Hand Saw Conversion's?

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humanfish

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Hi all
I was recently given this saw, http://photobucket.com/albums/y120/bad_ ... ion/Tools/
after i expressed to family how much i liked the look of a pistol grip. I think it might be a tenon saw although i am not sure because it is smaller than the axminster Victor brand jobbies we use at college. i used a beer bottle for scale in the photo's but having measured the saw the blade is 9 inches and with the handle, overall length is 14 inches. The blade seems to be 12tpi.
I am deviating. The main crux of my post is that i am wondering whether it is possible to convert a saw from say a tenon with 12tpi to a saw with more teeth and a finer cut ie a dovetail saw. Forgive me if this is considered saw mutilation but i need a dovetail saw having already inherited my grandfathers tenon.
I do not know how a conversion would work, can you grind teeth back in some way? and then start again. i do not know but i thought it might be worth asking you guy's for your input.
 
bad_hypertension":rbt9hq2u said:
Hi all
I was recently given this saw, http://photobucket.com/albums/y120/bad_ ... ion/Tools/
after i expressed to family how much i liked the look of a pistol grip.
Lucky devil; my family can't seem to get the idea at all :(

bad_hypertension":rbt9hq2u said:
I think it might be a tenon saw although i am not sure because it is smaller than the axminster Victor brand jobbies we use at college. i used a beer bottle for scale in the photo's but having measured the saw the blade is 9 inches and with the handle, overall length is 14 inches. The blade seems to be 12tpi.
According to Salaman that would count as a dovetail saw, albeit slightly coarser toothed than "usual", and I'd agree. However I am open to disagreement 'cos I'm only too well aware how little I know about saws.

bad_hypertension":rbt9hq2u said:
I am deviating. The main crux of my post is that i am wondering whether it is possible to convert a saw from say a tenon with 12tpi to a saw with more teeth and a finer cut ie a dovetail saw. Forgive me if this is considered saw mutilation but i need a dovetail saw having already inherited my grandfathers tenon.
Yes. I've done it and will probably join lots of other galoots guilty of a similar "crime" in one of the circles of Hell. As long as it's not a valuable saw, do what you jolly well like with it. And no, it's probably not a valuable saw. The Holborn Viaduct address for Joeseph Buck puts it between 1881-1922 (lucky they moved so often so we can get that precise!) However the teeth look to be in pretty good order, so it seems a shame. :(

bad_hypertension":rbt9hq2u said:
I do not know how a conversion would work, can you grind teeth back in some way? and then start again. i do not know but i thought it might be worth asking you guy's for your input.
What I do, and I'm not claiming I'm right, is to file back the teeth like I was jointing them then I use a donor saw blade with the desired ppi taped to the blade as a guide to the retoothing. I think BB has used a computer generated template with sucess too. Or send it to a saw doc to do. If you don't want too many ppi's even the most mechanised cretin of a saw doc can recut teeth. Probably... :wink: Although they'll probably take the handle off the blade and wreck the split nuts in my experience, so maybe better not...

Cheers, Alf
 
thanks alf, thats a cracking bit of info on the dates of the saw, i hadn't even thought to look =D> . Do you think i should keep it as it is then and just give the teeth a good sharpen? i will have to get the family to keep a look out for dovetail saw of similar style :D.
 
BH

Yes, this is a dovetail saw and I very much doubt that the teeth tpi are original. 12 tpi is more typical of a 12" tenon saw, so I assume that someone converted it at some time. All you would be doing is returning it to its original glory. There - no more guilt! :D

Refiling the saw to 15 tpi rip profile is what you want. You can do this yourself, but frankly I would take it to a professional since a total refile is a PITA.

Regards from Perth

Derek
 
Could we see a close-up of the teeth? It's just possible they are rip teeth already although the angle on the leadiing edge suggests otherwise.
 
For dovetails in 3/4 or thicker stock, 12 ppi is a good choice allowing plenty of teeth in the cut. Just sharpen that puppy and put it to work.
 
Jeeze, what is it with youse guys? Retoothing's only hard work for the file. Men. :roll: No wonder you weren't entrusted with childbirth... :wink:

But as it happens, given the state of the teeth, I'd give it a try first too. Which I sort of said, but very obliquely. :oops:

Cheers, Alf
 
I think BB has used a computer generated template with sucess too.

Yep - although computer generated makes it sounds more complicated than it is.

Just draw the right size teeth, and print it out.

Virtually any drawing software will do.

BugBear
 
bugbear":23ynuza3 said:
I think BB has used a computer generated template with sucess too.

Yep - although computer generated makes it sounds more complicated than it is.
Shhhhhhhh :-$ D'you want to shatter the mystique and rent in twain the veil of illusion? :roll:
 
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