Frame saws - bow saws. #2: A simple frame saw

A simple frame saw.
part two.

I dedicate this blog to or LJ buddy WayneC, you know why.

This is a blog about making a simple frame saw step by step.

Last blog ended where we had made the tenons for the frame, and we had actually also cut the top of the saw to length.
In this blog we start fitting the blade.
First position the blade and mark with a pencil where the blades top and bottom are.
At the side with no handle the blade shall be just a hair over the saw end.
At the side with handle the blade must be parallel to the crossbar and then you mark top and bottom of the blade.
(I hope that makes sense – look at the picture).

There are many ways to fasten the blade, this is the most simple, a nail.
I will follow the simple road on this saw with no fittings.

First the side bar without the extra handle.
Fix it in your wise and mark a line down the center, it is a good idea to use a marking knife so you cut into the wood.
(Here I use one that is from Korea and a gift from my sister, recommended by my Korean LJ friend Poisson thank you both.).

Saw down the line, and saw a hair deeper than the thickness of the saw blade you will use in the saw.
Then fit in the blade.
It is important that you choose a saw with a saw blade of the same thickness or a little thinner when you make this cut so the blade will be held by the wood (if possible you can use the loose blade for the sawing).
(If you make a saw with no handle then just repeat this on the other side).

Now we go to the bar with the handle.
Put your marks to the face of the bar and find the center.

Drill a small hole through the bar.
The size must fit your jeweler saw blades or fret saw blades thickness.

Now I use a jeweler saw.
(And managed to take a blurry picture of it…).

Mount the blade through the hole.
Saw down to the mark and a hair extra.
Then turn the blade and saw the other part.

Now you have a fine hole where your saw blade can go through.
(Almost magic…).

Remember the crack in last blog…
Well now I discovered it and put the saw under tension, and look what happened!
Learning by doing.
10 minutes later I have made a new, and I got some training, so nothing is so bad, that something good don’t come out of it at the end (Danish saying).

Here a picture of the new saw blade hole.

Now make sure the frame is square.
Lay the blade on top of the saw frame.
Mark the holes of the saw blade.
(The handle of my awl is also made from a piece of parasol).

Drill a hole through the frame.
(I use a push drill, they make no noise).

Mark the thickness of the frame on the nail.
And then cut it of to length.

Mark where the blade meets the edge of the saw.

Bang the nail in.
(Here I use my Sweet little Miss Debbie hammer and send her a thought).

As I said I wanted a little upgrade from the nails, so I bend some brass rod.
Cut of one end as the nails in thickness of the saw and leave the other end quite long so it is easy to get hold of since I want the saw to be easy put apart.

Now I cut a little piece of scrap, thickness of app one third of the frame bars.
This is going to be the tension arm for the saw.
It will need to be as long as the top arm and a little more than the width of the cross bar extra.
(Look at next picture).

Now time to make half a hole to attach the tension string.
I fasten a piece of scrap wood to outside of the end of the side bars.

And then drill a hole app the thickness of the bar down and right in the gap between the scrap and the frame.

So now I can attach the string.
I use a nylon cord, but the string just need to be strong and not too flexible.

At the end of the tension stick I file a little half circle.

Then tighten the tension string by turning the tension stick around until the blade is tight.
And now we have a saw!
(You can over tension a saw, so try carefully to find the best spot. On my Swans & Bones saw you can see a more advanced tension stick that can be adjusted half turns).