Frame Saw Build #1: design considerations - blades

Kari Hultman used a blade from Highland woodworking (one of my favorite stores).

-- Brian - Belmont, Massachusetts

Thanks Brian, that by the way is a panel saw and is huge (but the blade is the same).

since I had to get some other stuff I ended up ordering the blades from Highlandwoodworking after I inquired with them about shorter blades to which they replied they do not carry any but suggested I could cut the longer blades down to any size which I may or may not end up doing…

-- ㊍ When in doubt - There is no doubt - Go the safer route.

I don´t know Purplev
I have both 50 cm , 60 cm and 70 cm frame saws
and you proopebly wont believe me when I said the 70 cm is my crosscut saw …. though for firewood
with big teeth 3-4 per inch but sinch I don´t have a stowe I´m thinking of resharpening it to be a ribsaw

the 60 is a ripsaw I think , and the another 60 is a turn saw with a 1/8 blade …... so
a good thing with framesaws is that they can be used both as a push and as a pullsaw if you want

Dennis

20 inch / 50 cm is a good allround size, and I would say minimum for ripping.
Smaller is for detail work, so if I were you I would not go for the 15-16.
I just ordered a 60 cm / 23 inch Japanese blade for my next homebuild framesaw…
http://www.fine-tools.com/gestell.htm
I did build two small framesaws it was easy and rewarding you can look in my posts.
Best thoughts,
Mads

-- Mad F, the fanatical rhykenologist and vintage architect. Democraticwoodworking.

Thanks Dennis and Mads for the first hand experience feedback. I thought about it and this saw will be mostly for joinery which is why I was leaning towards smaller scale. I did end up ordering the 26” blades (rip and xcut) and my idea is to make the handles and a couple of cross braces for the saw at difference lengths to accomodate different blades. I’ll start with the full length and see how I like it, I can always then shorten it if I feel it is too big. or make a 2nd one.

-- ㊍ When in doubt - There is no doubt - Go the safer route.

I don´t think you want to have differrent crossbracess ….. then you need to rewind the robe
at the top every time …. its possiple but not very convenient as a shoptool
then if you only want one saw its better to have the same length on the blades and just
live with it

here is a few pictures of a big swedish rip framesaw …. loke at the joinery ist much sturdyer
than they usualy show and talk about when people want or have make one and using it
talking about bowing factor in the wood and take a look at the teeth tooo …. biiiig

.
.
.
Dennis

Nicde teeths Dennis.

I think 26 is a good size, and I will also say make a few ir is easy once get started.

-- Mad F, the fanatical rhykenologist and vintage architect. Democraticwoodworking.

oh wow, talk about BIG – nice one Dennis. And thank you and Mads for the explanation. I think I will follow it and just make a 26” saw for now, and if need a smaller version just make another one.

-- ㊍ When in doubt - There is no doubt - Go the safer route.

Any thoughts about making blades from bandsaw blade stock?

-- We must guard our enthusiasm as we would our life - James Krenov

Wayne I thought about it, the only blades I have are 1/8” scroll blade and a 1/2” woodslicer which I am not sure would work well for hand saw based on the teeth configuration and geometry. I think frame saw intended blades are better suited for this job (I will probably mostly use this for joinery).

That said – I originally planned on using bandsaw blade, but in the case that it doesn’t work as well, I wanted to make sure I built the saw based on commercially available blades so that I’ll have alternatives. so for first blade I wanted to start with something ‘off the shelf’ for size. can then always custom fit a bandsaw blade to it (once mine breaks or is retired)

-- ㊍ When in doubt - There is no doubt - Go the safer route.

You might be able to get larger width blades from an industrial supplier in your area. Next time I am out I will check the supplier by my house and see if they have any one inch or larger blades and what type of teeth options are available.

-- We must guard our enthusiasm as we would our life - James Krenov

Thanks Wayne!

I am currently awaiting blades from highland to arrive on monday – those are 1 1/2” wide blades for frame saws. I will post once I get those.

-- ㊍ When in doubt - There is no doubt - Go the safer route.

;-) look forward to see the result.

-- Mad F, the fanatical rhykenologist and vintage architect. Democraticwoodworking.

Merci Mads… same here, looking forward to see the results

-- ㊍ When in doubt - There is no doubt - Go the safer route.

Put the blade in my saw yesterday evening and testet it on a piece of oak, it cuts really good.
Not so fine, but this might be also the hard wood and my lack of training with it.

Here the blade and cut.

And here comparet to my normal 8 teeth per inch blade.

Hope it can be useful.

-- Mad F, the fanatical rhykenologist and vintage architect. Democraticwoodworking.