What saw do I need and anything else I need?

[neilyweely]

Surely the hope being the OP makes his saw-horse, then uses it to make something else - maybe out of a different wood?
Perhaps he would like not to have to purchase another set of chisels when he wants to use a harder wood?

As I said, just an opinion.

 

[JakeS]

for the little cuts I will be doing would a Tenon be more appropriate or are they more for even more detailed work?

As I said above I'm not best qualified to answer since I don't use traditional English saws - but my understanding is that the tenon saw is supposed to be more easy to get accurate cuts with than a backless saw because the rigid back keeps the blade straight.

That said, I would definitely advise that anyone own at least one backless saw, because with a tenon saw you'll have a very hard time making 'rip' cuts down the length of a piece of wood or cutting through sheets of stuff - like the plywood braces on your sawhorse project! The problem is that the back stiffener stops the saw from passing further than the height of the sawblade through the material, so if you want to cut a sheet with a tenon saw you'll have to hold it at a very shallow angle, which in turn makes it harder to use and more easy to get a messy cut. Personally for this reason alone if I were to only be buying one saw, it wouldn't be a tenon saw.

That said, if the idea of the back appeals and you want a tenon saw in particular, you can also pick up a name-brand saw like this one from most DIY shops - I know I've seen these in my local Wickes, you'll undoubtedly find similar in B&Q and Homebase as well.
http://www.axminster.co.uk/stanley-stan ... rod715104/

 

[HLA91]

The Stanley Dynbastrike Chisels 3pc Set are out of stock with Screwfix and the ones neilyweely linked to >Here< I will bid on but I cant really afford them if the bidding goes much higher so I will keep looking for them.
For the tenon saw I like this one >Stanley FatMax Back Saw Jetcut 11Tpi 14"< and it is in stock in my local depot for a panel saw I have seen this >Stanley Saws Pack of 3< and funnily enough my Girlfriends Father needs to cut some plasterboard this weekend.
I have the bevel sorted so I just need to keep my eyes out for some chisels

 

[Ian down london way]

I've also wondered about whether to suggest a pull saw as a first saw. I've 3 push and 3 pull saws, and for anything other than cutting off branches I always reach for pull saw first. I think they are safer as well as more accurate and just less work!

off-topic - sorry.

I bought my first pull saw in Japan, a real japanese one - baboo handle and all. Bought my first japanese chisel there too, although carrying it in hand luggage was a BIG mistake (it was confiscated and taken by the crew - had to fight hard to get it back at the other end - the crew were clearly not pleased, as it had a chip in the end by the time I got it back).

You have to love a woodworking tradition that didn't like nails or glue. Just love some of the japanese joints - especially the one way types, where you can't disassemble them.

 

[WandrinAndy]

From the way you're approaching things HLA91, I reckon you're going to enjoy this hobby!

Here's a possible idea for your next small project... It's a very useful StepStool-SawHorse-MiniBench thingy. I'm currently building it as I'm living in my caravan for now, due to circumstances, and am horribly lost without some sort of DIY facilities.

The brown length of 2400x63x38mm CLS timber from B&Q cost £2.60, and the sheet parts were cut square by a local timber merchant from half a sheet of 18mm MDF... It was actually more cost effective to buy a full sheet [2440x1220] and keep the unused half for later projects. I used a hand-saw for the cut-out bits... And will drill some 19mm dog-holes soon. This MiniBench also only requires basic handtools.

I bought my 7Tpi saw for £6.96 and set of chisels for £9.96 from Tesco Extra. The saw cuts beautifully. We'll see how long they last.

Btw, there are some other basic tools that haven't been mentioned yet that will make your life easier at some stage:

- Combination Square set - £10.98 at B&Q
- 200mm Irwin F-clamp - £12.98 at B&Q
- Marking Gauge

Enjoy,
Andy

 

[JakeS]

- 200mm Irwin F-clamp - £12.98 at B&Q

Clamps are one of those things you will need several of once you start doing some other projects. I have a load of cheap Silverline etc. clamps from eBay and to be honest, while the odd one has problems (like the head not being attached properly!) even if you just write off the losses they still work out very economical. They're not the highest build quality in the world and their sash clamps and so on are not so worthwhile, but the F-clamps and G-clamps in my experience are perfectly fine, at least for an introduction to the world of clamping - and ridiculously cheap:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Silverline-F- ... 2146wt_754
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Woodworkers-F ... 029wt_1000
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Silverline-F- ... 27b9d146aa

(If anyone has any idea, though, I'm quite curious what makes the "Euro F Clamp"s particularly "Euro"!)