Kenyon Large Tenon: Freakishly Huge?

[MikeW]

In Chris Schwarz's blog when he wrote about the large Kenyon tenon saw I made him, he writes about the students' experience with it. He made the fun comment that because they were new to sawing tenons, they didn't realize that a 19" tenon saw was "freakishly huge."

I bought the saw below off of eBay...now at a nearly 22" toothline, it is freakishly huge!

Made by Turner Davies & Company between 1833 and 1847. 8 ppi rip. Need to file it up and wax the blade, and I may recess the split bolts and nuts a bit more because the wood has shrank a tad in the over 150 years since it's been made, but that is pretty much it.

Take care, Mike

 

[Colin C]

Hi Mike

That is big :shock:

I think it would be interesting to use and how is it buy the way. 8)

Regards Colin

 

[Paul Chapman]

Blimey, Mike, that's a whopper :shock: :shock:

Cheers :wink:

Paul

 

[Alf]

Cripes, Mike, makes my arm ache just thinking about it. Ideal for "that's not a tenon saw, this is a tenon saw" Crocodile Dundee moments though. :lol:

Cheers, Alf

 

[Philly]

Nice one, Mike! A whopper! :tool:
Cheers
Philly

 

[MikeW]

It is really, really big. Even for me. But it called to me a few times and so needed to possess it [or, is that possess me?].

Colin, I'll use it for large tenons--meaning over 3 1/2" in width to me. I'll stick with the shorter Kenyon for dimunitive tenons :lol:

The usable depth of course well used by this point in time. That's really one of its limiting factors. Another and probably more significant difference is the saw plate is thicker than the Kenyon large tenon. This will increase the effort a tad--though the drop in one tooth per inch will make up for a lot and with a fairly fine set...it'll saw up a storm!

The handle is sized fairly thin and small. It is closer to the size of the Kenyon sash saw. Well, perhaps in between the Kenyon sash and large tenon. But I have been smitten by this latest acquisition. It will be fun to take it out of the shop for some upcoming demos at the Lie-Nielsen hand tool events we've been invited to.

The filing and drilling to fit the bolts/nuts better will have to wait though. I am finishing a bow saw today if I get out to the shop for actual work. The granddaughter spent the night and will be leaving in just a couple hours to go back home, so there's granddad stuff to do. A walk in the park and playground is in order.

Take care, Mike

 

[Philly]

Oh Man, wish I was on your side of the water. The L-N shows are making me drool....... =P~
Good luck,
Philly

 

[dunbarhamlin]

Wow, that is a beast!

O, having been heartily corrupted by this list, harrumph, I may have another saw requirement for you in a bit - have 'mailed you.

Cheers
Steve

 

[Derek Cohen (Perth Oz)]

Mike

If I had seen that saw on eBay I would have thought it was for use in a Stanley (e.g. 358) mitresaw box.

I live and learn.

Very nice saw. Congrats.

Regards from Perth

Derek

 

[bugbear]

Made by Turner Davies & Company between 1833 and 1847.

AT the risk of showing my ignorance, that's a surprisingly plain handle for a good, early saw.

I thought (apparently wrongly...) that earlier saws tended to ornateness in the handle.

BugBear

 

[MikeW]

Hi BB,

Perhaps. It is similar in most details to a Kenyon I have had here which we pegged to be from the 2nd quarter of the 1800s.

In general, saws by this time have horns that have gotten smaller, the details have started to diminish compared to 18th century saws. One item which seems to have held on the longest was the lamb's tongue. This still shows a nicely thinned-edge lamb's tongue.

Though you cannot see it in the pictures, the lower bridge has a nice cut/step in it as it sweeps up to the cheek. As well, the chamfers beside the back terminate via the then common step, culminating into the half-round termination.

