If you set out to find a bow saw, then searching on the Internet will not lead you anywhere beyond garden saws. And for a thin sheet of 4-5 mm, you can immediately go to Ebay or Amazon, because in Russia there is definitely no such thing. Lucek from bent pipe this is not at all what I needed.
I planed the width of a template that I made from cardboard.
Before cutting out the saw posts, I drilled holes for the handles and used a chisel to make a recess for the tenon of the spacer bar. All irregularities after the jigsaw were removed with a plow.
Then with a hand plane I made a narrowing of the upper parts of the racks, having previously marked the center for reference.
At the bottom I worked with a rasp and a file in the area of the holes for the handles, and then used a plane to make a narrowing towards the bottom. It turned out like this.
Most of all I had to tinker with the handles. Since I don’t have a lathe, I got out of the situation using a jigsaw. I applied a profile to 4 sides of the block, and then sawed it off on all sides to the marking line. Use a chisel to knock down the resulting comb. I straightened the corners with a rasp. I drilled holes for the bolts before this procedure.
Covered the saw water stain“under old oak” and teak oil. My bowstring is made from postal twine.
As shanks I used a furniture bolt with a diameter of 7 mm, in which I made cuts for attaching the canvas with a pin. I drilled a hole in the canvas and used stainless steel wire with a diameter of 1 mm as a pin.
The ends of the spacer (middle) were rounded, having first cut out a tenon, and at the junction at the post, a recess was made with a rasp. It turned out to be a kind of joint.
The canvas was used from the usual one band saw 6 mm wide. There are several cuttings with different tooth frequencies 4 and 6 tpi I will try. The first tests with a blade at 6 tpi showed that the blade requires regrinding because the tooth angle is too aggressive and sawing is not easy, but quite possible. At small radii the saw cuts perfectly. The cut cannot be called clean, but that may seem to some.
Bow saws have long occupied a place of honor among carpentry tools. And although their design and design have changed significantly over the years, the basic principle of operation of these saws remains the same. What is the advantage of this tool and what makes it stand out from the rest?
What is a bow saw used for?
It is convenient to use a jigsaw to make short, mainly transverse cuts, and a hacksaw to make long, longitudinal cuts. And only with the help of a bow saw can you make a variety of dividing cuts, both with dry and wet wood. In addition, for a bow saw for wood, it does not matter how the wood is cut - along or across the grain. If we add to this the ability to work with one hand (the first “bows” were exclusively two-handed), it turns out that the tool in question can be used for cutting wood:
- in longitudinal;
- in transverse;
- in figured;
- in an angular direction.
The only insurmountable obstacle for bow saws is transverse dimensions workpieces - for thick logs it is still better to use a power tool. However, you have to work much less often with thick logs...
Do you know which hacksaw is better for wood?
Three circumstances give versatility to bow saws for wood:
Modern manufacturers of bow saws and accessories for them - trade marks Bahco, Stanley, Intertool, Fiskars and others complete their products different types and designs of saw blades, which increases the ease of use of the tool.
The device of a bow saw for wood
The modern “onion” includes:
The frame of a bow saw for wood has special requirements - it must be rigid and at the same time light, so as not to increase physical activity while sawing. A special tubular profile with a very small width satisfies the task. This makes it easy to bend it during the manufacturing process to the required frame configuration without losing the strength of the part, providing the saw with the necessary mobility.
One of the main differences in the design of modern bow saws for wood is the principle of saw blade tension. For example, the Gardena or Proline brands use a handle with an eccentric for tensioning: by using it, changing the angle of inclination of the handle relative to the longitudinal axis of sawing, you can thus adjust the tension force.
Manufacturers of saws from Bahco Stanley have taken a different path: there a special screw mechanism for tensioning the saw blade is mounted in the handle. The choice is determined by ease of use, however, the presence of a screw mechanism provides increased tension accuracy, and does not depend on random movements of the user, when the position of the handle during sawing can randomly change. That's why swivel mechanism It is recommended to use tension if you have some experience working with a bow saw.
To fasten the saw blade to the opposite part of the “string” (frame), removable cotter pins or wing screws are used. The latter are more reliable, since the cotter pin, usually made of mild steel, wears out over time and can spontaneously come out of the mounting hole.
Bow saw blade
The versatility of this tool also determines changes in the design of the saw blade, in particular its teeth. Most often used:
- Saw blades with uniform tooth pitch. They are designed for smooth cutting of wood with a relatively short length.
- Canvases with the so-called “American” tooth, when after 3..4 ordinary teeth there is a double or “Kremlin” tooth. This configuration of the cutting part of the saw blade allows for longer and more complex cuts. The frequency of alternation determines the accuracy of the result: the closer the double teeth are located to each other, the less clean the cutting line will be.
- Spatial teeth with wide spacing. A blade with such teeth is useful for maximum sizes cross-section of cut wood. The cutting force and the amount of waste increase, but sawing productivity becomes the highest possible.
