Well, given that there are some overly long discussions going on–but seemingly going nowhere–I figured I would post a couple pictures of some finished saws that could draw some fire <g>.
This is a pair of half backs. One a 9 ppi rip, the other an 11 ppi cross cut. Both have 18″ blade lengths.
Thanks for taking a look. Mike
Replies
Beautiful.
Of what wood are the handles?
Rich
Thank you for the kind words, Rich. The handle wood on these two is Bubinga.
Take care, Mike
Very nice !!
Would be proud to have them in my shop.
Thank you for the kind words--we feed off them!
Take care, Mike
As always Mike, beautiful work!
I have watched with much interest over the past year or so as you have embarked on this journey and I only wish I had to ability to start on a path such as this! As I believe you have sons working with you, you all should be proud of the tools you're making and what future generations will seek out as collectables!
Tony Z.
Hi Tony--thank you very much for the words of encouragement. Yep, two sons are working. Today is the first weekend day we've taken off in some time and the shop feels empty!
I printed out your message and tacked it up for them to find.
Thank you again. Mike
Mike- delightful. Is there more to be told about the shape?And how are you cutting the teeth?
Also, why are you not etching your logo /design onto these blades- would be the final icing on the cake?
Philip Marcou
Edited 6/25/2006 7:01 am by philip
Edited 6/25/2006 7:02 am by philip
Hi Philip--thank you for the kind words!
The shape of these is our spin on the Disston et al half-backs, so termed for the short brass stiffener added. Just that little brass back adds much to the stiffness of the blade. The teeth are punched in via a retoother.
I have gone around and around on whether to use a medallion, an etch or both. We have decided that if we can redily impress a medallion, that is what we are going to use. Except, that is, on the historical saws, such as the Kenyon saws as found in the Seaton chest [see attached].
There were six saws in the Seaton chest, we currently are reproducing them for various individuals. The attachment is of the large tenon--19" blade length! 10 ppi rip. The handle is German Beech.
Thank you, and take care, Mike
Thanks for the picture Mike.
I reckon your best saws should have both etching and a medallion. I don't know if you are familiar with Spear and Jackson there, but I show one of my Spear&Jackson handles with their medallion . I got the saw new about 40years ago-more recent saws of theirs have an el cheapo version if one is lucky. I can't understand the thinking.....Philip Marcou
Hi Philip,
Attached is a pic of a S&J medallion from one of my favorite S&J rip saws.
Lovely old saw. 4 1/2 ppi, progressive ppi. This is akin to what we are trying to accomplish.
As for cheapening things, well, it is the way over time. I hope it never, ever, happens with us.
Take care, Mike
Phillip,
I only have one Spear and Jackson, a 12 TPI "grand Master" panel saw. I love this saw but it has had a few mishaps. Do you have any idea where I might source a replacement medallion? most of the threaded part of the original has broken off and I am loath to use anything like epoxy to repair.
Is this company still producing saws? I can find their web site but these days it seems devoted to gardening tools - what a waste.
dave
Is this company still producing saws? I can find their web site but these days it seems devoted to gardening tools - what a waste.
Yep, S&J still produce handsaws...
http://www.woodcraft.com/family.aspx?FamilyID=5365
It's still a waste.
http://www.wenzloffandsons.com/saws/seaton/kenyon_cc_panel_0004.JPG
Take care, Mike
Thats what I said - gardening tools :-)
Actually, I have used one of these at a local wood yard for docking. Works OK for the purpose but completely lacking in aethetics, and you cant seem to do anything with the hardend points.
dave
Edited 7/5/2006 1:01 am ET by Patto
Yeah, probably does work fine. I think the better, readily available commercial saws right now are the Pax saws. Handle is still funky like late period Disstons, but the saws work well.
Take care, Mike
Mike,
I bought an 8" Pax dovetail a few years ago. When I first used it I hated the handle. I am still often tempted to replace it with something like the ones Derek makes. I now know how to hold the saw so that it has become one of my most useful.
Do like your saws, just don't have an excuse at the moment.
Dave
Hi Dave,
Other than the plate thickness being more of the latter years of good saws, that saw can work well, as you know. If you haven't sharpened it yet, once you do and assuming you do a good job, it will be even better. Especially as some of the set will be removed.
As for the handle, well, we've replaced a lot of them for people. I have a PDF of a handle design on a 1/4" grid you are welcome to. It's one which was floating around the inet for a while and I modified it a little. Feel free to email me.
Alternatively, you can make a template of your own design--which is half the fun--or base it upon visual features you find appealing.
Take care, Mike
Yep, as Mike says they do still produce saws, but quality has gone down. I suppose if you contacted the right fellow you might get lucky with the medallion- there must be some lurking somewhere.
The medallion- why don't you cut the stem off, so it is a disk.then you make a brass screw with wide flat head which does the holding work, and you merely glue the medallion to this to cover the screw. Who is to know?
Philip Marcou
Mike,
Those saws are beautiful, very nice work. Do you make the saws for a living or just as a hobby?
Best of luck..
Hi--thank you for the compliment!
We make them for a living and for the pure enjoyment.
Take care, Mike
Mike,
Pretty work. Very nice indeed.
Regards,
Ray Pine
Many thanks for the kind words, Ray!
