saw till that will carry a small nest of saws but for my needs this week I needed a full chest that carries 11 of my most used hand saws. The little fancy briefcase saw till will have to wait until the fall…

I carry one other panel saw in my large ‘widow makers tool chest’ and two other small back saws on the rear of my ‘Cabinet makers Tool chest’. That’s 14 saws to transport with all of my hand planes, chisels, lay out tools etc..etc…

The mobile wood shop if you will…

; )

So these two boxes are almost complete- they still need some hardware and the large saw till needs some smoothing and finish. Nothing fancy, just some quick through dovetails and simple lids and bottoms. I’ll show the process for the larger chest to give you a sense of the steps needed in making a throw together tool chest in an afternoon.

It’ll serve the purpose and get my tools safely to my work shop on Cape Breton Island in 5 days – I can’t wait…the salt air, the sun filled wood shop, the timber frame. I’ll be sure to get some shots of the little side server I made last summer while I was there. If you remember I never did post a final shot of it! I also have a couple of projects to build while I’m there, a few pieces for friends and a couple of commissions. Jeez, I thought this was a summer vacation !!?? ; )

cheers~

Even though these are quick boxes I still lay out the sides and end panels across the length of the plank for continuity in the wood grain. Hey, I said they're quick to make but that doesn't mean they have to look bad!

Once cross cut the ends are squared on the shooting board and the widths are all planed even. I lay the carcass pieces on the bench and clearly mark the sequence on the inside of the panels. This will make the lay out go faster and keep things running smooth.

The dovetails are laid out with the two panels clamped together in the vise- another time saver. I also used the same skip a tail design I used in my Cabinet makers Tool Chest- lay out seven tails and then refrain from sawing out the center. This is purely visual and also saves a little time. The dovetails I'm making these days are a 1:6 angle...I used to always use a 1:7 or even 1:8 but lately have been enjoying the wider splay in the 1:6. Maybe I'm getting older (and wiser)...Some may argue the 1:6 or 7 or 8 should depend of soft wood vs. hard woods and the dovetails will be stronger if I use a higher pitch etc..I'm starting to think this is complete gibberish and the fact that I'm using a dovetail joint will make things strong enough regardless of the angle used. Even if I kept going and they became finger joints- completely vertical, I think it would still be quite strong. Use your eyes and trust your instincts.

Again I may be going against the grain here but hey what can I say? It works for me...I'm not going to talk about the many varieties of fret saws or coping saws or tooth counts or give countless examples of wood workers in history books using this type of method or that one- Lord knows there's enough blogs out there doing that already! The method that works for me is my bow saw- It'll cut fast and smooth and 'the twist' to begin the cut is never an issue. Because of the ability to turn the blade effortlessly in the frame, its a perfect tool for this job and you won't exhaust your arm with those tiny strokes, back and forth with a fret saw. Give it a try and you'' see what I mean. This one is made by Gramercy Tools and is available from Tools for Working Wood in NYC.

After the dovetails are cut and fit I plough a groove for the bottom panel. Yes, a groove from one side to the other! No stopped dado here my friends- The Horror! The Horror! You'll see the little 'hole' in the outside of the chest- not a big deal...(at least not to me .....today). These are quick, almost 'throw together' tool chests I'm making- if I had the time I'd cut stopped dados like I did when I made the Cabinetmakers Tool Chest but unfortunately, time is a luxury I don't have these days...

So that's basically it- The lid on the large chest is just sitting there and will get a few hinges and a clasp or a latch...the small box is a little different where I made the two short end panels slightly narrower and the lid is fit between the long sides. It's also stepped on the inside with a rabbet around the perimeter so it registers into the chest opening when assembled. I think I'll find some nice strapping or a leather belt to keep it closed. It has a quick rub of oil and wax to protect it. Once I fit the lid, I slightly rounded over the entire edge where it meets the top of the sides giving a more traditional 'chest' feel. And in the back ground you can see the utilitarian dovetails in the saw chest- they didn't turn out too bad considering the speed at which it was made.

An interior view- there are fitted pieces of wood between the water stones so they don't budge while en route. The box lid is an off cut of aromatic cedar and the sides and bottom are butternut. The stones are (from left to right) 220 grit, 1000 grit, flattening plate with grooves, 1000/4000 combination stone and finally an 8000 polishing stone. All are made by Norton.

The interior of the saw chest- 1 disassembled bow saw, 4 panel saws and a half dozen back saws. You just never know right? This box is curly maple with a poplar bottom. Tomorrow will be smoothing and finishing- oil and wax again; nothing too fancy. I'll also install some hinges and a clap or latch to keep it closed then either build a handle or use something 'off the shelf'...depends on what? you guessed it- TIME...

