Funny how one thing leads to another
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Tagged: holdfast, Pax Handsaws, Tools for woodworking
- This topic has 9 replies, 6 voices, and was last updated 10 years, 5 months ago by George Bridgeman.
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26 November 2013 at 1:48 pm #22313
I’ve not been lucky enough to grab a bargain saw on eBay to date so I’ve been searching for a new traditional handsaw to add to my Christmas wish list.
I have just been reading Paul’s latest blog My Creative Workspace Works, which lead me to search for the holdfast mentioned in the last paragraph of his blog.
Browsing their shop (Tools for making wood) i found Pax Handsaws which are, as it turns out made here in the UK, and are the UK’s only remaining traditional saw manufacturer.
Might be worth an investment… what do you think?
26 November 2013 at 2:35 pm #22316I have a couple of PAX saws good quality saws
They may not be as pretty as some of the US counterparts but still very useable and comfortable in hand and good steel. I only have a 10″ 20 tpi Dovetail rip and a 10″ Tenon 16 tpi Xcut. You will probably need to tame the set on the them to make kurf a bit smaller easy done with two hammer as shown by Paul in sharpening saw video and a little sharpen will not hurt either.
I am thinking of getting 26″ 4.5 tpi RiP saw from Thomas Flinn & co. or good old rip saw on ebay.
Now I’m using my hand saws once again. It may be a very enjoyable investment.
I have a Disston 26″ 6 tpi rip but because the way they are made you do not get a lot of Meat under handle about 1/2″.Dave,
I bought the PAX 14″ Walnut handle tenon saw from thebestthings.com and am very happy with it. Since you’re in England you’ll source it somewhere else.
Personally, I think they could do better on their handles, but that’s minor compared to the reasonable price point.
I think Ken and a couple of others here have gotten them, so they may chime in.
I don’t have any experience with their handsaws, but suspect they’re of equally good quality.
Best,
Craig26 November 2013 at 3:48 pm #22326Dave, I have a 22″ Pax handsaw. Very nice and worth every penny in my opinion (not that I have much experience. My last saw was a B&Q Ā£5 special).
Now I just need to pluck up the courage to learn how to sharpen it.
26 November 2013 at 5:46 pm #22336Thanks for your responses and input guys… Ken. You mention, “For your arm length 22ā³ or 24ā³ will be long enough”. Is saw length dictated or a measure of ones arm length?
Mark, you mention in your reply, saw lengths of 26″. Is that a personal preference, or because you have longer arms? Looking at the Pax saw again, I see what you mean by “meat under the handle” Thanks Mark.
What are there plusses/benefits, of length in the same saw? For example, the Pax panel saw, 10ppi is available in 20″ – 26″
26 November 2013 at 7:54 pm #22348Hi Dave I’m off average build and 5′ 9″
I would want to use a 26″ saw because you get more done in each stroke.
I would like to point out that hand saw not used properly at a bench.
Hand saw should really be use on saw horses about 20″ high.
You should really saw with a downward motion. You can put more into the stroke with less effort. Start at a low angle then work up 60Ė and use full length of saw when ripping. Use some sort of clamping system when lumber too wide and narrow to be held by knee. When cross cutting start low angle then work up to 45Ė.
Using hand saw at a bench you either cutting straight across or in an upward motion when ripping harder to push up then down. The good thing about sawing at bench the lumber is secure in the vice. Cross cutting at bench not as bad, let piece you want to cut off over hang bench and cut across but still awkward height.
Cross cut saws a smaller because you are cutting width I would think the widest lumber you would about 2′ wide and probably on average you would not cut much over 4″ thick. Also use for ply which can be 4′ across but only 1″ thick normally at most.
hope helps
I’m a chippy by trade.26 November 2013 at 11:14 pm #22367At the risk of this thread also leading from one thing to another…
[quote quote=22348]Hi Dave Iām off average build and 5ā² 9ā³<br>
I would want to use a 26ā³ saw because you get more done in each stroke.[/quote]
Would you use all the teeth though? You’ll only get as much work done with one stroke as your arm can travel. This is based on your reach – not your height or the length of the saw. If your reach (from your shoulder to the heel of the saw when holding it) is much shorter than the saw, you won’t be using all the teeth unless you twist your torso and risk going off your line.
I’m 6’2″ and have some 28″ saws but haven’t sharpened them because I’ll have about 2 1/2″ of teeth that don’t get used (and I’ll ground the saw when using it at a saw bench). With a 26″ saw I’ll use most of the teeth (except about 1/2″ at the toe) but risk grounding the toe of the saw in the floor of my shop because the saw travels when ripping (at a steeper angle) further than the height of my bench (which is my knee height). I’ve got arms and legs proportional to my body but my knee height seems lower than average.
George. -
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