Take care, Mike
This caliber of saw damands a Great medalion, or etched blade or both. How else in 50 years can someone sell it for $500 from the renowned saw maker. Work Safe, Count to 10 when your done for the day !!
Bruce S.
Thank you for the kind, generous words, Bruce!
There is something in the works for marking the saws and the other tools which we will have.
Take care, Mike
very nice looking saws...
what type of steel do you use in your baldes? is this recycled from old saws or new?
what is the price range for your saws? how much for the ones in your original post?
Hi,
A link to my web site with pricing is in my profile...and is below my signature in this post.
I thank you for your interest. The steel is new 1095 spring steel.
Take care, Mike
http://www.wenzloffandsons.com/saws/index.html
very nice...
any type of warranty?
Hi,
Materials and workmanship for the life of the tool. Dissatisfaction for any reason and the tool can be returned within 30 days for a full refund. An explanation as to a return helps us better serve others.
Return packaging needs to be adequate to protect the tool from damage in transit.
Thank you for your interest.
Take care, Mike
quality handmade saws with a lifetime warranty...are my eyes deceiving me...
so many options...let me figure out what i want and you'll be hearing from me...
what is your wait like at this point in time???
Before you heap too much praise on us for the warranty, it is a standard one among new tool makers--I just wanted to point that out for clarity. For instance, TLN's and Adria's is the same/similar I believe.
As well, there have been three times I have made a saw cut too aggressively for the intended use and or the primary wood being used [trust me, cutting Jatoba is different than soft Maple!]. It is simple. Return it and I will make it less so for no charge.
We are about 2 weeks out prior to beginning an order, though we are running a little behind projected fulfillment right now--we took the entire weekend off. Felt good on the one hand and causes me stress on the other.
Take care, Mike
Mike I am interested in the crosscut saw shown within. How do I contact you to discuss?
Michael Brady
Hi Michael--thank you.
Contact info is:
Mike WenzloffWenzloff & Sons2120 17th AvenueForest Grove, OR 97116
[email protected]
http://www.wenzloffandsons.com/saws/index.html
503-359-4191
I just got caught up reading all the post on this forum. Nice work with the saws, Mike. I hope you and your sons enjoy success in your venture.
Regards...
SARGE..g47
Thank you, Sarge!
Thank you for putting meaning into this day we celebrate.
Take care, Mike
Mike,
I wonder if I can use this thread to ask you about the attached scan of an extract from the saw section of Graham Blackburn's Traditional Handtools book. Have you ever come across, made or considered making a saw of the type illustrated?
I can imagine an adaption, where the brass "back" is fixed in the middle of the double blade but the handle has a 3-point fixing with 5 holes in the blade end, to allow the handle angle to be changed when the saw is reversed.
Or is this design fundamentally flawed?
Lataxe the curious.
Wait 5 minutes...
Here's the Bishop version, the first I believe. The original patent was to Wuest, who made a version sans back for less than a year, sold the patent to Bishop. Bishop made the saw also sans a back for less than another year. Wuest then patented the movable back and also sold it to Bishop, who in turn added the back.
I find them very useful. Especially for dados and sliding DT housings. I have also used mine for lap joints.
Here's one we are currently making for someone, along with my Bishop [I also have the first two, the Wuest and the unbacked Bishop]. I use the Wuest for a small and handy bench saw. 9 ppi rip, 13 cc.
http://www.wenzloffandsons.com/saws/temp/bishop_0001.jpg
Take care, Mike
Edited 7/5/2006 5:19 pm by mwenz
Mike,
I wonder what else you've got in that Big Saw Cupboard....?
So, what thoughts do you have about the possibilty/advisability of making a similar saw but one with a fixed "back" (fixed equidistant from both blades) with a handle that can change angles and be locked securely (ie through more than the single hole with that wing nut thing) when the saw is flipped?
I'm imagining a tenon (or perhaps even a dovetail) saw with crosscut teeth on one blade and rip teeth on the other. For M&T, this might be convenient, as both types of cut must always be needed per tenon. (Less useful with dovetails, which are mostly ripped, apart from the pin sockets in aprons for dovetailed drawer runners and the like).
Such a saw might be a little heavier-per-length than an equivalent single-bladed saw but perhaps not significantly heavier?
Why, it might even be cheaper than buying two saws of equivalent function! :-)
Lataxe, looking for a bargain
I wonder what else you've got in that Big Saw Cupboard....?
There's a few more things, like ...
The original Wuest and initial Bishop had a uni-handle that can be rotated up and or down as one chooses which side to cut with. Not a very comfy handle, as Blackburn notes. I would go so far as to say it's not a great idea for everyday work.
The Bishop with the adjustable back in that picture can actually have the handle flipped over in a matter of seconds. I think that is the compromise of having a single saw.
But we keep trying to make a truly good uni-handle because it would make the double-sided saw more readily useful.
For now we'll reproduce the Bishop for people which accept, like I do, that the short amount of time it takes to flip the handle is ok.
Well I came in for more coffee--I'll think about the other idea and respond later.
Take care, Mike
Boy oh Boy, did'nt know you frequented Knots Mike,I haven't been over hear in a long time,nice to see they appreciate well made saws here as well, Len
This forum post is now archived. Commenting has been disabled