I have a couple of planks of Ash that I’m using and will keep you posted as I go. I don’t have any deadlines for the bench but will work away at it over the next week or two. I’m also planning two new ‘boxes’ to transport tools out East with me in early July. One for my sharpening stones and the other a saw till. Each and every summer when I travel to the coast, 90% of my hand tools make the journey with me -safely stored between my large ‘widow maker’ tool chest and my cabinetmakers tool chest. These two boxes will hold all the tools I’ll need over the summer but I’ve always had to pack my sharpening gear and hand saws into cardboard boxes.This year I’m going to do something about that. Nothing too fancy but just some off cuts from the winter projects I’ll use up. Speaking of winter projects, the wardrobe was delivered last week and I’ll post some finished shots as soon as I can. Stay tuned-

From Scrub plane to Jack I dimension the rough Ash for a new saw bench.

Test Driving the new line from Bad Axe Tool Works...this has been a fun week of hand sawing.

Last week I received some samples of the new line of Back Saws from Bad Axe Tool Works in La Crosse, Wisconsin. Mark sent me two of his new 14″ Sash saws, two of the new 12″ carcase saws as well as ‘The Beast master’ – his new and even larger 18″ rip saw that comes with a thicker saw plate (at .0315) and has a full 5″ under the back. This is a big saw for big work and I’m planning on bringing it home to Cape Breton with me for some timber frame joinery this summer…The rest of this nest has been a joy to ‘test drive’ all week and I’ll be sad to see them leave to be quite honest. These really are truly incredible saws.

Lets take a closer look at the new models being offered-

12″ Carcase Saw-

These saws are brand new for 2010 and the first thing you can’t help noticing is the new style and shape of the handles.

Inspired by a Wheeler Madden Clemson, its  patterned after those produced in the late 19th century and its as comfortable in use as it is beautiful to admire.

Small details where the plate mortise meet the saw plate add an elegant aesthetic and in hand it feels perfect for hours of use. (Just ask me how I know…) I didn’t ask Mark for any specific finishes so he sent me a nice selection of some of the options in these test saws.

Walnut and Stainless steel fasteners and back make for one of the nicest looking hand saws I've ever seen.

The first one I tried is probably the most unique looking saw I’ve ever laid my eyes on and it features a walnut handle with stainless steel, split nut fasteners and back. Now I don’t want to get too hung up on the look of these saws because let’s face it- its about the function and not the from right? Well that said, it’s impossible not to look at this thing and say- ‘Wow!’ Absolutely beautiful combination of materials.

The walnut is perfectly formed and finished and in combination with the stainless fittings draws this very traditional shape well into the present. Think a modern design for an undeniably vintage feel. This blend of walnut and stainless is without question my top pick for hand saw aesthetics.

Now if I can get past how great it looks I can honestly say it functions about twice that amount…really- this particular saw came filed x-cut at 13tpi and it cut so fast yet so smooth it was absolutely amazing.

Now when I say fast I mean ‘this saw cuts fast!’

I tried it out on some 3/4″ hardwood stock  and literally six strokes and I was through it…that’s fast in my book and if you know me you know I’m not a speed freak when it comes to hand tools. For small cabinet making, things like frame and panel doors this saw will get the job done in a hurry.

The second 12″ carcase saw came with a figured cherry handle and Gunsmith-blued fasteners and back. Again as far as aesthetics go it looks friggin’ awesome -( but my personal choice is still the walnut and stainless! ; )

So this second 12″ carcase saw came filed at 14tpi and to most people that probably doesn’t sound like much of a difference but it really is in use and in feel. Especially when starting a cut you’ll immediately notice a difference. The slight change from 13 to 14 tpi makes a saw that cuts slightly slower but leaves an incredibly fine kerf. I tried it through some quarter sawn white oak I still had lying around from the door build last year and I swear you’d almost be able to leave the sawn edge out on a piece of furniture!

Cherry handle with Gunsmith Blued fasteners and back- another combination available from Bad Axe.

Seriously- the saw marks were so fine in the end grain of the oak it almost looked like I had taken a plane or chisel to it after I cut it. I imagine someone who wants a saw that starts very-very smoothly without that initial bite you get from the coarser tooth pattern than this one would be the way to go. If you don’t mind a bit of a ‘bite’ to get going and want to saw through boards like you had but a few hours left to live, then go for the coarser tooth in the 13 tpi.

