# Making a saw blade



## sankofa (May 2, 2009)

I want to construct a dovetail saw from scratch...and possibly a frame saw... Ive seen links on homemade frame saws using blades already on the market....but I would like to at least take a stab at making a complete saw from raw materials....

Im thinking that I should use spring steel but was wanting to hear from others who have constructed their own blades if there are any particular specifications I should look for.... hardened...annealed...

Im planning on buying the steel from macmaster carr...

any other advise or helpfull hints would be appreciated.....

thanks.


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## GeorgeC (Jul 30, 2008)

WOW!

You have more skill and ambition than I do. Good luck.

G


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## Julian the woodnut (Nov 5, 2008)

Here's a link to the site that got me going. I didn't start from scratch, but I did joint, then cut new teeth on my backsaw, and made a new handle. I made a small jig to hold the file, and the teeth came out great on the first try.


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## Daren (Oct 14, 2006)

I can't imagine the patience Julian had to hand file all the teeth. If you have a local sharpening shop call and ask if they have a "retoother"...perfect teeth/any TPI you want. You can still set/file the teeth sharp and make the rest of your project...I would just skip the "making" the teeth part by hand if it was me. (this is my machine running)


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## Julian the woodnut (Nov 5, 2008)

Yes, the hand cramps I got from filing the teeth were not fun. If I do another blade, I might just make a few of them and send them out to get sharpened. I'd like to make a few from scratch using 1095 .020 coil steel, and make some bent brass backs for them. Making the handle is my favorite part.


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*A frame saw would be cool*

There are some beautiful frame saws online, can't find them right now but I will try. Heres a link on frames saws:
http://www.hyperkitten.com/woodworking/frame_saw.php3
http://www.woodmagazine.com/woodworking-tools/hand/the-bow-saw/
http://www.traditionalwoodworker.com/default.php/cPath/37_126_571
http://www.highlandwoodworking.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=6044
I would use an existing wood cutting bandsaw blade probably 3/4 in or more, if I were making one, and just drill the holes at each end for the attachment screws. Since it's going to be a pretty hard steel, you'll have to drill cautiously or grind with a dremel or anneal the steel first by heating it to dark red. :yes: bill


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## sankofa (May 2, 2009)

Thanks for the replies...especially Julians link. More information in that link than I have been able to find thru a lot of googling.

Im sorta worried about doing all the teeth by hand myself....but I believe spring steel is cheap enough that I could buy extra material and then make a couple of blades....one to try and cut the teeth on myself and then one to get toothed....if I can find someone in our area that could do that. Guess I could call woodcraft or one of the local sawmills....Im sure there has got to be some old timers around...or younger guys.... who still sharpen saws.

Plus... I know if I get one completed im going to want to build another.

thanks for the replies though....and especially that wonderfull link....

Whatever becomes of this I'll do my best to get some pics and post them on the forum.

Im just getting back into woodworking after a long absence and I want to construct as many of my tools as possible...Id actually rather build the tools and possibly some real nice tool boxes....than any big projects.


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## sankofa (May 2, 2009)

I seem to have lost a lot of my free time as of late.

But... I have been filing rip teeth onto odd pieces of spring steel...mostly spring steel strapping.....and surprisingly the results have been pretty good. Rip teeth are not that hard to file once you get the hang of it....it is tedious though.....3-4 inches on a piece of scrap strapping takes some patience....I cant imagine what 8-10 inches is going to take....to get it all right without mistakes...but I will go thru with it even though my time schedule has been thrown off.

Ive cut wood with those scrap pieces too....and they cut nice.

I was starting to do some crosscut teeth too......have not given up on them but they are hard....lol I dont know about you experienced folks but to me crosscut teeth...especially from scrap...but Im sure even sharpening takes an enourmous amount of concentration to keep the file going correctly on the proper teeth. I spent a couple of hours on some scrap one evening....and I kept butchering the blades when I would start to do the fleam??? cuts..... when I would start to actually sharpen the teeth I had cut..

Of course my eyesight is getting worse....even with bifocals...but still...I believe it takes a lot of patience and concentration to do crosscut teeth... Im willing to try... but Im going to concentrate on rip blades first.

We have 18 gauge steel at work. Ive made a few backs from that and using 26 gauge metal as a mockup blade I think the folded over 18 gauge will make a stiff enough back. Probably not for a deep blade....but for 2-2.5 inches deep it should work nicely. Its galvanizd steel so I will most likely try and lightly grind or sand the galvanizing off with a 4 inch grinder. We have some of those sanding disks at work...the sorta laminated ones....for a 4 inch grinder.... might not get all the galv off but it will at least even out the finish....take away that galvanized look.

I also got a big piece of 1 and 1/2 inch band saw blade from a plant I was working at recently. The teeth are completely gone and while Im not planing on making a dovetail blade from this....later I think it might make a nice blade for a frame saw. Its sorta thick....this was for a huge metal working bandsaw....so I think it might work well for something with fewer teeth....


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