Course hand saw for resawing

I'm making some oak and cedar boxes with hand tools only, and I want to res aw 3/4 inch boards to 1/4. My current hand saw takes about a year and a hal f to get the job done, and I'm wondering if I'm better off buying a course cutting hand saw, maybe a 9 pt or so. Does anyone have any experience or ad vice for this project?

Thanks,

Mike

Reply to
Michael
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Too young/small to operate it, but watched my grandfather use a frame saw to resaw. The old shop in England I worked in briefly had them, but being low on the totem pole I wasn't allowed to use.

Lot of effort regardless, but if I were forced to do it, I would investigate going that route. Probably big toothed, set to rip, and sharp as possible.

I recall seeing numerous plans in years past in magazines. Internet has to full of them.

I do know that making things by hand, with tools you also made, triples the satisfaction factor.

Good luck.

Reply to
Swingman

I'm sure others would have differing opinions, but here's my take on it:

For this type of work a rip saw is generally used and the tpi would generally be in the 4-5 range. You need rather large gullets to clear the swarf while resawing... If the stock is under saw 3" in width you could use a rip saw with 6-7 tpi but I wouldn't even try resawing with anything finer as the swarf would all but keep it from cutting. If you were ripping a board to width the higher tpi saws can give fine results but for rough work even there a 4-5 tpi saw would be preferred for speed.

Some examples include:

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or perhaps a rip frame saw:

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Reply to
John Grossbohlin

saw-blade/index.html

John and Swingman,

Thanks for the good direction! I've watched this video a couple of times an d I think I'll make the kerf plane and the frame saw and go from there. The kerf plane is apparently this guy's own invention. It appears to work grea t. I probably won't go for the man bun though.

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Mike

Reply to
Michael

You want a rip saw (or resharpen a saw to give it rip teeth). Me, I'd use a table saw, making two nearly half-through cuts with a narrow kerf blade, then finish the cut with a handsaw (it'll take some planing, too).

A rip saw (backless handsaw type) typically has 5 teeth/inch and no top bevel on the teeth. They're fast and easy for rip-to-width chores, but resawing makes a lot more sawdust per inch.

Pros use bandsaws with rip blades, of course.

Reply to
whit3rd

The current crop of saws are crosscut only. Get an old RIP saw. put a file on the teeth and go for it.

Reply to
woodchucker

What size stock are you starting with? Tage Frid would also have used the frame saw, I'd give an advantage here to the Japanese "cut on pull" design as being where the bowing isn't such an issue as w/ push w/ Western saws...

Reply to
dpb

Here's a video from my old haunt...

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Reply to
John Grossbohlin

The two types of long hand saws - Rip and crosscut. Almost everyone has a crosscut saw - it has teeth that are bent side to side.

Rip saws have teeth that are inline without any set. Wax the saw and let it rip!

The crosscut cuts a wider kerf as the fibers are facing the blade and will bind the saw if the kerf isn't wide enough.

Martin

Reply to
Martin Eastburn

Set in the teeth makes it a crosscut. If you have a "saw set" a tool like a Pliers with a anvil and a press pin that bends a tooth to one side. Move and do every other one. Then rotate the saw and work down the other teeth pressing them off center like the others.

To convert - press the teeth back into line - e.g. press the wrong tooth to the center line working on both sides.

Mart> >> I'm making some oak and cedar boxes with hand tools only, and I want

Reply to
Martin Eastburn

Rubbish, all saws have set on them otherwise they bind when cutting

The set should run between 1.2 and 1.6 of the blade on standard cross cut/ panel saws or rip saws although some timbers might require a set of 2.00 of the blade ( very rare )

You never set greater than this because the Centrex of the blade fails to make contact with the timber properly , makes the saws cutting action rough

You set the saw according to they type of timber and moisture content, hence old joiners may have several handsaws hanging in the shop

Generally speaking the drier the timber the less set is required.

If you need to wax up a saw on a regular basis to cut your saw is incorrectly set or your using the wrong saw.

Reply to
steve robinson

Both crosscut and rip have set

How to ruin a saw , doing that can cause stress fractures in the base of the tooth, if you wish to convert a crosscut to a rip for small section timber you need to re cut the teeth set then sharpen

A converted saw is not really suitable for large scale ripping, the blades are not generally thick enough to cope.

Better to buy a rip saw

Reply to
steve robinson

Agreed. Although Disston did make a 120 crosscut that had no set but a tapered blade "for dry hardwoods only". But it hasn't been made for almost 100 years :-).

Also Martin, crosscut and rip saws are sharpened differently. Rip saw teeth are sharpened straight across and act like little chisels. Crosscut teeth are sharpened at an angle and act like little knives.

Reply to
Larry Blanchard

On 06/02/2016 11:59 AM, Larry Blanchard wrote: ...

A pretty nice explanation/illustration page is at

There are, of course, the specialty "no set on a side" dudes for things like trimming dowels flush and the like, but the general truth is indeed w/ "no set, no saw" 'cuz you'll never be able to push it after the first strokes get the barrel of the blade in the kerf with no clearance -- which of course, was the "trick" w/ the 120; the body was thinner than the teeth to provide, if you will, "reverse set".

Reply to
dpb

Thank you fer the link. Definitely clarifies what you folks have been talking about. ;)

nb

Reply to
notbob

Michael wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@googlegroups.com:

As everyone else has said, you need a ripsaw. Ripsaws are available at the likes of Home Depot or Lowes for a fairly low price; they are crap - the handles are so badly mis-shapen your hands will cry in agony after 5 minutes use (as a rule of thumb, if there's a straight line anywhere on handle, the saw is worthless - doubly so if it's also plastic).

There are a few serious saw makers who offer saws sharpened as ripsaws. They are not cheap.

The third alternative is to get an old saw from a flea market or antique store and sharpen it. In my (limited) experience, about 1 saw in 4 in "ye olde antique mall" is a rip saw, you'll want to familiarize yourself with what a rip profile looks like so you recognize the one you want. It is not difficult to sharpen ripsaw teeth (crosscut is more complex, altho still not difficult). You may find the available saws have had paint slobbered over them by hack artists, but it can be scraped off. A little rust is no problem, it will wear off in use and leave a nice patina.

John

Reply to
John McCoy

That's the best explanation I've ever seen - many thanks.

Reply to
Trenbidia

How old are you steve ? I've been using rip and crosscut since 1952. This is before all of the fancy power junk that splinter the wood.

I know what I'm talking about. Running along the grain is smooth cutting and you will splinter the board if you use a crosscut.

Mart> >

Reply to
Martin Eastburn

Reply to
Martin Eastburn

The rip has more of a wave in the teeth and they are full width. Think of a hacksaw.

Crosscut are extreme bent and are sharp points.

Mart> >

Reply to
Martin Eastburn

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