Is the spreader bar hinged in a bowsaw frame? A rigidly glued tenon doesn't
seem very efficient in tensioning the blade. Does it work well that way?

MikeWhy wrote:
Is the spreader bar hinged in a bowsaw frame? A rigidly glued tenon
doesn't seem very efficient in tensioning the blade. Does it work
well that way?

The tenon is not glued at all, the ends are free to pivot and tension
comes from a turnbuckle or Spanish windlass.

--
--
--John
to email, dial "usenet" and validate
(was jclarke at eye bee em dot net)

MikeWhy wrote:

Is the spreader bar hinged in a bowsaw frame? A rigidly glued tenon
doesn't seem very efficient in tensioning the blade. Does it work well
that way?

The spreader bar is connected to the uprights of the frame with
a "NON-GLUED" mortise and tenon joint. The whole thing is held together
with the tensioning string/rope/wire.

Deb

"J. Clarke" wrote in message
...
MikeWhy wrote:
Is the spreader bar hinged in a bowsaw frame? A rigidly glued tenon
doesn't seem very efficient in tensioning the blade. Does it work
well that way?

The tenon is not glued at all, the ends are free to pivot and tension
comes from a turnbuckle or Spanish windlass.

It makes much more sense that way. Is there any benefit from curving or
relieving the shoulder to match? I could pin the tenon with a brass peg as a
hinge. Am I over designing this thing?

"Dr. Deb" wrote:

The spreader bar is connected to the uprights of the frame with
a "NON-GLUED" mortise and tenon joint. The whole thing is held
together
with the tensioning string/rope/wire.

A question:

As a kid, my dad described a one man saw with a frame and a 24"-30"
long blade as a "Buck Saw", used primarily used with a cross buck to
cut up brush from fallen trees.

Had a turn buckle arrangement inside the frame to tension the blade.

Is that the same as what you are describing as a "bowsaw"?

Lew

"Lew Hodgett" wrote in message
...
"Dr. Deb" wrote:

The spreader bar is connected to the uprights of the frame with
a "NON-GLUED" mortise and tenon joint. The whole thing is held together
with the tensioning string/rope/wire.

A question:

As a kid, my dad described a one man saw with a frame and a 24"-30" long
blade as a "Buck Saw", used primarily used with a cross buck to cut up
brush from fallen trees.

Had a turn buckle arrangement inside the frame to tension the blade.

Is that the same as what you are describing as a "bowsaw"?

Yes, it's very similar. There are also modern incarnations with steel
frames, mostly sold to cut green timber. The major difference would be in
the cut of the blade, and secondarily in the lightness of the frame.

Lew Hodgett wrote:
"Dr. Deb" wrote:

The spreader bar is connected to the uprights of the frame with
a "NON-GLUED" mortise and tenon joint. The whole thing is held
together
with the tensioning string/rope/wire.

A question:

As a kid, my dad described a one man saw with a frame and a 24"-30"
long blade as a "Buck Saw", used primarily used with a cross buck to
cut up brush from fallen trees.

Had a turn buckle arrangement inside the frame to tension the blade.

Is that the same as what you are describing as a "bowsaw"?

Lew


That sounds like a bowsaw. I have what my dad and uncles called a "one
man" or a "crosscut" hanging on the wall of the shop. The blade is 40"
long and looks like this one:
http://www.traditionalwoodworker.com...oducts_id/3604
except that mine has only one handle.

I also have an ancient bowsaw or "buck saw" as you describe. These were
early variants on what we today call a chain saw. :-)

mahalo,
jo4hn

"jo4hn" wrote:

I have what my dad and uncles called a "one man" or a "crosscut"
hanging on the wall of the shop.

Also had one of those beasts.

If you moved the stick handle to the forward end of the saw, made a
half assed, poor man's, 2 man cross cut.

Either way, there was a lot of work associated with it.

Lew

MikeWhy wrote:
"J. Clarke" wrote in message
...
MikeWhy wrote:
Is the spreader bar hinged in a bowsaw frame? A rigidly glued
tenon
doesn't seem very efficient in tensioning the blade. Does it work
well that way?

The tenon is not glued at all, the ends are free to pivot and
tension
comes from a turnbuckle or Spanish windlass.

It makes much more sense that way. Is there any benefit from curving
or relieving the shoulder to match? I could pin the tenon with a
brass peg as a hinge. Am I over designing this thing?

Probably. Have you checked out
http://www.geocities.com/plybench/bowsaw.html?