These saws come with all of the options mentioned above and you can customize them to suite your own styles and tastes. For a back saw of this quality for under $200. dollars ? I don’t think you can go wrong.

14″ Sash/Medium Tenon Saw-

Another new offering for 2010- the 14″ sash saw is able to cut to a depth of 3 5/8″. Now for 99% of furniture makers out there that’s all you’re ever going to need. This isn’t what I’d consider a ’small’ saw by any means but it still feels much lighter and manageable in hand than the big 16 and 18″ models. If you’ve followed my blogs over the past year you’ll know how much I use and enjoy my big 16″ ‘Jack saw’ . I used it exclusively when I built my sharpening bench in that nasty Ipe wood this past winter. Now when I say I used it exclusively I mean I used it for all of the cross cuts (it’s filed x-cut at 12 tpi) and for all of the rip cuts as well- hence the nick name ‘the Jack Saw’.

So I know many of you think or thought I must be crazy for using a saw of this size for most of my work and can understand why some wood workers may feel this size too much to handle. Well here comes the answer for you non-conformists out there! The 14″ Sash saw filed X-cut is basically a smaller version of my favorite saw on the market- I guess we can call it the ‘Jack Jr.’

I often get emails from people asking that age ‘ol question-” If I only buy one saw then what should it be?”- well let me honestly say that this is the answer. A back saw filed cross cut but rips as good if not better than some of my dedicated rip saws from other manufacturers. I’m certainly not trying to slag or dis-respect any other hand saw manufacturers out there but the proof is in the pudding and these saws are filed so sharp and cut so straight that once you finally get them in your hand you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about. The models I have been using this week are filed 12 and 13 tpi respectively and one came tricked out in walnut and the other in cherry.

Whether you’re a cabinet maker or a boat builder, a luthier or a timber framer, I can’t imagine why anyone serious about wood working hasn’t made the investment. It’ll be the last saw you’ll need but I ‘m damn sure you won’t stop at just one.

Again, like all of the Bad Axe line you can add your own ‘flava of bling’ to the equation and make these things look like you could be sawing in a night club somewhere! All joking aside, these are truly incredible saws and I promise you you’ll never regret the day you place your order with Mark. In fact, you’d better get in line fast because I think he may be getting back-logged; once people start using these things they’ll start telling their friends and pretty soon the wood working community will know without a doubt that Bad Axe Tool Works is the absolute standard of quality and function in hand saws today.

And damn are they sharp!

Both ends of the spectrum- a 12" carcase saw in walnut next to the 18" 'Beastmaster' in cherry.

Bad Axe Bench Hook with 14" Sash Saw

I’m still ‘test driving’ the really cool items and will fill you in on all the details next week but for now I thought I’d let you see the new and improved bench hook sets.

New and improved you ask?

If you remember my old set of Bad Axe bench hooks, it’s a two-piece set made from quarter sawn red oak and come with miters already cut into the fences so you can get straight to work. The main hook is double sided so when one wears out you can flip it over and get twice the life out of it. The second component of the set is a support rest for working with longer stock. I use mine every day and leave them sitting on my bench top ready for use.

One fine day this past winter I was making some small boxes and needed to plane down some thin stock. I decided to add a thin fence to the support rest portion of my set essentially transforming it into a small planing board. I figured it would get more use being a planing aid as well as the support rest it was designed as. (you know me with dual purpose appliances)

So to make a short story longer…???

Walnut planing stop on support rest.

I told Mark about my ‘bench hook add on’ and he decided to revamp these great work shop aids and sent me a sample that arrived this afternoon. Of course being the perfectionist he is, instead of just nailing a fence across the support rest as I did on my old set-  he made these things ‘bomb proof’ by locking the planing stop fence into a dado cut into the support rest. The dado holds a walnut fence along with a dash of TiteBond III making these things practically indestructible. The two fences on the main hook are also made in this fashion so you can be sure they’ll never budge. I tried the miters and the planning stop tonight and am happy to say they’re spot on.

Well, that’s the news for tonight-better get back at it…in this last shot you can see these new bench hooks arrived just in time~ only a few more cuts ’till I’m through my old ones!

Just in time!

pipers chair in front of war-drōbe...she thinks this may be a good place to live...she's only 4 years old. i think it may be a good place to live too- i'm not 4 years old.

my wife took this shot last night while i was sharpening my saws...sharpening your hand saws is a skill you should practice often~the gramercy saw vise is one for the wish list...that and tom laws sharpening video-if only for the performance piece at the end with the bow...man, i love that stuff.

Sawing dovetails with only the width of the saw plate between them.

Do you have one?

Do you like it?