Take care, Mike

 

[Anonymous]

Was wondering why on earth you would need such a big saw when I realised that the answer was right under my nose - the door I was making last week. Here it is freshly glued and wedged:

It has an 11 inch lock rail and 10 inch bottom rail which means 11 and 10 inch tenons. Yes the middle is cut out to make 2 tenons but you still saw it as one. This sort of size was normal from the time of the Seaton Chest right up to the early 20C. In fact bigger sizes were quite common - and sometimes for the dado height rail of panelling in bigger buildings.
In other words a very useful saw. Would need tocut 5" deep at least. 4 1/4" stiles were common - ex 9" split down the middle

Here it is being fitted together for a dry run, you can see the tenons:

cheers
Jacob
PS Can you spot the deliberate mistake? :roll:

 

[Paul Chapman]

That's nice, Jacob.

Cheers :wink:

Paul

 

[MarcW]

Hi Jacob,

Nice work, love it =D> I don't know much of how you build doors over there on the insula, but I wondered how you will fix the small windows in the upper frame? :?

Mike,

I see forward finding a reproduction of this wonderful saw on your site one of these days. [-o<

Marc,

breeding out how I can install as much saws as possible in the door of my tool cabinet :wink:

 

[Anonymous]

snip
I wondered how you will fix the small windows in the upper frame? :?

snip

Plant on 5mm cock-bead lath to make a glazing rebate 5x16mm. Got some lovely reclaimed Victorian cast glass for the lights. Will post up picture of finished job next week I hope.:roll:

cheers
Jacob

 

[MikeW]

Nice door, Jacob!

Been a long time since I've done a real door. It's a bit of work. Got a screen dor for our Victorian I need to make. One of these days. Maybe :lol:

Take care, Mike

 

[Anonymous]

Very nice saw MikeW, be handy for cutting a wide dado if the weight was right.

Jacob, nice door and nice tenon on the bottom rail too, that is if the picture isn't telling fibs.

 

[Anonymous]

snip.
Jacob, nice door and nice tenon on the bottom rail too, that is if the picture isn't telling fibs.

Hazewood
Er - what? Have you spotted something I've missed?
That little bit of wood on the left under the door is a planing stop nailed to the top of the bench if thats what you mean.

MikeW
Just looked at your website, lovely stuff. The size of your large tenon saw would be just perfect for a door's wide rails, so I'd suggest that that is what it is - a door makers saw.

cheers
Jacob

 

[bugbear]

It has an 11 inch lock rail and 10 inch bottom rail which means 11 and 10 inch tenons. Yes the middle is cut out to make 2 tenons but you still saw it as one. This sort of size was normal from the time of the Seaton Chest right up to the early 20C. In fact bigger sizes were quite common - and sometimes for the dado height rail of panelling in bigger buildings.
In other words a very useful saw. Would need tocut 5" deep at least. 4 1/4" stiles were common - ex 9" split down the middle

Ellis (Modern Practical Joinery, 1908) shows such joints being cut with a hand saw (i.e. backless).

He doesn't say (either way) wether such a cut required fitting/cleaning after the saw (IIRC).

Really large tenons (e.g. breadboard ends) are cut as rebates.

BugBear

 

[Anonymous]

Was wondering why on earth you would need such a big saw when I realised that the answer was right under my nose - the door I was making last week. Here it is freshly glued and wedged:

It has an 11 inch lock rail and 10 inch bottom rail which means 11 and 10 inch tenons. Yes the middle is cut out to make 2 tenons but you still saw it as one. This sort of size was normal from the time of the Seaton Chest right up to the early 20C. In fact bigger sizes were quite common - and sometimes for the dado height rail of panelling in bigger buildings.
In other words a very useful saw. Would need tocut 5" deep at least. 4 1/4" stiles were common - ex 9" split down the middle

Here it is being fitted together for a dry run, you can see the tenons:

cheers
Jacob
PS Can you spot the deliberate mistake? :roll:

Door and frame now installed and another happy client; SWMBO that is, it's our back door. Nice to be doing it for myself this time. We are now arguing about the colour, the grey is aluminium primer:

cheers
Jacob