Carcass saw for dovetails?

Good Morning.

I normally use a LN dovetail saw for cutting dovetails. My present project involves lots of dovetails in 1" cherry with wild grain.

I find my LN tapered carcass saw, which is 4" longer, better for this work despite its cross cut filing. In my hands, the extra length seems to gut straighter. I'm thinking of filing it rip cut.

Before I do: I don't see many such saws filed rip. Maybe there's a reason? I'd hate to convert it to rip and then discover it would have been better left alone.

Any input appreciated.
thanks
Les

I subscribe to the principle of whatever works, go for it! In my 70 years (nearly 50 woodworking), I’ve accumulated many saws. For thicker stock, I use my Adria DT because it has a slightly thicker saw plate. But, I also have a Thomas Flinn/Garlick carcass saw that works.

During my obsessive vintage backsaw phase, I had matching pairs of old Carcass and Tenon saws filed rip and crosscut so I could use whatever worked the best.

After right sizing my tool kit, all I have remaining is a LN Dovetail (Rip) LN Carcass (CC), and LN Tenon (Rip). I've thought about adding a Carcass saw filed rip and a Tenon Saw filed CC. Maybe just a sash saw filed hybrid. LN used to offer them this way. I wish they still did. The breadth of their saw offering was huge at one point.

I have a matched set of Adria carcass saws - one rip, one x-cut. Great size

I had the LN tenon saw. but it was simply too big for 99% of what I needed it for, so sold it off.

Since it's your money, not mine, I highly recommend the Gramercy carcass saw - available in both rip and x-cut.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by les winter

Good Morning.

I normally use a LN dovetail saw for cutting dovetails. My present project involves lots of dovetails in 1" cherry with wild grain.

I find my LN tapered carcass saw, which is 4" longer, better for this work despite its cross cut filing. In my hands, the extra length seems to gut straighter. I'm thinking of filing it rip cut.

Before I do: I don't see many such saws filed rip. Maybe there's a reason? I'd hate to convert it to rip and then discover it would have been better left alone.

Any input appreciated.
thanks
Les

---

Hi Les

You may find the crosscut carcass saw too slow rip cutting for 1" thick stock. The average dovetail saw is not too short, but may not be aggressive enough. Your LN dovetail saw should be fine - I would find it fine.

Alternatively, a longer saw I would recommend is the Gramercy rip sash saw.

Regards from Perth

Derek

Before you go full rip filing, how about shooting for a hybrid?

This is one of the joys of having an accumulation of saws. They can be filed any which way one desires.

One of my dovetail saws is slightly aggressive with a hybrid filing of 5º of rake and 5º of fleam, the tooth count is 12tpi. It is a good for rip or crosscuts.

There is a great advantage to buying old saws at yard sales and off ebay. They are usually inexpensive and can then be refiled to use as test saws to find a tooth count and profile that suites for any particular job. Though an actual dovetail saw isn't found as often in the listings.

An inexpensive new saw could be what is called a Gent's Saw:

Attachment 504391

This one was $10 at one of the big box stores 30 or 40 years ago. Google indicates the price has gone up. Mine has an upgrade to the original handle:

Attachment 504392

Though I had thought of cutting off the original handle and making an open handle as is used on other dovetail saws.

After acquiring about a half dozen other dovetail saws there was no need to convert this.

jtk

At 14 tpi (if I looked up the correct saw), I don’t think it will make that big of a deal that it is filed rip. It will still crosscut pretty darn well.

7/8" thick Quarter sawn Ash Dovetails..
Attachment 504426
A Disston No.4, 14", 9ppi filed rip....was all that was needed..
Attachment 504427
And IF needed, a Jackson 12" crosscut backsaw...while sawing them "Half" pins...
Attachment 504428
YMMV...depending on your sponsors....

Well, thank you all for the input. I've decided to file my LN carcass saw rip and try it out. If I don't like it, it gets filed back to cross cut. I'll report back what I find.
thanks once more.
Les

So I filed the crosscut saw rip. It took 3 strokes on each tooth to get the job done. The extra weight and length is just what I wanted. Cuts very smooth. FYI: LN responded that they would do the job and custom file the saw for $75; that was my fallback if my filing didn't work out.

All in all a worth while experiment.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by les winter

Good Morning.

I normally use a LN dovetail saw for cutting dovetails. My present project involves lots of dovetails in 1" cherry with wild grain.

I find my LN tapered carcass saw, which is 4" longer, better for this work despite its cross cut filing. In my hands, the extra length seems to gut straighter. I'm thinking of filing it rip cut.

Before I do: I don't see many such saws filed rip. Maybe there's a reason? I'd hate to convert it to rip and then discover it would have been better left alone.

Any input appreciated.
thanks
Les

---

If you like it, and it works, don't change a damn thing. This whole "has to be rip" is frankly a bunch of garbage. You're making inch-long cuts. Anybody who says it's a daylight to dark difference is full of excrement.

Yep...how silly of us to even think a cut WITH the grain would ever require a RIP Saw.....one NEEDS that 32ppi Cross cut saw to do ANY dovetail work....

Dovetail cuts for furniture are usually a maximum of an inch long in material usually no more than an inch thick and often substantially less. 12 to 15 ppi crosscut is fine. Rip is fine. If you're having a problem, it's not the saw.

I was cutting 7/8" stock last spring for Dovetails..
Attachment 505038
Disston No. 4 Backsaw, 9ppi...Wood is Ash, BTW
Attachment 505039
YMMV, of course....I'm just a hack....