We use them all the time but how much have you really thought about them?

The length of the saw plate and the tooth count (teeth/points per inch). The design and the feel of the handle in hand…would you prefer a closed handle to an open one? What about a canted blade- what are your thoughts on those? What the heck is a canted blade anyway?

What would you change about the current saw market if you had the opportunity to do so?

There’s an interesting discussion going on at the Bad Axe Tool Works Facebook page and you may consider throwing in your two cents. Why?

Because Mark Harrell, owner, operator and the ‘man behind Bad Axe’ is one of those people that listens to his clients. He welcomes you and I, the consumers to tell him what we like and don’t like in our dovetail saws. He’s asking us to give him our honest opinions of what we’d like to see in his new dovetail saw design due out in late August.

This closed grip handle fits my hand perfectly...

Maybe its a higher tooth count or a closed handle; maybe its just an aesthetic appeal we can’t live without. I’ve added some of my own thoughts on the topic and welcome you to share yours too. Whether you’re new to cutting dovetails or a professional craftsman everyone has an opinion. This afternoon I threw in my own two cents and made reference to an old Disston saw I use for sawing dovetails.

It has a 10″ plate and is filed at 14 tpi. (It’s actually the first saw I filed and set-up myself so I’m almost like a proud father…) I don’t know what the model is but I know that it feels almost perfect in my hand. I recently searched through the Disstonian Institute and was able to find this information. I think this saw was marketed as a small tenon saw but here I am almost 100 years later using it for sawing dovetails. Yes, I sometimes draw the saw back too far and inadvertently pull it out of the saw kerf while sawing and I usually end up banging the end of the plate into my work piece and whisper a few profanities but hey- that’s why I’d like a longer saw plate in a dovetail saw and this is why I expressed my thoughts today on the Bad Axe Discussion on Face book. It has a closed handle and a canted blade and it just feels right and that’s what counts when you use a hand tool as much as I use this one.

With that I’m off to the basement to begin working on a bunch of drawers I’m making for the armoire project. Yes they’ll all be dovetailed and yes I’ll be using my old Disston backsaw…it’s my saw of choice for cutting dovetails- at least until the end of the summer!

For more information on Disston hand saws and history visit the Disstonian Institute.

And to join in the discussion and find out more on Bad Axe Tool Works click here.

Cheers!

Henry Disston & Sons- 10" canted blade filed at 14 tpi.

Mark Harrell has been setting the standard in large scale back saws over the past year and is now ready to launch his new 12″ Carcase and 14″ Sash saws. Made to the high standards we’ve come to know from Bad Axe but this time we have some options-

Cherry or Walnut handles, Gunsmith blued or stainless backs, Brass, Stainless or Gunsmith blued slotted nuts or Gunsmith blued or Stainless split nuts (my personal choice).

Bad Axe 12" Sash Saw

Like all of the offerings from Bad Axe, Mark is happy to file saws to custom specifications or you can order one of his standard tooth configurations.

• 12"  Carcase saw: 12 ppi rip or 13/14 ppi x-cut

• 14"  Sash Saw:11/12 ppi rip or 12/13 ppi x-cut

It seems when any new product in our wood working circle is available there’s a wave of interest and inevitably creates a waiting time; I’ve been there before and I’m sure you have as well, watching the calendar stroll by as we sit and wait so patiently for a new product we’ve ordered to arrive. Well, here we are again and I can guarantee that these saws are going to fly off the shelf and no doubt create a back log in Bad Axe land-  If you’re like me and would like to get to the front of the line, then jump over to the Bad Axe Face Book Page or send Mark an email and lock your place in the queue.

Bad Axe Tool Works- “Your source for insanely sharp saws.”

New 12" and 14" backsaws coming soon.

I own an 18″ rip saw and a 16″ cross cut that you know if you’re a regular here I use on a daily basis. I think they’re incredible tools with the highest craftsman ship available but can understand why some beginners may have shyed away from them. Lets face it- these are big saws! For anyone looking for a smaller scale back saw or for someone who couldn’t imagine working with the larger scale saws presently being manufactured, Bad Axe is offering both a 12 and 14″ saw due out in late March.Buyers can watch for optional fasteners, with standard filings for the 14” saw at 11-12 tpi rip and 12-13 tpi x-cut. The 12” saw’s standard filing will be 12-13 tpi rip and 13-14 tpi x-cut. If these specs don’t suite your work then Mark will happily custom file per customers request. Other Bad Axe news can be found on the new Bad Axe FaceBook page.
Cheers!

