Saw Vice

[MattMoore]

Hi all,
After viewing the video's on saw sharpening from a recent thread, I have been spurred on to try my hand at saw sharpening.
I found some plans online, and modified them slightly to make it a bit more substantial. Below is a few pics that I thought you might like to see.

It's made from sapele, with oak jaws.
SO far I have sharpened a few back saws with reasonable success.
However, there seems to be some vibration coming from the saw when I get to the extreme ends of the vice.
Both jaws are straight and square, I have since taken a small amount of material away from the bottom of the jaw, to try and help the clamping at the top of the jaw instead of the bottom.
this has helped to a degree, but hasnt solved the problem.
do any of you have an idea as to what I can do to rectify this issue?
I filed an old backsaw to a rip tooth instead of cross cut, and thought I would post the first set of dovetails with the newly configured saw...

Cheers,
Matt

 

[PowerTool]

Hi Matt - can't see any pictures.
Have also tried pasting the URL into the browser - still doesn't work

Andrew

 

[MattMoore]

hmmm how strange, I can see the pictures perfectly?
I usually dont have problems with darkerpichost,
anyone else who cant see it?

 

[DaveL]

Hi Matt,

Well I can see the pictures, so no idea whats going on there! 8-[

That vice looks very useful, yet more tuits required. :roll:

The 'Test' dovetail looks to be spot on, so how many have you cut before?

 

[MattMoore]

The vice has been very good so far,
WHen i make the MK2 model, I will post a tuit then.
To be perfectly honest, thats the 4th set of dovetails I have ever cut,
I have been using a couple oh jigs, next time I do some I will show the jigs in use..

Cheers

Matt

 

[stewart]

nice work matt!
just got delivery of a 99p saw from ebay to mess up with my saw set. Now to make the vice!
Nice handcut dovetails.

Cheers
Stewart

 

[Paul Chapman]

Hi Matt,

Those dovetails look pretty good to me, so I guess your saw sharpening is going well. The vice looks nice

Paul

 

[MikeW]

Awesome DT's Matt!

The saw vise looks like a very nice one. As for the vibration, saw vise jaws are slightly sprung and so grip first at their extremities and close at the center under the tightening.

A problem arises when the vise is so long that the center would never be pressed tight, though. Have you tried tightening both sides to a point of full contact along the saw blade and then just tightening the one where the saw is?

Also, metal saw vise jaws have a very narrow point of contact, and are made to be the tightest right at their top. They do this by angling the inner portion of the jaws away from where they make contact. I cannot tell from the photos if you made yours that way. The point of contact on the vises I have are about 3/16", perhaps 1/4"

Even metal saw vises can have this problem, especially over time.

Another design issue. Companies like Wentworth added a leather dampening strip just about a 1/4" down from the point of contact. Even when the jaws loosen over time, the leather helps keep the squeel down.

Don't know if any of the above helps.

Take care, Mike

 

[MattMoore]

Hi Mike,
thanks for the advice. at the moment the jaws on the vice are somewhere about 20mm, and t the ends about 10mm, i think i will reduce this to 10mm all the way along.
I will see if I have some leather lying about to try that too.


Thanks

MAtt

 

[Jasper Homminga]

Matt

Companies like Wentworth added a leather dampening strip just about a 1/4" down from the point of contact.

That is what I did on my vise, worked wonders indeed.
Although, me being dutch and all, I used a piece of rubber I had lying about rather than leather (dutch are cheapskates).

Jasper

 

[MikeW]

Matt

Companies like Wentworth added a leather dampening strip just about a 1/4" down from the point of contact.

That is what I did on my vise, worked wonders indeed.
Although, me being dutch and all, I used a piece of rubber I had lying about rather than leather (dutch are cheapskates).

Jasper

Hi Jasper! Glad to finally "meet" you!

I've pointed many a person to Leif's website that have wanted to make their own saw vise. Many thanks for letting him post it. The saw vise making community owes you and Leif thanks for that one.

Take care, Mike

 

[Jasper Homminga]

The saw vise making community owes you and Leif thanks for that one.

Flattering as it may be, I really cannot take credit for that sawvise. I just copied what was in the "Classic Hand Tools" book by Garrett Hack.
Leif's site is a great source of information though, no arguments there.

Jasper