This summer, I was given the opportunity to shoot a video for Popular Woodworking. Over the course of two days in coastal Maine, we filmed a video that covers the construction and use of two frame saws; the first a Roubo frame saw, and the second a frame saw like that used by Tage Frid.
The DVD will be available on my website sometime next week, along with hardware and blades for building the Danish style frame saw.
A big thanks to Billy Sims, the producer, as well as David Thiel and the Popular Woodworking editors for making this possible.
Good news to read and I’ll be ordering one when they are available.
Thanks, Ralph!
Isaac
Verry sweet. That bow saw kit is on my list for Christmas! Love your work!
Thanks, James. I love your enthusiasm for this craft, and always enjoy your videos.
Isaac
Well Thankyou Issac! I just love having time in the shop!
Isaac,
Yesterday I read and then watched your video about the frame saw building. I ran out of time to write a quick note asking the all-important question: will you be selling the necessary parts, most especially blades and the connection between them and the handles?
I find that building a lifetime tool is risky when replacement parts become no longer available. I would want my frame saw to crosscut, rip, and scroll. therefore, I have narrowed the blades to those sold by ECE, Nobex, and getting the necessaries for cutting and boring my own (yes, you are on the list for the drill bit, at the very least).
Isaac, I find myself losing physical strength as I age. There are other reasons, but that is the main one I have not considered making the Roubo saw. I live in Philadelphia, and wonder if there is a way to try before I buy. My most limiting factor is time, and I want to be able to simply go into my small shop and rip a, say, 36″ stick into two narrower 36″ staffs for walking canes. Doing it myself is the best option, but the work-around I devised for having a kerfing saw/plane is time consuming. Using tools at hand, I scored a line on both sides of the wood, deepened the scoring with a succession of wider saw blades (including an old stair saw), put it in a bench vise and then sawed from alternating sides down 36″. I’m considering making a superficial starting groove using a V-Tool carving when the corners that have been sawed will be eliminated by the draw knife during the rounding process.
Jeff,
Yes, I will make and sell the blades and the blade holders/hardware for them. I’ll be starting off with two sizes, 16″ and 24″ rip blades. Both of those blades will be wider, and are meant for straight cuts. I’m looking into making turning blades, but there are some additional challenges to overcome with those. If the first ones do well and there is interest in other sizes, I may expand on what I offer. I foresee offering at least the basics for a long time; there’s a bit of upfront investment in setting up to make them, but once that is done, there’s relatively little investment needed to keep on going with them.
You’re welcome to stop by my shop and try one out. Just send me an email and we can work out a time to do so. It sounds like what you’re doing is not resawing so much as ripping; if that’s the case, then I’d be tempted to skip the kerfing saw altogether, as much of its usefulness comes when you have a wide cut. Lots of things to consider, talk about, and try out; if you’re able to make it out my way, I think it would answer a lot of your questions more completely than I can do here.
Isaac