This is a real nice set for anyone who would rather go straight to work and not spend the time building your own. If you’ve already purchased a Bad Axe back saw you know exactly what I’m talking about but why not complete the collection with a set of bench hooks? They’re a great compliment to these incredible saws.

Last Sunday I was all set to cut out the scroll detail on the heritage door project so I went down into my shop, took out my bow saw and because I’m sawing a piece of 3/4″ white oak needed to change out the fine tooth blade for my coarse one. The saw, made by Gramercy Tools in New York, came with an assortment of three 12″ long blades: 10, 18, and 24tpi. I needed the 10 tpi for this application. So away I go into the ‘ol tool cabinet to fetch it. Hmmmm, not in there; maybe the tool chest- nope. My other tool box? Notta. Then it hit me as if recalling a distant dream I suddenly remembered the last time I used my coarse blade, way back before the summer came,(so long ago)I was cutting out a sharp curve in some crazy hard maple and I snapped it! Well it quickly became obvious that I needed to order some new blades and did so on Monday. I figured it really wouldn’t matter or set me back any time on the project because I still had lots of fine tuning and sanding to do on the door details. I’d move on to the next step and leave the scroll element for next week when the door is complete.
So that was Monday evening and I ordered the new saw blades, (got the three pack for $11.00…a sweet deal) so here I am going through some of the other door elements when today, Friday the door bell rings and it’s a delivery man with the blades!
Man, that was fast. I’ve gotten so used to waiting weeks or sometimes months for something to arrive when I order it on-line.
Four days, that was all…that’s good service. And the best thing? The courier just handed me the package! I also got pretty used to ordering something from the States and when it shows up on my doorstep I need to dish out some more coin for either the delivery, the customs charges, the delivery guys dying mother…what ever…my point to all this: Tools for Working Wood is a fast, reliable mail order company that has never let me down and stands by it’s products. Always top notch service which sadly, is seriously lacking in most of my other dealings in this world.
So if you’re an on-line shopper like me and would like to get some great service too, then Tools for Working Wood is somewhere you should try.
Cheers!

Every once in awhile a new hand tool comes along and changes the way you work. Yes, that’s usually due to superior manufacturing and flawless attention to detail but every now and then someone steps things up a notch and not only brings the quality of craftsmanship to a new level but actually inspires the work that you do. This experience has only happened to me a couple of times before and has happened again.
A few weeks ago I got a call from my local post office in Cape Breton that a parcel has arrived for me. This was a little strange because it’s our summer home and our mail still comes here to Toronto. I jump in the car and motor down to find a 100% recycled cardboard package sitting there with little Bad Axe Tool Works logos all over it. My saws had arrived.
Back in the wood shop I tear into the package to find two of the nicest back saws I’ve ever seen. Seriously, not the kind of flash and whistles you sometimes get fooled by in some ’boutique’ variety products but a hand saw that gleams of a history somehow brought back to life and is waiting patiently and proudly to work with you.
Here in my wood shop I don’t have the luxury of testing countless saws and reviewing endless wood working products like other on-line wood working writers may but what I do have is two hands, a heart and the desire to practice wood working using only hand tools. Mark Harrell has just made my life a hell of a lot easier by fabricating a product that works so well that you wonder why this level hasn’t been achieved before.
Since meeting Mark through his work over the past year and a half and discussing his approach to saw making it’s no surprise they perform as good as they do. My old nest of antique handsaws he reconditioned last year are still my daily users and have ripped through a pile of hardwood over this past year. Now he has his own platform to stand on with a product that will stand the test of time and take the hand saw market to another level altogether.

Over this past month I’ve managed to put these two saws through some of the hardest and most challenging wood cuts I would regularly attempt in my work and it always goes a little something like this:
I take most of the weight of the saw in my arm and lightly push the saw forward an inch. Then an equally delicate back stroke is all that’s needed to begin the cut. The saw dives (not bites) down into the wood fiber and with the extra length and heft of the plate burns through the wood cutting straight as an arrow. To be completely honest, the larger size did seem a little foreign at first but after 15 minutes of getting used to them I was able to not only cut deep tenons in 2″ white Oak but turn around and rip a thin strip off of some hard Eastern Maple 1/8″ wide. These are not special purpose hand saws…they’re daily users that will make large deep cuts in heavy hardwoods yet still perform well enough to cover smaller scale joinery that needs to be precise and accurate. Think of them as a ‘Jack Saw’ (as I’ve nicknamed them)…especially the hybrid cross cut Mark is making available. I’m not going to get into all of the specs and saw terms here because I really don’t understand most of them! What I do know is I have two new hand saws that will make my work more enjoyable, easier and get far more accurate results…to that I say Cheers to Mark Harrell and Bad Axe Tool Works.

