First attempt at making a saw handle

[mr_skittle]

My goal for this winter is to really advance my hand sawing skills.  I've collected a handful of saws and now it's time to tune them up and put them to work.  The first priority of tuning them up is to replace a few handles, which I hope to make myself. I've done a little preliminary research on making handles but haven't come across a definitive resource yet, and when I need a definitive resource I come to Woodnet.  At this point consider me (almost) totally clueless on the process. 

 I'll lay out my ideas and understanding at this point:  I have a handle that is a good fit that I'd like to copy but I also know there are templates available online. I like the ones with layout for forstner bits to help eliminate saw blade marks on most of the inside radii. As far as fit, I'm just going on what feels comfortable.  I think most generic handles are too big for the average hand but I'm not sure how much extra room there should be for my fingers. 

I don't have any mechanical sanding options so I will have to do the work with files and rasps.  I've never done any shaping of wood with these tools and I'm not sure what I'll need. My bit of research so far has turned up a multitude of file and rasp variations. At this point I'd like to stick to some inexpensive tools available someplace like a local big box store. If I find this is something I really enjoy, an investment in more expensive tools might happen down the road.  

Once I get a template and the correct tools, some tips on method would be very helpful. 

The pic are of a rip filed saw that I got from a HS shop auction. I really don't know much about it's quality.  I recognize the Atkins brand but don't know if its from an era of good quality or not. The problems with the handle are quite obvious. 

   

   

[KlausK.]

Hi,

the first step might be to choose the right handle template. Dominic (Blackys Boy) is running a great site with a lot of downloadable templates here

http://www.tgiag.com/saw-handle-scans.html

You can make a handle fit to your hand by adapting the downloaded Template. Just print out the right size. To get the right size for your hand  take a measurement from your palm from knuckle to knuckle.



Then you can layout the right handle size about this



The measurement of your palm is the distance you need at least between the 2 horns (A). For a panel saw or even handsaw handle I'd recommend to add a few mm. The measurement B is less important since the fingerhole only has to be large enough to allow the 3 fingers to slip in without being caged. If it's larger it doesn't matter.

Pedder and I show our way of saw making here

https://two-lawyers-toolworks.blogspot.d...-sich.html

Guessing that not everybody has the shown setup for making the blade slot, theres another way to get a precise initial cut to make the slot sawing easier.



It's enough to make an initial cut with depth of about 1/4". To adjust the center of the clamped blade just add a few sheets of paper. The blade should match to the blade of the saw of course.

To the tooling:

For the rough shaping I recommend the halfround Iwasaki carver file (medium size). It allows very quick shaping action by leaving a fine surface. Every good rasp will work as well. The handstitched ones give better results. Good Forstners, sharp chisels in various sizes and a bandsaw are your friends while handle making.

Klaus

[mr_skittle]

Thank you kindly for the helpful info Klaus. Those templates you directed me to are exactly what I wanted. Although there isn't one for my particular saw, I can make most of them work I'm sure. One question that came up as I looked at the templates is if there is a difference between the handle for a crosscut and ripcut saw.

[KlausK.]

Generally there isn't a difference between crosscut and rip handles, every type of the TGIAG templates can be used for either saw. If you want to have a dedicated ripper for hard work, you might prefer a handle that allows the double handed use as there are "thumbhole" handles or those with large finger holes that allow to put in the thumb of the other hand (e.g. the Disston #7 rip handle).

In your case I'd probably go with the template that is named "Atkins Perfection Crosscut" a little refined perhaps. The screw layout seems to be rather similar to your broken handle. The benefit is the possibility to use the original screw holes in the blade. After having bandsawed the blank, you can lay the blade onto the blank in the right position and mark the holes according to the ones in the blade. This would be an advantage since the boring of new holes into the blade can be a PITA.

Klaus

[mr_skittle]

I am familiar with the "thumbhole" style handles but haven't considered making one like that. I'm not exclusively hand tools so I'll use the bandsaw for serious ripping instead of double-fisting a rip saw. 

I actually did print out the Atkins template and worked on it a little. Turns out it's too small for my hand. I'd rather pick one that fits nice instead of trying to modify one.  I've got a Disston #10 that has a really comfortable handle but the site doesn't have that template either. About the alignment of the holes, can i adapt any of the handles to fit the configuration of the holes on the saw steel?  Here are a couple of pictures. One is the tools for the job I had laying around and the handle I worked on a bit. The other is the handle I like on a Disston 10

   

   

[KlausK.]

I doubt that the blade holes of your Atkins will match to a Disston #10 handle. The key is the bottom screw that is positioned in the region of the lambs tongue. That's a special layout. Disston used a similar configuration on their D 20/ D23 saws. You can test it easily with your #10 handle. Put the Atkins blade onto the #10 handle and look what is happening. Since the Atkins saw has just 4 screws, I wouldn't skip the bottom screw when rehandling the blade. A 26" hand saw should have 4 screws at least. Of course you can adapt the blade to match a #10 handle by shaping the heel of the blade and by making new holes. As mentioned already, the boring and even the cutting of .040 spring steel isn't a piece of cake however.

How does the broken Atkins handle fit to your hand? If it feels comfortable, you can make a template from this handle yourself. Just scan the handle as a PDF file and cut it out. Then again, if the TGIAG Atkins template is too small for your hand, just measure the distance between the horns and compare it to the measurement of your palm. E.g. the template shows 95 mm while your hand is 100 mm, print out the PDF template with the size of 105 or 106%. Your printer software probably will allow this. After the printing you should repeat the print with adpted size until the distance between the horns is 1 or 2 mm more than your palm width is. Really not a big deal.

It's not important that the forstners fit to 100%. Take the next smaller one that fits just to the ogee itself, the sides can be sawn. One word to the blank you show. If you have a scroll saw to cut out the finger hole, all is good. If you haven't and will have to cut it out with a jig saw, I'd recommend to cut out the finger hole before bandsawing the blank. The clamping for sawing the fingerhole is much easier this way.

Klaus

[cputnam]

Wow! This turning into a real class. Keep on going guys.

[Joe Bailey]

Well, apparently no one else is going to ask -- what the heck is a Disston #10?

[KlausK.]

Well, apparently no one else is going to ask -- what the heck is a Disston #10?

I've been wondering this as well. Never heard of it.  

Klaus

[ButImeasuredtwice]

Disston made a #10 handsaw early on, probably in the 1850s.  They usually had 5 cone head screws and a handle like the 12's or the 99's.  I have one of those and another with just 4 cone head screws and a floral pattern brass plate as well.  I've only seen 4 or 5 of them, but know of about 8 or 9.  They're all die stamped  "Extra / Henry Disston /  London Spring  10  Warranted /  Refined"  Great looking saws.