On Sun, 31 Jul 2005 12:18:08 +0100, Andy Dingley
wrote:

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.

Ah, I'll fill this in a bit- the plan is to make the vertical members
of the frame out ot two pieces of laminated 4/4 stock, with a very
small dado for the blade, then drilling holes large enough for the
bolt head and the nut to sit in the recess. The blade won't be held
directly by the bolt, though the bolt will go through the hole in the
blade for positioning. Main holding power will be the clamping action
of the two bits of wood.

The thought being that a nice flat surface to hold the blade is a
little easier on it, my aforementioned galootish hands like a thicker
handle, and the frame will flex less with a 1.5" thick frame. Not to
mention the fact that with this method, the mortise becomes two
matching dadoes, which is always a little easier to cut!

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.

Sounds like the Frame saw is what I'm looking at- I figure it'll be
nice to use for a while, and then when I upgrade to a good chainsaw,
it'll look good on the wall of the shop, at least.

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

If I have time, I might try both methods out- nothing wrong with the
idea of having one in the car for an emergency.