My latest Regan Tenon.

[Ron Bontz]

Just a quick post. Taking a break tonight for a few hours as another machine broke unexpectedly leaving me with out my mill and a lot of work to do on a dead line. Bad word, bad word! Grizzly will get an angry phone call tomorrow to say the least. It was a 2 month old machine. Do you hear that Shiraz?? So a cooling off period is in order. I don't do well in the shop when angry.
Anyway, I was asked to a make 16" tenon saw with a Zebra wood Regan style handle a while back. I prefer the 0.032 plate for the big saws but this is what was requested. So this is what I have. It's been finished for a while. Just hanging around. 16.5" tooth line, 4" under spine with a 0.025 plate. Filed rip, of course, at 10ppi, 8 degrees rake. Between 0.003 and O.0035 set per side. She cuts straight and easy. (Sometimes, I get lucky.) That's it for the holiday season. Have a merry xmas.
http://i1179.photobucket.com/albums/x395/ronb19571/IMG_0487-1.jpg

http://i1179.photobucket.com/albums/x395/ronb19571/IMG_0488.jpg

[Chris Griggs]

That's awesome Ron! Sorry to here about your machine. I know the saw isn't yours, but I'd be curious to here you opinion of the reagan handle. Is it as comfy as its supposed to be? I've been thinking it might be nice handle on a miter saw. What do you think?

Anyway, beautiful work as always. That is such a cool looking saw. I think if batman were a woodworker that is what he would use (except in all black of course)!

[Ron Bontz]

Hey Chris, your mail box is full. I have made several Regan style saws for myself including one similar to this. Mine has a different toe.

[Klaus Kretschmar]

WOW, Ron! A beauty of a saw with a very well made handle and a very interesting overall shape. The shape of the blade heel might look some busy on the first glance but the longer I watched the pics, the more I liked this rather special shape. It matches the rounded toe of the blade, the carefully shaped spine and the Reagan handle in a breathtakingly good way. It's important to try own ways while making tools. Maybe not all attempts will be winners but this saw is one to my eye.

Klaus

[Adam Petersen]

That is simply stunning! I've no doubt to the utility of the saw but to my eye it looks as much like jewelry as toolery and that's meant as a compliment. I hope Grizzly gets you up and running soon.

[george wilson]

The workmanship on the saw is very well done. I would like to offer a few comments,intended to be constructive. 1: The zebra wood's complex grain makes it a bit difficult to appreciate the sculpting of the handle. 2: With several sharpenings,the ogee curve at the rear end of the blade will start changing shape due to loss of height in the blade. This won't happen any time soon,but eventually will your design look proper there?

I hope that the things I leave after my death will still look proper 100 years after I'm gone. They are my legacy.

[Ron Bontz]

Hi George. And thank you. To answer your question. I have graduated to using a cove for the most part on the heel of my saws to coincide with the rounded toe. Except on some of my half backs. It uses a little more steel plate but it maintains a constant tooth line for the most part as it is sharpened. The little bit of plate I nip off at the bottom of the heel is to avoid having a sharp point, hook, at the very bottom of the plate. Have you ever been walking through a room with your claw hammer backwards in your tool belt, and have it reach out and bite a piece of furniture as you walked by? OUCH. Don't ask me how I knew that.
As time and sharpening s, pass one can simply file off the corner. This particular saw was more of an experiment in design aesthetics. I wanted to stay with the flow of the handle as well as compensate for the rounded toe. A transition between the clash of two worlds. I sometimes draw a straight line across the plate starting at the tooth line to see what it would look like after a lot of sharpening as well as looking at actual usable plate height. I hope this makes sense. I am pretty sure there are some loose marbles bouncing off each other up stairs in my attic. Now, If I could just find that darn pencil.

[Chris Griggs]

Hey Ron. What do you use/how do you go about carving out the cove for the thumb?

[george wilson]

It is possible I am too conservative coming from a museum career. I can't help feeling that vertical saw ends are the most enduring when eventually blades are going to be filed way down through many sharpenings. One of my favorite saws is a crosscut that has been sharpened until the tip was left as a very nearly sharp point. I could saw curves for the bent side of harpsichords with it's tip area. It had lost 2" of height over 100 years. It still had the nib,which took hardly any depth of the blade.

I have found it easier to make unique designs in things like my bronze drill,and my "Nessie" shoulder plane,where there will be no loss of metal,and I can still maintain a plausible vintage look from the design. The alternative is to go whole hog and make an entirely new design,like the LV NX 60 block plane,which I like very much. Yet,even it is evocative of the Art Deco period.

[Gary Herrmann]

Beautiful saw, Ron.

[Ron Bontz]

Chris; I use a carving chisel. The palm ones seem to give better control. A cove shaped one. It needs to be very sharp to work well.
George; You bring up some very good points on the saw plate vs handle. The vertical/squared off plates are without a doubt more practical from a functional and economical stand point. It also allows the focus to be more on the handle design. I am just looking for the better of both worlds. Well back to work.

[Gordon Eyre]

You definitely do good work Ron. Fine looking saw you have there.

[george wilson]

It is tempting to play around with saw plates. I'd like to pierce some. but,the metal is too hard to easily cut,and it really wouldn't be practical. Perhaps some tools are made as art objects,and shouldn't really be used? That is a valid point of view,I think.

I don't take finely engraved guns out to shoot!!

[Mike Allen1010]

Wow! Ron, when I clicked on your picture "Awesome!", just came out of my mouth.

I love it all -- beautiful materials with exquisite personalized details, great execution and a unique design that to me screams a premium, handmade tool by a first-rate craftsman. 100 years from now this will still be the prize possession of whatever woodworker is lucky enough to own it.

The Regan tote is my favorite for larger backsaws like this and this saw looks very well-balanced. I imagine it's a joy to use.

Congrats on another unique and beautiful saw and thanks for sharing your pictures. I always enjoy your posts.

All the best, Mike

[john brenton]

I have a problem using tools that are infinitely nicer than anything I will ever build.