DIY folding saw?

[punkrockcaveman]

Ey up folks.

As most will know, a saw is a very useful bit of kit. As a saw is seen as a blade in the eyes of the law, a non locking saw blade of less than 3 inches is a very useful legal carry tool, like those found in SAK's.

Now I've made a couple of friction folder knives, and you see plenty of those around, but I was thinking of making a friction folder saw, most likely from O1 or old file steel. Has anyone attempted to make one before? I can imagine it's not too hard to file the teeth in, as a double row, and I also imagine that the teeth need widening a little so they are wider than the general thickness of the blade. I'm probably going to try it anyway, but as it would be my first saw I'm looking for advice.

Cheers

PRCM.

 

[Janne]

If the saw blade is less than 3 inches, is it not a bit pointless?

I wonder who came up with these ridiculous laws?

 

[mrcharly]

I can imagine it's not too hard to file the teeth in, as a double row, and I also imagine that the teeth need widening a little so they are wider than the general thickness of the blade. I'm probably going to try it anyway, but as it would be my first saw I'm looking for advice.

Filing saw teeth is an art. Never done it from scratch, I've just reshaped saw teeth.

You can certainly do it, but I think you'll find it takes a lot of time to file in the teeth.
Then once shaped, you'll need to harden them or they will go blunt very quickly.

A faster alternative might be to make a handle that can take jigsaw or alligator saw blades.

 

[punkrockcaveman]

Someone who likes to limit the public as much as possible I think.

Not much use for firewood, but enough for walking sticks, bow drill sets etc, just for a general bimble saw as opposed to a camp saw

 

[punkrockcaveman]

Filing saw teeth is an art. Never done it from scratch, I've just reshaped saw teeth.

You can certainly do it, but I think you'll find it takes a lot of time to file in the teeth.
Then once shaped, you'll need to harden them or they will go blunt very quickly.

A faster alternative might be to make a handle that can take jigsaw or alligator saw blades.

Thanks. I will be hardening the blade for definite. I like the idea of using the jigsaw blade too, I'll give both a try.

 

[sunndog]

I wonder who came up with these ridiculous laws?

Legend has it that because most of the 'gentlemans' type pocket knives made in sheffield were 3" or so friction folders they just picked that as an arbitary standard

 

[Jared]

SOG sell replacement parts for the MTs including the saw blade.

https://www.heinnie.com/sog-replacement-wood-saw-blade

 

[punkrockcaveman]

SOG sell replacement parts for the MTs including the saw blade.

https://www.heinnie.com/sog-replacement-wood-saw-blade

Thanks for the heads up, but unfortunately that blade seems to be a wee bit big at 21cm

 

[sunndog]

Easier to cut it down than learn to grind saw teeth. Esp tiny ones

 

[pysen78]

Maybe blades for tiger saws is a good source for this project? You'd be able to swap them out for metal/bone cutting too if need be.

 

[Janne]

With a saw 3 inches long, what is the thickness of the wood you can cut? Maximum 2 inches if you are careful?

 

[Adze]

Almost 6 inches in fact Janne... you just have to keep turning the wood to cut round an ever decreasing diameter. It certainly wouldn't be a neat cut worthy of a joiner and limbing a felled tree would be a bit tricky to turn (mind you, felling the tree with it in the first place might be the real stumbling block)

 

[Adze]

There is another solution to the carrying a saw that's not a bladed or pointed item as described in section 139.

http://www.belltent.co.uk/unbelievable_saw

Yeah... I know, it looks like a gimmick. We laughed when we first looked at it too, but it is surprisingly good at what it does. It isn't as easy to use for certain tasks as a handsaw, this is true, but then you can't tie some paracord to the handles of a handsaw and throw it over a limb of a tree 10 feet up and cut it either, so horses for courses.

If you want something for firewood prep and don't want to carry a bucksaw, bowsaw or long folding saw - they're ace.

[video=youtube;Gy5suVjOVkg]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gy5suVjOVkg[/video]

 

[Mollegabet]

There is another solution to the carrying a saw that's not a bladed or pointed item as described in section 139.

http://www.belltent.co.uk/unbelievable_saw

Yeah... I know, it looks like a gimmick. We laughed when we first looked at it too, but it is surprisingly good at what it does. It isn't as easy to use for certain tasks as a handsaw, this is true, but then you can't tie some paracord to the handles of a handsaw and throw it over a limb of a tree 10 feet up and cut it either, so horses for courses.

If you want something for firewood prep and don't want to carry a bucksaw, bowsaw or long folding saw - they're ace.

I bought one of those for my other half a couple of years back. He keeps it in the glovebox of his car because it's so compact and useful. We have cut several Christmas trees down with it (big ones), and he has used it few times when he sees a 'good' tree for making bows with

All it has needed has been a cleanup after cutting resinous trees, and a squirt of oil or WD40 to keep it nice. Recommended !

 

[Janne]

Of course, you saw around it.... stupid me.

I tried several of those saw wires, but always managed to snap them within a couple of uses. Despite having a good tension.

Gave up on saws.

But the saw Adze shows looks the bees knees! A hybrid between a real saw and a wire saw!

 

[Adze]

The reason I linked to Belltent.co.uk for the saw is because I got mine from there a few years ago. It was delivered in 2 days and was only a shade over half the price everyone else I could find online wanted for the same item. I was very impressed with their speed, the more so because the price was so keen.

 

[mr dazzler]

A faster alternative might be to make a handle that can take jigsaw or alligator saw blades.

You took the word right out my mouth, I made exactly that yesterday, a good swiss made bosch jig saw blade epoxied into a handle, I made it to clean out the slot for a blade tang in knife handles....works a treat,in favt almost too aggressive

 

[mr dazzler]

If the saw blade is less than 3 inches, is it not a bit pointless?

I wonder who came up with these ridiculous laws?

thinking about it, how are the silky saws legal? some are huge folding ones like giant opinel saws some are like 20 inch blades, others are fixed blades in plastic scabbards. LOL can u imagine a tree surgeon with a 2 7/8 inch bar on his dremel saw?

 

[mr dazzler]

I'd consider getting a disston or similar saw that has been well used (ie where it was refiled so often that the toe is an inch or less wide) and cut a blade out of it, an inch wide and 6 inches long or whatever, similar scale to a lap lander etc. Make up a nice handle from cherry or plum or something, collar type locking mechanism? The teeth will already be in there, you would just need to reset them and file. You could easily make it a pull saw by reversing the direction of the blade. But even on plain steel, its not really a lot of work to file new teeth in. Its obtaining decent files thats the problem.

 

[Minotaur]

Legend has it that because most of the 'gentlemans' type pocket knives made in sheffield were 3" or so friction folders they just picked that as an arbitary standard

That's interesting my understanding was that it was 3 inches because you need at least 4 to stab someone in the heart.
Also the lock knife thing is a judge said they where the same as fixed blades so they are judged as that and not folders.
You would get away with the saw because of the reasonable use part of the law.