bow saw blade size

My experience with bowsaws is there seems to be no specific size. My experience has also been that the blades that come with them are terrible. I have made blades from bandsaw blades that have all been much better cutting blades.

If it were me, I would make the saw size what I wanted and make up two or three blades of various tooth arrangements that I thought would be handy and be happy with that. If I needed any more blades I would make them as I needed them. There isn’t much to it.

One more note. If you will go to a service that makes up bandsaw blades, usually an industrial supply company or a sharpening service, they will have end cut-offs they will probably give you. Bandsaw blades come in 100 ft. rolls prior to being cut to size and welded. Usually there is a piece left over after the last blade is made from a roll that is too short to do anything with and they toss it into a bin and eventually sell it for scrap or just trash them.

Planeman

-- Always remember: It is a mathematical certainty that half the people in this country are below average in intelligence!

There are 3-4 places that I have seen that sell blades on the web. Sizes are fairly limited. I am thinking I will just get the parts from tools for working wood and go from there. I plan to buy a number of their blades…

I do like the idea of being able to make them like Planeman suggests, I saw a 9” blade antique I would love to model a saw after.

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

My bowsaws are 22”.

Butcher’s bone saw blades are available in that size and work
very well when re-shaped for ripping for using the bow saw
for joinery.

i made one following toolsforwoodworking but used a 6 inch coping saw blade, all i need to do to use a 12 inch blade is to make a new bar

22, 24 and 28 are all pretty common.

What king of work are you going to press the saw to do? For curves I think shorter is better, for resaw longer makes life easier.

-- Make furniture that lasts as long as the tree - Ryan

What do you need?
Think that is the best answer.
Best thoughts,
Mads

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

Mine’s 18” if memory serves. I bought mine from an Ebay seller and the blade is clearly one from a 1 1/4” bandsaw. I’d be happy to take detailed pics/measurements if you happen to like mine.

-- My dad and I built a 65 chev pick up.I killed trannys in that thing for some reason-Hog

I’d love to get the measurements. Also I plane to make the blade holders, so some close ups of those would be helpful as well.

-- There is nothing like the sound of a well tuned hand plane. - http://timetestedtools.wordpress.com (timetestedtools at hotmail dot c0m)

Don, check this site out….

http://www.toolsforworkingwood.com/Merchant/merchant.mvc?Screen=NEXT&StoreCode=toolstore&nextpage=/extra/bowsawdesign.html

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

Get yourself a couple of Band saw blades (in any length) 1/8” wide and another one a little bigger. You are talking Less than $20 each.

Use an abrasive blade (or just bend back and forth with pliers) to cut them to whatever length you make you bow saw. You can soften the metal for drilling with a propane torch at the ends, or just get a carbide drill.

That way you’ll always be able to equip your bow saw with blades.
It’s what Tage Frid did and as I recall he tortured a couple of wood magazine writers by telling them the blades were no longer made – - because he wasn’t needing to make one that day. And they believed him and wrote it up that way.
I’ve made ‘em from metal cutting band saw blades and the finer teeth make for a smoother cut albeit a tad slower.

-- When the moderator chooses sides, his site sucks.

I came up with this. Project posted soon.

-- There is nothing like the sound of a well tuned hand plane. - http://timetestedtools.wordpress.com (timetestedtools at hotmail dot c0m)

Here’s a link to a bow saw plan from Gramercy. For resawing I use bi-metal power hacksaw blades.

-- Profanity; The last refuge of the limited intellect.