Depending on the tasks assigned, the material of the saw blade also changes. For a tool comparatively small sizes(350 mm, partly 530 mm) use blades with a uniform pitch, which are made of structural chromium-nickel steel type 45Х, 40ХН or 45Г. The blades undergo high-frequency hardening, as a result of which their surface hardness reaches 45...48 HRC. However, such blades are very sensitive to changes in the sawing axis, which easily changes due to the flexibility of the blade, and break at extreme bends.
For blades with double teeth, high-carbon steel 7HF or even high speed steel. The durability of such blades (if they are not made in China) is very high, since as the percentage of carbon in steel increases, its elastic properties increase. In addition, the blades do not need to be cooled, since the vanadium and tungsten contained in such steels are highly heat resistant.
For teeth with wide spacing, the decisive factor for durability is considered to be abrasive wear from wood rubbing against metal. Therefore, the Finnish company Fiskars applies a Teflon coating to the tools it produces, which reduces the coefficient of friction, thereby increasing the durability of the saw blade. Other manufacturers (for example, Bahco) produce bimetallic blades: the base is made of structural steel, and the cutting part is made of tool steel.
Bow saws have long occupied a place of honor among carpentry tools. And although their design and design have changed significantly over the years, the basic principle of operation of these saws remains the same. What is the advantage of this tool and what makes it stand out from the rest?
What is a bow saw used for?
It is convenient to use a jigsaw to make short, mainly transverse cuts, and a hacksaw to make long, longitudinal cuts. And only with the help of a bow saw can you make a variety of dividing cuts, both with dry and wet wood. In addition, for a bow saw for wood, it does not matter how the wood is cut - along or across the grain. If we add to this the ability to work with one hand (the first “bows” were exclusively two-handed), it turns out that the tool in question can be used for cutting wood:
- in longitudinal;
- in transverse;
- in figured;
- in an angular direction.
The only insurmountable obstacle for bow saws is the transverse dimensions of the workpieces - for thick logs it is still better to use a power tool. However, you have to work much less often with thick logs...
Three circumstances give versatility to bow saws for wood:
- Adjustable tension of the saw blade (in some ways this process is similar to pulling the string of a bow, hence the name of the tool). Testing shows that bow saws can create tension forces of up to 100...120 kg without destroying the saw blade.
- The special shape of the teeth allows for both roughing and finishing cuts.
- The size of the saw is compact, which ensures its use even in cramped environments.
Modern manufacturers of bow saws and accessories for them - trademarks Bahco, Stanley, Intertool, Fiskars and others - complete their products with different types and designs of saw blades, which increases the ease of use of the tool.
The device of a bow saw for wood
The modern “onion” includes:
- Frame made of rolled profiles. Depending on the size of the saw blade - and they are usually standard: 350 mm, 530 mm or 760 mm, the frame can be made in the form of an oval trapezoid (for longer blades) or an oval triangle (for shorter ones).
- A handle whose profile prevents sudden injury to the worker’s fingers.
- Saw blade.
- Devices for tensioning saw blades.
- Fastening the canvas to the frame.
The frame of a bow saw for wood has special requirements - it must be rigid and at the same time light, so as not to increase physical stress during sawing. A special tubular profile with a very small width satisfies the task. This makes it easy to bend it during the manufacturing process to the required frame configuration without losing the strength of the part, providing the saw with the necessary mobility.
One of the main differences in the design of modern bow saws for wood is the principle of saw blade tension. For example, the Gardena or Proline brands use a handle with an eccentric for tensioning: by using it, changing the angle of inclination of the handle relative to the longitudinal axis of sawing, you can thus adjust the tension force.
Manufacturers of saws from Bahco Stanley have taken a different path: there a special screw mechanism for tensioning the saw blade is mounted in the handle. The choice is determined by ease of use, however, the presence of a screw mechanism provides increased tension accuracy, and does not depend on random movements of the user, when the position of the handle during sawing can randomly change. Therefore, it is recommended to use a rotary tension mechanism if you have some experience working with a bow saw.
To fasten the saw blade to the opposite part of the “string” (frame), removable cotter pins or wing screws are used. The latter are more reliable, since the cotter pin, usually made of mild steel, wears out over time and can spontaneously come out of the mounting hole.
Bow saw blade
The versatility of this tool also determines changes in the design of the saw blade, in particular its teeth. Most often used:
- Saw blades with uniform tooth pitch. They are designed for smooth cutting of wood with a relatively short length.
- Canvases with the so-called “American” tooth, when after 3..4 ordinary teeth there is a double or “Kremlin” tooth. This configuration of the cutting part of the saw blade allows for longer and more complex cuts. The frequency of alternation determines the accuracy of the result: the closer the double teeth are located to each other, the less clean the cutting line will be.
