On Sat, 30 Jul 2005 23:52:51 -0500, Prometheus
wrote:

I actually grabbed a set of 1/4" bolts for securing the blade

Bolts or screws ? If you're sitting a thin piece of metal on it, make
sure it's resting on a plain shank, not a thread, or else it won't be
stable.

I need to drill / punch my blades because I'm generally making them from
bandsaw blade.

As noted in the original post, I was looking at using a piece of
threaded rod, and adjusting the tension with a nut. Is there some
reason why this might not work, or is it just that the string is
traditional?

That's a frame saw, rather than a bow saw. The difference is that you do
need to have a rigid frame, so that any flexing that goes on is small
enough not to loosen the blade tension. This means bigger, thicker,
stiffer frames (heavier too) and joints with less wobble.

Personally I'd use string and a spanish windlass (stick and twisting).
It's low-tech, but it's lightweight and it works.