My new Saw Vise

[BillK]

I was going to call it the BillK project of the month, but I’ve been told Michael Tyler has a Copy-write on “project of the month“ so I couldn’t use that and the BillK project of May 2020 seemed too wordy so I’ll just stick with Saw Vise.

What is a saw vise you ask? I like to restore and use old hand tools in addition to watching my CNC make dust. To use most any hand tool, you have to learn how to sharpen them, especially the older ones. I have a small collection of handsaws, some were my Dad’s, his Dad’s, some I bought, some were given to me. I clean them up, make new handles if necessary and sharpen them and if they really need it, set the teeth. The best way to hold the saw is in a saw vise, although I’ve made due without one for a long time and if I ever got sometime I would make one, and here we are.

So this is made of hickory for the body and chops, maple for the screw and tightener, and pine soft jaws that are replaceable. You can clamp those flexible blades close to the teeth and file away (once you learn how to).

The CNC parts were the chops, the inset walnut logo, the tightener that looks like a ship’s wheel, and the sliding dovetail. Really like that joint for this, first time I made one. Did a test cut in pine, hit it right the first time after doing the math. It’s a little different to cut it in hickory, which is hard. Not sure what the equivalent wood working terminology is, but you have to let that dovetail bit spark out. I think I actually cut the tail 4 time, increasing the feedrate each time until it sound like there was no more cutting happening. Excellent fit, no glue required, its not coming apart.

I ran a dowel through the screw to lock it into the board. Being meticulous, I cut the dowel a little short, got out the plug cutter and capped it with the same hickory. Hey, its my tool, I have to look at it.

Going to sharpen my Dad’s Disston cross cut saw first. I was first aware of that saw when he took me to the hardware store to pick it up after sharpening. The next thing I knew we were at the jobsite where my Dad was starting to build our new family home. He cut all the boards for the footing with that saw.

Thanks for looking!

.

[scottp55]

Aha...That's what it is
SO much easier to figure out when you see the saw in it Bill

That's as well made an addition to your bench as the vise was!
I'll probably cheap out with facing a vise with surface soft wood when I do my Dad's old Craftsman.

Well Done Bill!!
Thanks for the step by step explanation!
scott

[BillK]

Thanks Scott. Guess nobody else has any interest in woodworking accessories. Oh well.

[mtylerfl]

I love this project, Bill! That's an excellent tool/accessory for holding and sharpening saws! It's always fun to see folks make "tools for their tools" - especially when they are both attractive and functional like this one is. Great work!

Oh - thanks for letting me know I have the copyright (or trademark) for "project of the month". I had no idea!

[jay pieper]

Not so quick there Bill, I think it is a totally awesome project. Looks like you
put some thought and detail in the vice, your dad is smiling that you took the
time to build the vice to sharpen his prized saw.

[scotttarnor]

Wow that is Nice ! Good Job.

[BillK]

Thank you all, it was a fun project. I have seen several of these made. Some are really nice but then, to me, get ruined by adding a huge metal hinge to the bottom. In use, this only needs to open about 1/2” if that much. Plus I think the force from the screw gets distributed better over the 3 wood rests, rather than through hinge screws. Never worked hickory before, really shines with minimal hand sanding.

[Holzarbeiter]

Not only do I think this is an awesome project, I too have a DIsston saw from dad!!!
You have me interested in making something similar to sharpen that nice, old saw...thanks!!!

[BillK]

Thanks Joe.

I’ll post measurements if anyone is interested.

[Holzarbeiter]

I would appreciate the measurements...thank you!

[BillK]

Here’s a few pics of the 3D model with dimensions. I started with 4 boards, all 3” wide, two are 15” long for the top parts of the jaws, the other two are 16” long one for the vertical piece in the back, the other will make the vertical piece in the front as well as the smaller hinge piece. The wheel is up to you, I cut mine from a 5”x5” by 1 1/2” thick block, final thickness is 1 1/4”. I think 1” thick would also work.

I have a thread cutter for 1” size thread that I bought from woodcraft for around $50. If you spent $800 for a 4th axis rotary have fun.

Let me know if you need anything else.

[BillK]

Should have imported the handwheel before, lol. Fun with 3D modeling.

[Holzarbeiter]

Thank you!

[BillK]

So I always get “that’s too pretty to use” Or “I’d be afraid to use that, it’s too nice”.

Here we are, 4 saws in, 2 crosscuts, 2 rips. The dust you see comes off, the pine is getting darker, but that’s why those jaws are replaceable.

Have fun!

[jimandi5000]

Wow! That is really nice work!