I Saw it on the Internet… Blackburn Tools Shipped

[Tony Zaffuto]

If there was truly a market for folded backs, I do know of a company local to me, that could do them. In the scheme of things, my guess is the saw plate is the easiest part of saw making, next the handle and then the back. I'm also a traditionalist, and prefer a folded back over slotted (I have never tried laminated).

[Rafael Herrera]

In Tom's saw making class, he told us that he couldn't source brass folded backs. He has a machine and a thin cutter.

I think it's not quite the same, the folded back pinches the plate to keep it in place. How does a cut back do it? By the plate wedging into it? If the slot is too wide, the plate will be loose. Tom's solution was to use superglue in those cases.

[Rafael Herrera]

I think, from an esthetic point of view, the hardest thing to make is the handle. The right angle for the handle relative to the lenght of the saw, the shaping of the handle, the crisp intersection of the curved and the flat sides of the handle.

If one is going to invest the time in one of these projects, the handle is the part that requires the most care.

Check out these saws, https://www.shaneskelton.co.uk/, way fancier than I'm willing to consider, but really pretty saws.

[Jim Koepke]

I think, from an esthetic point of view, the hardest thing to make is the handle. The right angle for the handle relative to the lenght of the saw, the shaping of the handle, the crisp intersection of the curved and the flat sides of the handle.

If one is going to invest the time in one of these projects, the handle is the part that requires the most care.

Check out these saws, https://www.shaneskelton.co.uk/, way fancier than I'm willing to consider, but really pretty saws.

Those are some beautiful saws Rafael.

As to the "right angle for the handle relative to the length of the saw," my solution was to make a mock up handle of pine and attach a piece to mimic the saw plate. Then the handle could be adjusted for comfort at the height it would most likely be used. It also allowed for checking to make sure the lower horns wouldn't bump the work.

Making my first handle from scrap helped determine adjustments before making a handle for keeps.

jtk

[Eric Brown]

I'll just throw this idea out to you. There are saws made by Bishop and later by Disston that have an adjustable back. The back is really two pieces of steel that clamp on each side of the saw plate. You can adjust to position to turn the back into a depth stop. Another example is how glen Drake uses two brass backs that are bolted together. I have removed backs to re-tension before. The folded backs are not just a simple fold but are over folded to create a spring tension. Think of it also as a shock absorber. Absorbing shock, say from a dropped saw, might simply warp the plate, and removing the back would allow the plate to return to flat. On the backs where it is slit, an adhesive, like epoxy, glues the plate in. Heat can soften the epoxy for removal, but it ain't fun. Matt Cianci will soon have a book out by Lost Art Press. Might wait for it.

[Jim Koepke]

There are saws made by Bishop and later by Disston that have an adjustable back.

My Bishop #10 is my favored saw when doing a lot of repetitive cuts such as dados or dovetails:

Bishop Saw.jpg

One edge is filed rip, the other is filed crosscut.

jtk