Controlling Handsaw Cut depth

[Ruffnek]

I watched a pretty neat trick just now in a FWW workshop video on turning a flame finial.

With the lines marked for carving the finial, a shallow guide line was need to be cut along each pencil line. The guy double-stick taped a piece of 1/4" ply to his gent's saw, leaving only about 1/4" of the blade exposed below the ply. The brass back on the saw served as a stop to keep the ply from being pushed upward.

He made the cuts and the ply bottoming out kept them all at a uniform depth.

There have been occassions when I needed to make a handsaw cut to a controlled depth and using the ply stuck to the side of the blade is an easy way to achieve it.

Some of y'all may be familiar with the technique but it was new to me. I thought I'd share it.

[Joe Lyddon]

I saw that too!

That was a COOL way of doing it! Very clever! ;D ;D

[fredbelknap]

Cody good info, sometimes the obvious is the last thing we see.

[TDHofstetter]

Much like this:

worldofwood.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=tools&action=display&thread=1877

...only not permanent & not adjustable.

[lexrex]

I like it, a stop block for a hand saw!

[rnemtp3]

I have got to start thinking like that. I tend to over think things and would have tried something crazy to fix that problem instead of the simple and easiest. Sometimes the simple answer is the best way.

[admin]

I use a piece of blue painters tape alone, but the plywood idea would take some of the guesswork out.

[sawduster]

Mar 7, 2010 20:59:16 GMT -6 TDHofstetter said:

Much like this:

worldofwood.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=tools&action=display&thread=1877

...only not permanent & not adjustable.

Not sure if you're saying that the stair saw depth is not adjustable but if you are . . . The stair saw blade should have slots cut into it which allow you to loosen the saw nuts and slide the blade in or out changing the depth of cut.

Limiting the depth of cut on other hand saws using pieces of scrap predates double sided tape. Mechanics would clamp a couple pieces of scrap, one on either side of the blade, to limit the depth of cut. Disston also sold this saw.



Hard to see in the picture, but there are teeth on both the top and bottom of the blade, one edge filed rip, the other crosscut. These saws are extremely rare in the wild, so evidently folks could not see their way to spending money for another saw whose job could be done similarly with something they already had.

[TDHofstetter]

Mar 8, 2010 8:18:49 GMT -6 sawduster said:

Not sure if you're saying that the stair saw depth is not adjustable but if you are . . .

I was actually speaking of the lack of (simple, anyway) adjustability of the double-stick-taped-plywood stop leaves. Once they're stuck down, it's heck to pry 'em back off & stick 'em in a slightly different spot. A stair saw is easy to adjust, even if a folkie just used a bog-standard miter saw with a pair of cauls to cobble one together.

Same folkie could use a series of scraps of known thickness to adjust the depth - say two strips of 1/4" Masonite would set it up for a positive 1/4" depth, and so on. Lay the strips down, set the saw on edge between 'em, rest the cauls (or stops) on the Masonite, & clamp 'er down.

[Ruffnek]

For those of us who are hand-tool challenged, I got to thinking this morning while driving to Houston that the double-stick tape and plywood thing would work on cutting dovetails, too... wouldn't it?

I have a bad habit of going past my scribe line sometimes...on either or both sides.

[Joe Lyddon]

Why not?! ;D

Sounds like another clever use of the Stop Block! ;D ;D

Good idea!! ;D

I've been meaning to just use the band saw for those cuts... see it good on top, has to be good on bottom... yes? ;D

I'm getting the "itch" to make some more hand cut DT's... I have a kitchen island that needs to be finished up with a drawer... Been thinking about it... but haven't been able to get off the pot! ;D

[sawduster]

Same folkie could use a series of scraps of known thickness to adjust the depth - say two strips of 1/4" Masonite would set it up for a positive 1/4" depth, and so on. Lay the strips down, set the saw on edge between 'em, rest the cauls (or stops) on the Masonite, & clamp 'er down.

I've been know to do that to set the stair saw. Extend the blade further than needed, set the edge between the mentioned known thickness scraps, and push the handle down so it sets on top of the scraps, then tighten down the saw nuts. One of few ways of setting it given the tightness of the kerf the blade is in. ;D