- Spatial teeth with wide spacing. A blade with such teeth is useful for maximum cross-sectional sizes of wood being cut. The cutting force and the amount of waste increase, but sawing productivity becomes the highest possible.
Depending on the tasks assigned, the material of the saw blade also changes. For tools of relatively small sizes (350 mm, partly 530 mm), blades with a uniform pitch are used, which are made of structural chromium-nickel steel of type 45Х, 40ХН or 45Г. The blades undergo high-frequency hardening, as a result of which their surface hardness reaches 45...48 HRC. However, such blades are very sensitive to changes in the sawing axis, which easily changes due to the flexibility of the blade, and break at extreme bends.
For blades with double teeth, high-carbon steel 7HF or even high-speed steel is used. The durability of such blades (if they are not made in China) is very high, since as the percentage of carbon in steel increases, its elastic properties increase. In addition, the blades do not need to be cooled, since the vanadium and tungsten contained in such steels are highly heat resistant.
For teeth with wide spacing, the decisive factor for durability is considered to be abrasive wear from wood rubbing against metal. Therefore, the Finnish company Fiskars applies a Teflon coating to the tools it produces, which reduces the coefficient of friction, thereby increasing the durability of the saw blade. Other manufacturers (for example, Bahco) produce bimetallic blades: the base is made of structural steel, and the cutting part is made of tool steel.
Among the wide range hand saws and hacksaws, there is one fairly common type of saw - a bow saw. This tool can be used for cutting metal parts, and for working with wood materials. In this article we will talk about a bow saw for wood - you will find out what kind of tool it is, what its features are and what you need to know to buy a bow saw.
Bow saw device
Let's start with the most important thing - the design and purpose of a bow saw. It is used for longitudinal cuts and consists of a special beam in which the saw blade is stretched. In turn, the bow itself consists of 2 posts and handles, as well as a spacer, a tension string and a fixing twist. Also, instead of a twist, you can often see a screw with a nut in the design, which is connected to a metal bowstring. There are circular bow saws that are used to cut along a curved line.
If we compare a regular saw (two-handed or hacksaw) with a bow saw, then the tool in question has some advantages over a regular saw. Thus, a bow saw helps to obtain a more even and accurate cut, and besides, this requires much less effort and effort than when sawing with a hacksaw, for example. In addition, in some cases, two people can work with a bow, which cannot be said about a hacksaw. The advantages of a bow saw for wood also include ease of maintenance. Thus, the blade for a bow saw does not need to be sharpened, thinned or adjusted - a worn blade can simply be replaced with a new one. We also note that a clamped bow saw blade in a cut almost never jams. Yes, perhaps moving the saw in some cases can be difficult, but in general, it does not “chew” the saw tightly, which cannot be said about conventional saws.
Despite all their external similarities, bow saws from different manufacturers will differ from each other, and in some cases, quite significantly. Thus, differences exist in almost all structural parts of the instrument - this may be a different shape of the beam or handle, different way fixing and tensioning the canvases, as well as their tension.
Consumer analysis of bow saws for wood
Proline bow saw. This saw is designed for longitudinal or cross cuts, and is also suitable for curved cuts. Like most similar tools, it consists of a beam in which a saw blade is stretched. In turn, the bow has two posts, spacers and a tension string. The length of this saw model is 760 mm, which allows it to work with medium logs.
Bow sawStanley Raker Tooth. Designed for working at medium speed with small wooden workpieces. The oval cross-section of the steel frame provides the tool with high strength. The design also includes a lever for tensioning the blade, which allows you to quickly change the blade if necessary. Material of this instrument– tool steel, processed and hardened. The teeth have an “American” shape, so they do not require sharpening or maintenance. This allows the tool to cope well with both fresh and dry lumber.
Bow saws Bahco. Bow saws from Bahco are presented various options, but the most popular models are 530 mm and 760 mm saws. These options are excellent for pruning trees, since they can be easily dragged between branches and cut. But, with all this, cutting with the help of one of these saws is only possible with fine gauges. For example, a log with a diameter of 10 cm will be extremely inconvenient to saw - the beam will touch the log, and the blade will bounce all the time when cutting.
Gardena bow saws. Among the features of saws from this manufacturer, it is worth noting the screw blade tensioner, as well as the included adapter with which you can attach the rods. In addition, several types of blades are supplied with this saw. There are models of different lengths - for example, with a length of 750 mm or 350 mm, the difference, as you can see, is noticeable. Saws from this manufacturer have unique features. For example, a 350 mm saw has the ability to rotate the blade 360°, locking it in any position. The bow saw for wood, with a length of 750 mm, has an oval trapezoidal tube section, which helps to tightly install fixed pins with grooves, etc. The handle of such a tool is quite massive, with rubberized inserts, which makes working with this tool more comfortable. Otherwise, all types of saws presented have excellent reviews; to buy a bow saw, you just need to choose one of the presented models.
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