Bowsaw design

I like your design, will this be a user, or just a show piece?

-- Carpenter assembles with hands, Designer builds with brains, Artist creates with heart!

good question, definitely for use, but I like all my tools to be showpieces, though few of them are.

Make sure you put as large sized tenons as you can through the accent pieces and tips for strength. Oh and post pics when it’s done.

-- Carpenter assembles with hands, Designer builds with brains, Artist creates with heart!

Pretty cool design

-- W James Brokenbourgh Custom furniture maker http://artisticwoodstudio.com/

Nice design… Now Ya gotta build it and demonstrate the uses for it. awesome…

-- David, New Bedford, ma. www.davidsedgerly.com

so is the D-handle attached to the frame, or just held by blade tension?
how do you intend to insert the brass blade holder through the D-handle? because it won’t fit through the finger hole.
If the D-handle is fixed, it somewhat limits the versatility of the bowsaw, which is rigidity with the ability to move the frame to the side for long through cuts, as well as for cutting curves.
If the D-handle is not fixed to the frame, I seriously doubt you will be able to cut with it, as the pin is at the bottom of the handle, and all the saw frame’s weight is above that point, making it want to turn.

Sorry to criticize, but you asked, and I do use a bowsaw fairly often.

-- Junior -Quality is never an accident-it is the reward for the effort involved.

the D-handle is connected to the pin, I am making my own pins, it’s actually really easy, I usually use a carraige bolt, and make two cuts in it, one down the center, and one angled for the pin, since i cant slide it in like i normally would i was thinking of taking the head off, or just use steel rod, and locking it in brass rivets crossing it, and some epoxy. and i was thinking i could make a notched locking system, so i can rotate it, but lock it in place with the blate tension.

I want one,great design.

-- BarnwoodBARNEY Texas USA

nice design I want one when your done

-- of all the things Ive lost in life i miss my mind the most

I find that when I’m using a bow saw I grip it further up than you have that handle. The weight of the top makes it a bit tippy when holding it low.

Just a thought? Have you used a regular bow saw before?

-- "I'm just a simple man trying to make my way in the universe." -- Jango Fett

Looks like a cool boxsaw.

Great looking design.

-- I've been blessed with a father who liked to tinker in wood, and a wife who lets me tinker in wood. Southern Delaware karson_morrison@bigfoot.com †

it´s looking great on paper but I just don´t feel it will work
so good as you thought it will becourse you don´t use a bowsaw
the same way as traditionel saw
but let us know when you have
done it and used it a coppel of times

Dennis

Sounds like all of the above have stated what I was thinking, but the way you have described your method
of attaching the handle, if the D handle does not work, you can easily replace it with a traditional handle
and still have a beautiful bow saw. Columbus did not wind up where he thought he was going, but he
still had a good trip, have fun making the saw and let us know how it all turns out.

-- As ever, Gus-the 74 yr young apprentice carpenter

Papadan – I’m all for pushing the boundaries and I think it looks great. However, I tend to agree with Dennis that if you are going to use the saw for cutting curves, you are limited to the amount that your wrist can rotate.

I do have one suggestion to do with the tensioning mechanism. There is an alternative to having the cord twisting around the tensioner itself and that is to have the cord twisting around a collar that the tensioner slides in. I think this method makes it easier to get that last little bit of tension. To see what I mean, take a look at the third picture of the Swan and Bones saw Mads made.

-- Andy -- Old Chinese proverb say: If you think something can't be done, don't interrupt man who is doing it.

Just saw that I have new posts on this, so I thought I should update…..

I did build this as seen, except the embelishments are different and I did away with the triaditional round handle all together, and it works great. As for the angle limitations, I have no trouble twisting 90* left or right, and can easily flip the blade to cut the other direction, though I dont like cutting upwards anyway. I actually really like that I can feel the direction of cut since it is paralell to my handle, someone PM’d me saying that you hold a bowsaw by the frame usually, so the handle doesnt matter much ( I guess he was trying to save me some embarasssment thinking I didnt know what Im talking about). So this gives you the same grip, but the handle stays in line with the blade even when you swing the frame out of the way.

I’ll post some pics soon.