PS.
Please don’t take my word on any of this…this is my own opinion- go and find out for yourself and come to your own conclusions. Do some more searching and read what others are saying- you won’t be disappointed.
For all of the specs I mentioned go to www.technoprimitives.com
One last thing, I mentioned this happened twice before with a hand tool bringing my work to another level…the first was when I tried out a Lie Nielsen hand plane and the second was when I received my smoothing plane in the mail from James Krenov a few years ago. It arrived in a nice little recycled sneaker box all wrapped up in California news paper! Perfect.

Here’s another quick update from Mark at Technoprimitives. He recently sent me some new pics and an update on his back saws. I’ve been lucky to be able to correspond with him over this past year; to watch as he gears up to launch a new business is an exciting thing for sure. From the initial ideas of his logo and etchings to the spectacular medallions and environmentally friendly packaging I wonder what it takes to make this kind of leap of faith into a market that is really a niche to most. I’ve often thought about how Tom Lie Nielsen must have felt 25 years ago, when he first left the security of a day job to begin his own dream…a boat load of courage and a whole lotta love besides the sheer talent it takes to manufacture a top quality hand tool. Then to turn this ideas into a reality, a flourishing business-especially through this past year of economic uncertainties. If Marks saws are anything like the magic he puts back into the vintage hand saws he’s been refurbishing these past few years then I really don’t think he’ll have any problems. Maybe I’ll be blogging about him and all of his success with Bad Axe Tool Works in 25 years from now!
Stay tuned…

I recently had a question about the specs on the rip saw I was using in the Moulding plane/Miter blog from a few days ago. Instead of answering in the comment section I thought I’d do it here.
I have a few old Rip saws I’ve acquired through yard sales and flea markets as well as a new Pax from England. I barely touch the Pax except for soft, green wood outside of my shop…kind of the weekend work, helping out the brother-in-law build a fence or deck stuff. The particular saw in question is the one pictured above; the medallion says Corporate Mark Kangaroo and the plate has Rob Sorby Sheffield punched into it.
It’s 28″ long and filed at 6 tpi. (teeth per inch) I sent it down to Mark at Technoprimitives and he over hauled it last year. Needless to say he did an amazing job and it became my daily user.

It’s the main saw I reach for except when ripping stock in the 1/2″ range. I have another old Disston that has a 24″ saw plate and is filed at 10 tpi. Between these two that usually takes care of my ripping needs but I’m very interested in the new Lie Nielsen panel saws. I have a few other old Rip saws as well but they’re in need of some work. When ripping wood, to further answer the question asked I generally use my saw bench. This is the design by Chris Schwarz published in Woodworking Magazine a few years back. It’s a nice design and a perfect height but I find with the two angled legs I sometimes hit the end of the saw into the lower stretcher…I’ve since designed my own saw bench and will share it with you here in a future post. For small stock I usually just fore go the saw bench and use my tail vise for most of my rip cuts. My bench is low enough that I never seem to have an issue with this method. I’ll sometimes hold the piece in the tail vise and use a hold fast as well on my bench top to keep the work piece stable. I also have a couple of ’shop bents’ as I call them. Basically they’re saw horses that are the same overall dimension as the end profile of my work bench. I’ll use these from time to time when ripping the edge of real large work but this is pretty rare in my shop.
The plans for these will be in my book so I better not put them here…my editor may whack me across the knuckles with a yard stick!
Ripping wood by hand is probably one of the most intimidating things for people considering a hand tool only work shop; it’s time and labor intensive but once you get your head around it it quickly becomes second nature. I clearly remember thinking back when I was first considering a shop with no power tools and the idea of ripping all of the wood for a piece of furniture scared the hell out of me! That said, it’s been a year of hand saws and wood shavings and I don’t even think about it now…assembling a cut list and grab the saw. It actually doesn’t take that long either-another mis-conception I had.

So for anyone starting down this road I’ll recommend a full size panel saw in the 28″ ball park with a low tooth count for thick stock and then a smaller panel saw with a finer tooth for lighter work.
The saw bench mentioned from Woodworking Magazine is a great design and I’d recommend it to anyone but for me and my body type it wasn’t a perfect fit. Try ripping along the workbench too, this is my preferred method but again to each his own…what ever feels comfortable is always the best way to go.
Cheers!

