Old saw new handle…
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20 April 2015 at 4:42 pm #126584
I dropped one of my favourite saws on the floor a few months back, cracked the handle and left the saw plate rather s-shaped. Very sad, but also an opportunity to try making a saw handle, something I’ve wanted to do for a while.
I’ve accidentally amassed quite a collection of saws, so have tried a few handles now and know what I do and don’t like. For me, a lot of handles are too big front and back, and set my hand too square to the direction of movement which kinks my wrist upward.
To solve the latter problem I set a board in my vice at average tenon cutting height, levelled it, stuck my sliding bevel on top and held the blade in my hand at a comfortable, straight-wristed angle. Then for the former problem, I traced a favourite handle grip at that angle onto my blank.
I wanted to rough things out in pine first to make sure the dimensions had worked out, which they did beautifully, and with a little fine tuning to the design I made the final handle in beech.
Happily the saw plate and back weren’t bent at all, as I found after separating them, just out of tension. A bit of wasted time but the saw cuts like a champ now.
Before and after pics:
I had a go at carving a J into the handle for Jones, my family name. A little self-indulgent I know. That’s about the limit of my carving ability, it’s high on the list of skills I’d like to learn.
Another upshot of all this is that I bought a spare saw at the weekend (for next to nothing) in case my efforts went tits up. It’s a Spear and Jackson, not terribly old but straight as an arrow and now surplus to requirements. For the cost of postage (about £3) I’ll send it to anyone in the UK who wants a restoration project or junker to practice their sharpening. I hope this is within the rules of the forum. Pics below. FCFS, post here first so people know when it’s gone then we’ll swap necessaries by PM.
Thanks for looking!
Matt
21 April 2015 at 3:09 am #126611Hey Matt. That’s really great thinking when figuring out the hang angle of your new handle. I couldn’t see the “J” at first, but I think I see it to the right of the handle hole, and as large as the handle hole. Consider it your maker’s mark.
What a great feeling to make the handle! I love the little lamb’s tongue (not certain if that’s the right term) details. Any secrets to cutting the slot in the handle the right width and perfectly straight? As you have many saws, you probably have one with the right kerf and saw very carefully to keep it centered and straight.
21 April 2015 at 4:38 pm #126623Thanks for your comments guys.
Hang angle, I knew there would be a name for it. The J is the whole handle really, the top bar is the wavy bit at the top and the bottom loop goes round and ends in the lamb’s tongue. Just the bit in the middle is picked out with a bit of relief carving, it shows up much better with a bit of raking light. Of course it’s a Russian J on the other side (i.e., backwards).
The slot was actually easier than I thought it would be. If you stick carefully to gauged lines and use your finest, straightest saw (or second-finest, my finest is this one!) you can’t go far wrong, and if it ends up a fraction large the saw nuts pinch it tight anyway. The recess for the back is cut by chopping to gauge lines, like a mortise or stopped dovetail socket, again simple enough if you’ve had a little practice.
The saw plate looks knackered next to it now, I could pinch a trick or two from that brilliant-looking saw restoration you posted a few days ago Matt.
Matt
22 April 2015 at 11:00 pm #126664Hi Matt,
Any chance you could post a picture of how you achieved the angle for your personalised saw handle (that hang angle thing) I have a damaged saw handle that I want to replace and can’t quite get the idea from your descriptionhow to tweak it to suit my style .Many thanks and a great looking new handle. What wood did you finally use to make it?
regards
Ed23 April 2015 at 6:32 pm #126692Of course, see below:
Don’t take too much from the position of my hand, I’m all twisted round to take the photo.
Levelling the board and getting it at the right height will both affect the angle you get from the bevel, but you’ll still probably find it hard to nail down one perfect angle from this method, more a narrow range which is why I wanted to rough out the handle in pine before committing to it. You can see on the pine board the lines from the bevel, registered against the edge of the board, and how the handle profile follows them. You’ll also want lines parallel to that top edge to mark the position of the saw plate, and it’s worthwhile drilling or at least permanently marking for the saw nut holes while you have the reference edge as well.
Thanks, it’s just plain old steamed beech.
Matt
26 April 2015 at 7:14 am #126736Love the ideas on how to measure your hand angle before making the handle. Thanks.
14 January 2016 at 9:23 pm #133915Fantastic will have a go at this when i have finished my Paul Sellers work bench
Ed18 April 2016 at 6:52 pm #136485I’m lucky enough to have inherited – at the ripe young age of 75! – a 10″ R Groves dovetail saw with the most comfortable handle I ever held! As luck, or more likely design, would have it, the two screw holes are parallel to the blade’s cutting edge, making it easy to work out the hang when I make copies for my other small backsaws, which I intend to do. The saw is now mostly cleaned up and ready for reassembly. A small repair is needed first on the top horn.
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