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Woodworking Masterclasses

Wood for saw handle?

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Previous Back to: Tools and Tool Maintenance/Restoration15 Replies

Welcome! / Forums / General Woodworking Discussions / Tools and Tool Maintenance/Restoration / Wood for saw handle?

Tagged: Eucalyptus, Saw Handle

  • This topic has 15 replies, 7 voices, and was last updated 3 years, 2 months ago by Larry Geib.
Viewing 15 posts - 1 through 15 (of 16 total)
1 2 →
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  • Matt Sims
    1 March 2020 at 5:53 pm #651288

    Folks,
    I have a 10″ groves brass back tenon/dovetail saw that needs a new handle.
    I usually do pretty much all of my woodworking in pine…
    However I have a couple of small logs that have been drying for a couple of years or so that were given me by a pal…
    Eucalyptus, from his sister’s garden in north west london!

    Is Eucalyptus a suitable material for a saw handle?

    Thanks in advance,

    Regards,

    Matt

    Settings
    Darren
    1 March 2020 at 6:17 pm #651290

    Hi,

    No idea about that kind of wood I’m afraid, but a couple of tips:

    1. How thick are the logs? I’d say you need 2 inches of wood after you have removed the pith, sapwood, etc.

    2. Make sure you orient the wood grain in the right direction so the handle will have maximum strength. Someone here can advise on grain direction better than me.

    3. I think beech is the preferred wood for daw handles? That’s certainly what I was advised when I repaired the handle on my Groves saw, and it seemed like a good match.

    Hope that helps

    Darren.

    Settings
    Matt Sims
    1 March 2020 at 6:27 pm #651291

    Thanks Darren.

    I think I’m OK on the points you raise…
    Just don’t want to waste my time making it from this if it isn’t going to be suitable!

    I do have some apple wood, from my own garden drying out that I could use, and I know this would be suitable, but
    a) it’s nowhere near dry enough yet
    b) I’d rather use it for something else!

    Thanks though…

    Any more observations on the suitability of Eucalyptus from anyone else?

    Regards,

    Matt

    Settings
    YrHenSaer
    1 March 2020 at 7:53 pm #651302

    It may be very tempting to dress an old saw up in new clothes…… and slow-grown Apple is an excellent choice for all sorts of handles, but British saws of the era in the 19th C. where Groves worked used quarter-sawn Beech just about exclusively.

    Settings
    Matt Sims
    1 March 2020 at 9:26 pm #651310

    Thanks for that…
    But to clarify, what I’m after is functionality…. I’m not really bothered about “authenticity”…
    What I wan’t to know is whether or not the Eucalyptos would actually work? It’s not a wood I’ve used before at all.
    (I made a saw handle out of meranti once… it was rubbish for that!)

    Thanks,

    Matt

    Settings
    Larry Geib
    1 March 2020 at 9:53 pm #651311

    The Eucalyptus genus has an estimated 700 specie, 16 of which are listed in the wood database as types commonly used for lumber. They range from rose gum, which can be soft as pine to White Box , which is harder than ebony. If you have ever tried Jarrah ( a eucalyptus) , white Box is twice as hard on the Janka scale.

    My guess is you have an ornamental if it came out of a garden. I would have no idea which of the 684 remaining species that might be. You will have better luck on a gardening site if you post pictures of the tree in flower.

    But even of the 16, they share lots of shrinkage during drying, movement in use, interlocked grain causing tearout, and silicates known for rapidly dulling even carbide. I wouldn’t use my auriou rasp on it.

    Look in the database to see if there is something you recognize.
    Google:
    “Wood database eucalyptus”

    Or just try it and see. You might get lucky.
    Some Vegas odds are better, though.

    • This reply was modified 3 years, 2 months ago by Larry Geib.
    • This reply was modified 3 years, 2 months ago by Larry Geib.
    Settings
    Matt Sims
    1 March 2020 at 11:19 pm #651323

    Thanks for that Larry…
    I’ll look into it further!

    Regards,
    Matt

    Settings
    Thomas Brown
    2 March 2020 at 10:45 am #651372

    I read this on the internet Uses. Eucalyptus is used for all types of construction, fine as well as utilitarian, light and heavy. It is often made into flooring or objects such as bowls, and traditional Aboriginal didgeridoos are created from eucalyptus logs that have been hollowed out by termites.

    It seems to be a general purpose wood depending on what type of eucalyptus it is. Try sawing it to a useful size and that should tell you whether you want to work it or not.

    Settings
    Matt Sims
    2 March 2020 at 4:19 pm #651410

    Thanks all…
    I’ve prepared a blank from the smaller of the logs, (The other log is about 7″ in diameter and about 4 foot long).

    It looks like it’s going to be suitable!

    EucalyptusLog

    EucalyptusBlank1

    I’ll post back when it’s all done, (though that may be a little while!)

    Regards,
    Matt

    Settings
    Matt Sims
    6 March 2020 at 4:36 pm #652030

    Well, I’m quite pleased with the result.

    RawHandle1

    And it’s now fitted, and the BLO is curing.

    Fitted1

    I had the same issue as Paul in a recent blog, and had to recess the bolts slightly. The important thing is that it fits my hand nicely and it’s a lovely saw that cuts well!

    Matt

    Settings
    Ken Kilby
    6 March 2020 at 4:58 pm #652037

    Nice work on that.

    Settings
    Matt Sims
    6 March 2020 at 5:09 pm #652039

    Thanks!

    Settings
    robdavies
    6 March 2020 at 7:05 pm #652054

    Nice work, love the look of that.

    Settings
    Darren
    7 March 2020 at 12:54 am #652094

    That’s amazing work!!

    Settings
    Matt Sims
    7 March 2020 at 9:23 am #652126

    Thanks all.
    I made the initial shape with a bandsaw, (my previous effort was with a coping saw… but I didn’t have a bandsaw then!), having made a template by drawing round another handle on another saw…

    Then it was just shaping with a couple of rasps; a crude one that came in a cheap set of “files” from somewhere, and then a nice auriou, ( a birthday prezzie a couple of years ago)… finished off with some 120 sandpaper and 2 coats of BLO.

    I’m quite chuffed, and really quite surprised at how difficult is wasn’t!

    Regards,
    Matt

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