As a woodworker-day in and day out, working with a medium that is truly all things living, I have a hard time not thinking about our planet, our forests and our environment. Not to get all ‘Al Gore’ on you- but global warming, green house gases and my own carbon footprint…we’ve all heard the arguments and hopefully we’re all doing our share to help. That said I just received a letter from Mark at Technoprimitives describing how he’s doing his own part. Bad Axe Tool works is his new saw manufacturing company and I thought (or hoped) that some of you out there may be interested to hear about his choices for packaging his new hand saws. This is a blog link from a company called Salazar packaging out of Chicago, they specialize in 100% recycled products. He’s also working with another company that manufacturers a void fill/blocking/cushioning product called green cell foam to safely and soundly pack his saws- which by the way should be shipping next week!
On this note, I try my best to use reclaimed lumber whenever I can but when buying from a mill it’s up to you as a woodworker to ask if the wood products you’re using are sustainably harvested. Every little bit counts right?
Here is the blog: Salazar Packaging
Cheers!

Fast forward a few months and we’ll be talking about Mark Harrell in another new light, Bad Axe Tool Works, the guy who manufactures incredible back saws down in La Crosse, Wisconsin. I’ve been biting my tongue on this information for the past few months and am happy to finally say that Bad Axe Tool Works is finally a reality.
Finely crafted back saws offered in a larger-scale saw plate than what is currently in most markets. Here are some specs for you to think about:

· Premium-grade Swedish spring steel, .025” thick, with 4” under the back for the
16” saw and 4.5” under the back for the 18” saw.

· Standard filing: 10 ppi rip for the 18” saw or 11 ppi x-cut; and 11 ppi rip for the 16” saw or 12 ppi x-cut; custom filing available at no additional charge per customer request (I requested a finer tooth count, so Mark has increased the tooth count by one for each of my custom saws)

· Cherry handles with a natural finish

· Brass fasteners with a 13/16” diameter sawnut of the deep-dish variety

· Blued steel back

Does this sound as good to you as it does to me? I’m looking forward to getting them in my hands in June and will fill you in on all of the details here…if you’d like to get more information or perhaps place an early order, (before the waiting lists start to pile up) contact Mark directly.

Cheers!

 Today we have the luxury of purchasing pre-dimensioned, quality lumber for our projects making my full size panel saws second in most cases. I still have to spend the time to cross-cut and rip stock, but the backsaws are where the real joinery happens.
I use my Lie Nielsen saws for most of my work but also have a couple of nice reconditioned antiques. One of these vintage gems is an old ‘R.H. Davis Co. and was given ‘the works’ by Mark at Technoprimitives, it’s a great saw and a real pleasure to use.
Over this past year I’ve designed and manufactured thirteen pieces of furniture in my small workspace and through this hectic schedule realised some limitations in my current hand saw arsenal. For example, when cutting dovetails in carcass work I like to use the method of clamping two surface pieces of the stock together and cut the tails simultaneously. When dealing with stock 3/4″ or better in thickness, I’ve often found myself wishing my Lie Nielsen dovetail saw had a longer plate. I absolutely love this saw for general dovetail work like drawers and single board thickness sawing-but dealing with 1 1/2″ to 1 3/4″ material shows limitations. For this reason I’ve been speaking to a couple of hand saw manufacturers and would like to develop a dovetail saw that has a longer saw plate.
I think most people associate a longer saw plate with less TPI (teeth per inch) but on the contrary, the design I think would suite my work best would actually be a finer tooth pattern. The Lie Nielsen comes standard with a 15 tpi or for easier kerf starting they now offer a Progressive Pitch Dovetail Saw which runs from 16 tpi at the tip down to 9 tpi at the handle position. I haven’t yet tried this model but have heard great things about it.
The dovetail saw I’m thinking about would have at least a 10″ saw plate with a slightly finer tooth count, say 16 tpi over the length. The progressive pitch would be fine if I can convince anyone to build one for me! With this size plate I began to worry that the extra length would mean of course extra steel or brass back in turn making the saw heavier. Not a plus when cutting dovetails in my eyes…or hands. I’m not sure how this will play out but I have a couple of ideas in mind; one being a kind of hybrid mix of dovetail saw with No. 9 half back saw plate. This would essentially make the plate the desired length without the extra weight of the full length back.
I’m still in the developing stages of this and need to work more on it…any comments or suggestions are always welcome!
So that’s my ‘dream’ dovetail saw but unfortunately I’d also like a larger scale back saw for cross cutting long miters. I’ve seen pictures of the really large plated back saws used in miter boxes…Roy Underhill is famous for that one, but would like something in the 16″ range. Anyhow, the same thing would apply, a longer saw plate with a finer tooth pattern. For this one I wouldn’t mind the extra heft so I think the back would run full length.

