Replies

1. 
   DCarr10760 | Sep 18, 2006 08:42pm | #1

   It's called a stair saw or I've heard it also referred to as a dado saw or a sliding dovetail saw.  It defines the cross grain boundaries of a dado so you can chisel or rout (with a router plane) the dado.  Also you can make the angled cuts for a sliding dovetail with one.

   The dados are commonly used to house stair treads, hence the name.

   David C.

    

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   Edited 9/18/2006 1:43 pm ET by DCarr10760 Fixed Booboos :-)

   
   

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   Edited 9/18/2006 2:04 pm ET by DCarr10760

1. 
   Jim65 | Sep 18, 2006 08:45pm | #2

   That was quick :-)

   Thank you!

   Cheers, Jim

    

2. 
   highfigh | Sep 19, 2006 06:49pm | #3

   It looks like an early 20th century rubber band gun. They were more simple then, my most recent one is a 12 shot model with a star-wheel that rotates to load and release each band.

   "I cut this piece four times and it's still too short."
1. 
   EdHarrison | Sep 20, 2006 05:13am | #4

   A semi-automatic rubber band gun?  Man!  I'm always inspired by something when I hang around here.

    

1. 
   highfigh | Sep 20, 2006 05:19am | #5

   I'll post a photo is I can find it. I bought it at a show here called "Toys For Adults" which of coarse, we renamed "Toys For Dolts". Nothing kinky, just goofy stuff.
   "I cut this piece four times and it's still too short."

3. 
   mvflaim | Sep 21, 2006 05:10am | #6

   Looks like a staircase saw with the blade retracted. I saw Roy Underhill use one of those sweet babies on The Woodwrights Shop to cut the side of a sliding dovetail that didn't go all the way through the board. The blade can be set at a certain depth and is stout enough you can "punch" the saw through the wood. He drilled a hole at the end of his sliding dovetail so that the sawdust from the teeth would have someplace to go.

    

   Tell me and I'll forget, show me and I'll remember, but let me try and I will understand.
4. 
   mwenz | Sep 21, 2006 07:09am | #7

   Hi Jim,

   Like the others have said, it's a stairsaw. In the foreground is one I made and shows what a blade is like when removed.

   http://wenzloffandsons.com/saws/cc/cc_0001.jpg

   Take care, Mike

1. 
   DCarr10760 | Sep 21, 2006 01:20pm | #8

   Nice stair saw, Mike!

   Historically, did they usually adjust?  If so, how did they make the adjustment?

   (Hmmm, might have to put one of those on the list...)

    David C.

1. 
   derekcohen | Sep 21, 2006 02:55pm | #9

   I made one as well, a little longer than the norm. The next one will be shorter.

   View Image

   The extra depth was so that it could be used against a fence to cut sliding dovetails.

   Regards from Perth

   Derek

2. 
   mwenz | Sep 21, 2006 05:47pm | #11

   Thank you, David and Mvflaim!

   All my vintage examples, including some European ones, have adjustable blades.

   The saw blade is new steel. This particular stair saw was made to cut sliding DTs in wide material. And so there were a few considerations. One, tooth count. It needed to be low enough to cut efficiently and high enough to be fairly smooth. Two, the blade depth needed to be such that it could be used with a guide block for the angle. Three, we needed to lower the angle that the handle "hangs" so one is pushing along the kerf line more than down into it.

   Well, that's the rationale anyway. It works good. Traditionally when used on Pine and Fir for letting in stair treads, they were typically aggressive and the handle hang really pushed into the wood. Combined with the shortness they cut quick in soft material. Just not optimum for a cabinet maker trying to cut finer joinery.

   Here's a shorter, higher hung one:http://www.wenzloffandsons.com/saws/images/stair.jpg

   Take care, Mike

1. 
   user-141548 | Oct 05, 2006 02:06am | #12

   Have a look at the ece catalog, http://www.ecemmerich.de/images/ece_katalog_07_deutsch.pdf

   They still make it!

   Geert van der Donk

    

2. 
   mvflaim | Sep 21, 2006 03:06pm | #10

   Mike, did you cut that blade from an old saw or did you make it from scratch? Nice saw!

   Thanks MikeTell me and I'll forget, show me and I'll remember, but let me try and I will understand.