The handtool section seems to be a little low in posts so I thought I would bolster it some with a custom built dovetail saw that I built. Like most of my home-made tools, this one is made out of 316L polished stainless steel as well.

For a handle I used Crab Apple, again cut from the farm here from a 150 year old apple tree. The wood is incredible hard, but produced a nice salmon color to it, and is VERY hard!! (Sparks were coming off the bandsaw blade when we sawed it out on the sawmill).

 

To make the saw interesting, I made the saw flare upwards towards the handle; in blade and in the backing strip. I could do this because I tig welded the backing strips on each side of the blade, to the top of the blade. This was tedious because I had to make a very long weld and fill in any voids that were left behind. Everything was then polished to perfection so that it seemed like the backing bar was seamless...and thanks to welding..it is.

 

Next I turned my attention to the saw nuts. These are the typical sex-bolts used on most saws, but of course were turned on a lathe and machined on the milling machine and used 316L stainless and polished. It does not look like much, but custom making these saw nuts takes an incredible amount of time, and is very delicate work since all you see is two shiny buttons when they are all done. Rest assured though, they have very tight tolerances, and there are many machining processes to produce these saw nuts.

 

Then it came time to cut the teeth. Punching the teeth on a punching machine was out of the question because of the tenacity of the stainless steel material, so I did it the real old fashioned way, I took a saw file and cut every tooth by hand and by eye. This was not too bad as I made it a rip cut. Then I set my tooth setter and bent the teeth. Here I messed up because I got a bit aggressive and put too much set in the teeth...but won't this saw rip through some lumber!!

 

I know that because I put this saw in a wooden case that is to be hung on a wall complete with glass front and red felt underneath. Then I took the test piece of wood I tested the saw out on, and glued it to the case. This test piece was incense cedar and so I made a decorative chain screwed to a small sanding block. Should the owner of this presentation tool wish, they can sand that small test piece a little, and fill the case with sweet smelling cedar. This is the only piece of wood the saw has ever cut, and probably will ever cut due to its decorative nature, but rest assured, like all my tools, they are designed to be used. This dovetail saw is well balanced, built for longevity and really does function. The only trade off is the material it is made of...the stainless steel will dull if used a lot.

 

Overall though I am happy with it, as it seems to fit nicely in form and function.

Wow. Wenzloff and Sons, watch out. That is awesome! I wish I could make my own saws. How many ppi? If you have other homemade tools, please post pics.

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Adam Welker
Red Car Construction and Fine Woodworking

That is really cool Travis, looks like you still have time to dabble in wood related trades besides your sheep herding! I admire tool makers, it takes a different mindset and thought. The user knows how to use the tool, the tool maker needs to know the material to make them, what the end user will feel when they use them, and also to use the tool themselves. The depth in thought needs to be a couple levels deeper then the average end user.

Great job Travis!

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John Morris
The Patriot Woodworker

Hope you don't mind Travis, I inserted your pic in your discussion. Looks like you used the "File Upload" feature to grab your photo instead of the "Photo Icon" at the top of your text editor as you write a post. Common mistakes here at The Patriot Woodworker. Someday we'll make if more obvious.

Here is a handy little tutorial on how to load pics in a dicussion.

Uploading Photos to a Dicussion

Thanks Travis!!!

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John Morris
The Patriot Woodworker

Travis, I have a question. Why use stainless for the saw? Like you said, it really doesn't hold an edge well. Just wondering.

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Bob Kloes
www.bobkloes.com

Now that is one awesome saw. Great work and thanks for sharing and helping to in this forum.

 

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Wayne Mahler
God bless and protect our troops that serve so we can be free.

Nice work. Looks like proper orientation of grain direction.

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Good, Better, Best never let it rest
Till your Good is Better and your Better is Best.

Wow, I am impressed. All I do is dull them, I have no idea how to make one.

 

That is so awesome.

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John Moody
John Moody Woodworks
http://www.johnmoodywoodworks.com

Thanks guys.

 

I use 316L stainless only because it polishes up so nicely. You can not tell in the picture, but you can see your reflection in the polished steel. Think mirror-like. It is a steel I just fell in love with when I worked in the yacht industry. That industry is all about craftsmanship and polished up work, so I brought it to my woodworking tool building hobby. And it has one redeeming quality...it never rusts so how it looks today, will be how it looks 100 years from now without tarnish like with brass, copper or steel. All my hand-made hand tools are made of stainless steel.

 

But if you liked the slitter and the dovetail saw...wait to you see the shoulder plane I made. That came out good too...and yes it is of stainless steel.

 

As for the TPI...I am not sure. I filed the teeth by hand so it probably varied. I cannot measure the saw because like most of the tools I make, I just give them away when I am done with them. For me I get enjoyment out of making them, giving them to someone who would appreciate just having them...well who am I to be possessive! :-)

 

And thanks for inserting the picture in the discussion directly!!