Now here’s the cool/freaky/strange and then cool again-part in all of this:
Last weekend I stumbled over an add in the local buy and sell…it simply read 2 Antique back saws for sale- $15.00 and $20.00.
At that price is was worth the gasoline to drive across town to see them. A friendly gentleman greeted me with the two saws saying they had been sitting in his cottage for years.
Well when I first saw him hold up these two saws I was a little bit like…
“O.k. where’s the hidden camera.?”
I took them home and simply gave them a light cleaning with metal polish and fine steel wool to remove a bit of the surface dirt and small amounts of rust that had collected on them; not more than 10 minutes on each and they were shining like new dimes. The handles needed only a fresh wipe of oil and I’ll re-sharpen them as soon as I can…
So now, here’s the hook, one saw is a closed handle, 10″ back saw with a 1 1/2″ depth of cut made by Disston & Sons the better part of 100 years ago. It does have a small crack in the handle but doesn’t seem to interfere with holding it…nothing a bit of glue won’t fix.
The other has a 16″ plate with 3 1/2″ depth filed cross cut at 14 tpi. It’s by Shurley & Dietrich, a fine Canadian saw manufacturer from years ago. Oh yeah, the little carcass saw, which The Disstonian Institute mentions: “While not marketed as such, the 8 and 10 inch saws make respectable dovetail saws when filed with 14-point rip teeth.” is indeed filed at 14 tpi-Rip tooth.
While not ‘exactly‘ the saws I’d been dreaming about these past few months, (cutting a couple thousand dovetails will do that to you) they are an incredible find. A couple of pieces of history to inspire me, assist me while I’m working wood and educate me in designing a couple of new backsaws someday…Careful what you wish for? I’ll never get them designed now!

Cheers!

I too have struggled with the thicker blade of the coping saw and the seemingly less than ideal Fret saw market that exists; I have yet to find one I’ve enjoyed using…
‘All you saw makers out there better get your gear on! ‘
Now that said I’ve been using my bow saw for the past few months and will probably never go back to the shorter throw of a Fret saw nor the clumsy feel and lack of decent blades for my Coping saw…
The Gramercy Tools 12″ Bow saw, fitted with it’s finest blade, (it came with three, a fine, medium and heavy) is hard to beat. I challenge anyone who has this saw to tell me what coping or fret saw on the market today does a better job at removing the waste when cutting dovetails. Seriously, I would love to know of a well made Fret saw.
If you don’t already own a bow saw, maybe putting it on your-‘list of tools to buy’ is a good idea, you’ll be surprised at how many times you’ll be reaching for it. So a bow saw…when you get one…more specifically, get this one, try it out for cutting out the waste between dovetails; you won’t be disappointed. It’s a great deal at $139.00…actually I just checked the Tools for Working Wood website and it’s 10% off right now! Geeze, like ‘ol Joel was reading my mind!

This is a shot from two weeks ago; the bow saw on the bench in the background was used to saw out the waste in this difficult,’finger-jointed dovetailed’ cabinet I’m building. Tough to beat indeed…

The very first step when building drawers once you have your stock all milled square, planed and ready to go is to determine where your drawer bottom will go. Instead of taking a pencil and drawing in a line I take my Small Plough Plane by VERITAS and actually cut a shallow groove into the bottom inside pieces I’m using.
This leaves no question as to where my drawer bottom goes and eliminates some room for error. Now that I have my drawer bottom marked in I can take my marking gauge and scribe in the material thickness’. This gets me a little closer to a perfect layout. I use the Tite-Mark Marking Gauge which is unique in having a micrometer adjustment system. Once I scribe the material thickness’ I reach for my Skew Block Plane. I use the Lie-Nielson version which is derived from the Stanley 140 making this next step the famous “140 Trick” I set up the plane to take a shallow cut across the end of my pieces following the depth of the scribe line I had just made with my Marking Gauge. This only takes two or three light passes and establishes a tiny shoulder that will help in my lay-out to cutting perfect dovetails. Once this small shoulder is cut I get my dividers and lay out my dovetails on the drawer side pieces. Cris Gochnour recently wrote a great article in Fine Woodworking about this technique. Now once we finally have our dovetails laid out we can reach for our Dovetail Saw and start cutting. When it comes time to transfer our tails over to the pins that tiny shoulder we cut into the drawer sides will hold our front and back pieces right where we need them. No chance for mistakes by eyeing things down through the tails. So next time you want to make traditional style drawers and reach for a dovetail saw, first think about a few other tools that will make this process more enjoyable and achieve far better results.