# anyone ever rip with a cross cut saw?



## arigold (Feb 12, 2012)

I'm kinda reformulating an earlier post where I asked if anyone knew of a one man 'pit-style' rip saw (ie. with real rip teeth). At this point, I've kind of figured out that they don't exist.

Now I realize that there are several types of teeth patterns but basically I'm looking to not use a chainsaw (unless, of course, that's all there is to it). Has anyone had any success with one type of tooth pattern over another?

I think I'm going to try to find someone with one so that I can give it a whirl before I buy anything.

Honestly, I'm kinda stunned that I can't find (online) any solution to the problem of making boards out of a log with hand power. It doesn't seem too crazy a question. Am I looking in the wrong places? Hmm...

Thanks!


----------



## Larry Sockwell (Mar 18, 2011)

I tried it once, didn't work very well.


Larry


----------



## firemedic (Dec 26, 2010)

arigold, what size logs are we talking about? What species? Are they green? If the logs aren't too long you may be able to split them as opposed to sawing them. 

Doesn't answer your question directly, I know, but it may be something to consider as it sounds like your looking more for the end as opossed to the means.

~tom "Ignorance is not a lack of intelligence - it's a lack of know-how"


----------



## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

If your intent is to do this by hand, why rip with a crosscut saw. Use a rip saw.










 







.


----------



## arigold (Feb 12, 2012)

firemedic - first of all, those ripsaw blades are quite interesting. i dont know if 5 tpi is big enough (ie. will cut fast enough) but the face that the blade is 27" long is good. hmm.

the tree is a deodar cedar that was cut about 3 months ago. about 14" in diameter and about 5' long.

i've split some big (24" diameter) doug fir before and, well, it wasn't too elegant. also, this cedar log has a lot more knots. a lot. i could see splitting it and then working it with an adz but i can't imagine it splitting good with all those knots.

i might just rent a chainsaw and be done with it. i don't know how they made boards in the old days (besides a 2 person rip saw) but i'm sure they would have used a chainsaw if they could have...


----------



## arigold (Feb 12, 2012)

cabinetman, i would love to do it with a rip saw but i have yet to find any trace of a big one man rip saw. as in 4 or less tpi. and as in like 30+ inches long...

'been looking online for ages and can't find anything..


----------



## firemedic (Dec 26, 2010)

:smile: short of splitting it was sawn... but that doesn't mean it had to be a two man saw. 

I was thinking 5 tpi is a LOT lower than most any CC saw so on top of the already advantage of tooth design... Etc etc

I think you'd be surprised by just how quickly 5 tpi will rip. The other option is a "farmers" saw style of rip blade with a cutting bevel in each direction for faster cutting.

I picked up bow saw blade about as long as me (I'm 6' 4") a little while back. I'll take a look at it today at the shop and see if it would work for you.

~tom "Ignorance is not a lack of intelligence - it's a lack of know-how"


----------



## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

arigold said:


> I'm kinda reformulating an earlier post where I asked if anyone knew of a one man 'pit-style' rip saw (ie. with real rip teeth). At this point, I've kind of figured out that they don't exist.


The terms "pit saw" are exactly that. There is a "pit" below that one man would be in to control one end of the saw, and a guy on top for the other end.
.


















 







.


----------



## arigold (Feb 12, 2012)

cabinetman - as I said up above, I'm looking for a ONE MAN rip saw. I'm quite familiar with the two-man production. Just trying to clear things up...


----------



## BWSmith (Aug 24, 2010)

Just a bit of rmbling here.......I see you're in Oregon.


Study the timeline in pitsaws........where does Oregons industrial development factor in with that timeline.Beats the snot out of me.......but suspect ya'll are after the golden era of pitsawing?We,Eastcoasters usually don't have much of a travel distance to find one....and in alot of cases are original.Just sayin....you might be looking in the wrong places.


We've gone through some computer foul-ups here and I've lost a bunch of contacts and bookmarks........but if you google Willimasburg Va....or any of the historic sites you "may" find some answers.BUT,not always....because not everything,past and present is plaster'd on the net.Some folks(right many here in the mnts)don't give two shoots about no internet....choosing to live unmolested.Again,just sayin your quest for a one man ripsaw may involve physical travel.Start with your local sawyer.BW


----------



## HandToolGuy (Dec 10, 2011)

I just stumbled across an article about a guy who just refiled a one man crosscut saw and turned it into a ripsaw so that he could cut a big ol' Cedar tree trunk in half. 

Here is the link:

http://www.timberframe-tools.com/natural-timbers/rip-sawing-an-old-log/


----------



## arigold (Feb 12, 2012)

HandToolGuy - Wow! That's a fantastic article. In fact, I'm cutting almost exactly the same log in almost exactly the same dimensions - tho mine is a bit longer. Of course he turned a cross-cut saw into a rip saw which is something I'd have to get set up for but that's the trick, for sure.

Where did you find the article? Do you regularly read that guy's blog or were you just searching the web? I'm always on the lookout for good content..

Thanks!


----------



## firemedic (Dec 26, 2010)

Have you looked at these?

http://www.traditionalwoodworker.com/24-Hand-Saw-7-TPI-Rip-Cut-Teeth-Germany/productinfo/521-0600/

http://www.traditionalwoodworker.com/Hand-Saws/products/117/

~tom "Ignorance is not a lack of intelligence - it's a lack of know-how"


----------



## HandToolGuy (Dec 10, 2011)

I was surfing the web one day and thought about this thread and your question and thought that I would run 'er through Google. I got lucky and hit that article on the second try. 

Great article. I love that the guy and his son named that old saw Dusty. I also was blown away by the casual way that the writer just grabbed a file and re-made a crosscut saw into a ripsaw and went to work on his log.

Good luck! Don't forget, we like lotsa pictures.


----------



## arigold (Feb 12, 2012)

firemedic - I've actually spoken to someone there (Eric) who was quite knowledgeable about saws and the problem and whatnot. He said to get a chainsaw. They have this whole section of decent saws:

http://www.traditionalwoodworker.com/Log-and-Timber-Saws/products/308/

But he said that they'd all pretty much not do the job well. Of course in the article that HandToolGuy posted the blogger used a crosscut saw that he refiled to a rip saw (kind of like some of those in the above link but with a different pattern). Speaking of which, given that a cross-cut saw is, in essence, a series of knives (and rakers) and a rip saw is, in essence, a series of chisels, I have no idea how he turned one into the other. But rest assured I'ma ask him!


----------