--
--
--John
to email, dial "usenet" and validate
(was jclarke at eye bee em dot net)

"MikeWhy" wrote:

Yes, it's very similar. There are also modern incarnations with
steel frames, mostly sold to cut green timber. The major difference
would be in the cut of the blade, and secondarily in the lightness
of the frame.

Thank you.

A couple of hours with that saw was more of a workout than high school
football practicegrin.

Lew

"jo4hn" wrote in message
m...
That sounds like a bowsaw. I have what my dad and uncles called a "one
man" or a "crosscut" hanging on the wall of the shop. The blade is 40"
long and looks like this one:
http://www.traditionalwoodworker.com...oducts_id/3604
except that mine has only one handle.

Thanks. The 15" blades sound like what I'm after, though still a bit coarse.
I think I'll try refiling a crosscut for rip and see. The $110 asking price
for the saw is just simply nuts for 3 sticks and a bit of hardware.

(The Stanley miter box blades are hardened, and likely not suitable.)

MikeWhy wrote:
Is the spreader bar hinged in a bowsaw frame? A rigidly glued tenon
doesn't seem very efficient in tensioning the blade. Does it work well
that way?

I saw these guys at a local antique tool show. Bet you can't make one
for less. Did not try them but looked very sturdy.
http://stores.ebay.com/CME-Handworks-Inc

--
Jim Harvey, Naperville, Ill. Linux person - WB8NBS/9
He who dies with the most software wins.

Jim Harvey wrote:

Bet you can't make one for less.

I don't think mine cost me more than $5 ($53.75 less, to be exact).

Of course, I didn't use any exotic woods, and my tensioner is a loop of
parachute suspension line instead of sailmaker's cord. The design was
inspired by a photo of a bow saw made in the 13th century.

--
Morris Dovey
DeSoto Solar
DeSoto, Iowa USA
http://www.iedu.com/DeSoto/

"Jim Harvey" wrote in message
...
MikeWhy wrote:
Is the spreader bar hinged in a bowsaw frame? A rigidly glued tenon
doesn't seem very efficient in tensioning the blade. Does it work well
that way?

I saw these guys at a local antique tool show. Bet you can't make one for
less. Did not try them but looked very sturdy.
http://stores.ebay.com/CME-Handworks-Inc

$60 is fair if I count my time along with the blade, hardware, and wood
scraps. (On clearer thinking, a simple straight shoulder is adequate and
appropriate at the spreader joint. The blade holder length should be
adjusted to allow a square fit when tensioned.)

But that's all just water under the bridge now. I spent the evening filing
saws and squinting at the saw set. And after all that, can you guess which
saw cuts the best, by a huge margin? It was the 10 year old $10 Vaughn Bear
Saw (Americanized ryoba). I see online that they go for $20 to $25 these
days. With no exaggeration, two gentle 10" strokes across the end grain shot
right past the gauge line in 3/4" hard maple. No chattering, no hesitation
on the start, and left a clean straight kerf with no hunting. It's the one
saw I didn't tune. I'm calling it quits, and laying in a lifetime supply
of the plastic stuff tomorrow. Sorry for the noise. (It's a Vaughn Bear Saw
BS250D. Lowes has it for $20. It's worth a try if you're still hunting for
the perfect dovetail *and* tenon saw.)

(Now, who has advice on Japanese dovetail chisels? The Tools for Woodworking
catalog came last week. Not that the old Buck butt chisels aren't doing the
job. I just don't know whether tonight's message was "old, tried and true is
good", or "Jap cutlery rocks."

MikeWhy wrote:

Thanks. The 15" blades sound like what I'm after, though still a bit coarse.
I think I'll try refiling a crosscut for rip and see. The $110 asking price
for the saw is just simply nuts for 3 sticks and a bit of hardware.

How about the tiny little Gramercy bowsaw for $139?

http://tinyurl.com/3zu53q

It got good reviews though. (And the hardware kit is much less
expensive if you can do the wood bits yourself.)

Chris

Morris Dovey wrote:

I don't think mine cost me more than $5 ($53.75 less, to be exact).

Of course, I didn't use any exotic woods, and my tensioner is a loop of
parachute suspension line instead of sailmaker's cord. The design was
inspired by a photo of a bow saw made in the 13th century.

Took a quick snapshot of the prototype in the shop this morning and
posted it to ABPW. 24" (+/-) of 1x6 and a little less than 24" of 1x4.

--
Morris Dovey
DeSoto Solar
DeSoto, Iowa USA
http://www.iedu.com/DeSoto/