New Closed Handle Design.

[swagman]

Recently I posted a preview of the new closed handle design I have been working on.



The following is a progress update; the handle wood is Tas. Pink Myrtle, and the saw plate is 14" x 2 1/2" below the hardback.

The garnet shellac finish is still in the early stages of completion.



The saw plate assembly has only received a rough clean up.



regards Stewie;

 

[swagman]

Here is a reminder of the handle shape I worked from to create this new closed handle design. As you can see when you compare the 2 handles, the handle cheek needed redesigning to accommodate a bottom rail.

Stewie;

 

[AJB Temple]

Looks very nice. Does the closed handle confer an advantage?

 

[Corneel]

Very very nice Stewie! Noy just the design, which is very good, but also the execution.

 

[griggs]

That is impressive

 

[Jelly]

Stunning work there in both design and execution stewie, workmanship to be proud of!

AJB: I don't know if it does confer an advantage widely, but I know I personally prefer the closed design. I find I feel more comfortable taking a looser grip on the saw which allows me to work more accurately, I find it difficult not to overgrip the handle of a "Pistol Grip" type saw.

 

[swagman]

Looks very nice. Does the closed handle confer an advantage?

Hi AJB. The bottom rail on a closed backsaw handle adds extra support to the lower region of the handles grip. The heavier weight associated with larger sized backsaws best suit the brace advantages a closed handle can offer.

regards Stewie;

 

[Tony Zaffuto]

I really like your version of the closed handle Stewie! To me, everything about it, is perfectly proportioned!

Great job!

 

[RogerP]

Looks very nice. Does the closed handle confer an advantage?

As an erstwhile collector over the years I've had many old tenon and dovetail type saws pass through my hands.
It's was always the open handled ones that had repaired cracks and breaks. It's a definite weak point. Some were made with a steel pin running through it. Of course the ears of both types suffer equally.

 

[swagman]

Very very nice Stewie! Noy just the design, which is very good, but also the execution.

Thanks Kees.

 

[swagman]

I really like your version of the closed handle Stewie! To me, everything about it, is perfectly proportioned!

Great job!

Thanks Tony. Your feedback is always appreciated.

regards Stewie;

 

[swagman]

Stunning work there in both design and execution stewie, workmanship to be proud of!

AJB: I don't know if it does confer an advantage widely, but I know I personally prefer the closed design. I find I feel more comfortable taking a looser grip on the saw which allows me to work more accurately, I find it difficult not to overgrip the handle of a "Pistol Grip" type saw.

Thanks for the feedback Jelly.

Stewie;

 

[D_W]

Looks excellent stewie, very nice proportions, very clean lines. Well done all around.

 

[swagman]

Looks excellent stewie, very nice proportions, very clean lines. Well done all around.

Thanks David.

 

[swagman]

The brass back has been hand shaped; stamped; and secured to the saw plate;

The handle has received its final coat of garnet shellac; and will be left for 5 days to allow the finish to harden up before receiving a final buff.

Next on the list is to file and set the saw teeth; 12 tpi; 8* rake angle.

Stewie;

 

[swagman]

Where the back of the saw plate angles away from the heel of the hardback, a small area of saw plate is normally formed. When mated within the handle mortise this small area of saw plate can cause the hardback to twist slightly as its pushed into the back of the mortise housing. This condition generally causes the toothline to twist out of alignment when mated to the handle. My personal preference is to remove that small area of extended saw plate down to the bottom line of the hardback.

# The above mentioned is based on the assumption the mortise and saw plate slot have already been checked for proper alignment.

Stewie;

 

[swagman]

The saw teeth have been filed by hand and set. I will give the saw a test run tomorrow on both crosscut and end grain.

Stewie;

 

[swagman]

A bit of a tip for those wanting to make their own backsaws. Don't bother checking the tooth line for straightness until after the saw plate has been toothed. Especially if the saw plate has been stored recently in coiled form. What may appear as a slight misalignment along its length will disappear 9 times out of 10 after the saw teeth have been filed. Its also a good idea to lightly joint the top edge and end cuts of the saw plate with a flat file before locking the slotted back into position.

Stewie;

 

[swagman]

Both sides of the saw teeth received a light stoning to fine tune the set. Tests done using Australian Blackwood.

Stewie;

Rip grain.


Crosscut grain.

 

[Bluekingfisher]

Incredible craftsmanship Stewie. it looks a beautiful tool indeed . A real joy to hold and use I expect.

I am going to take the time to read through the entire thread, really interesting work, thanks for sharing it.



David