Folding Bow Saw project
- Thread starter ateallthepies
- Start date
Ok just got back from the woods. The saw worked very well! I was looking for newly down Ash trees but didn't see any but found a large Beech branch that had been down a while.
I was all exited to try the saw and opened the legs and heard a twang!! I had forgotten to take the blade out and a bit was sticking out one end and the end snapped off!!! I had designed the saw to use the two outer holes of the blade but now missing one of them I forced the holder into the remaining one and all was well although I felt like an idiot!
A couple of things need adjusting...
1. The blade tensioner bolt could do with being square shape or something added to keep the blade straight.
2. The blade tension end needs a deeper cut as the blade did slip out twice when the blade stuck in the wood a bit.
3. Although there was not much flexing in the saw I think a reduction in the legs length would be a good idea?
4. The folding joints of Ali on Ali metal seemed to get stiffer after unfolding a few times. Maybe a washer between would be a good idea?
5. Although I sawed a few logs easily, a better handle wrap for extended sawing would be good.
I did some videoing of the event so will get some footage up soon. My camera battery went flat halfway through though! I took a pic of the logs I cut on my phone....
This branch was quite dry and I had a green wood blade but it still cut well!
With a few tweaks I think this will be a winner? Would like to test it some more to check for robustness. I could always go up a size of box section to a 30x15x2mm if needed.
I was all exited to try the saw and opened the legs and heard a twang!! I had forgotten to take the blade out and a bit was sticking out one end and the end snapped off!!! I had designed the saw to use the two outer holes of the blade but now missing one of them I forced the holder into the remaining one and all was well although I felt like an idiot!
A couple of things need adjusting...
1. The blade tensioner bolt could do with being square shape or something added to keep the blade straight.
2. The blade tension end needs a deeper cut as the blade did slip out twice when the blade stuck in the wood a bit.
3. Although there was not much flexing in the saw I think a reduction in the legs length would be a good idea?
4. The folding joints of Ali on Ali metal seemed to get stiffer after unfolding a few times. Maybe a washer between would be a good idea?
5. Although I sawed a few logs easily, a better handle wrap for extended sawing would be good.
I did some videoing of the event so will get some footage up soon. My camera battery went flat halfway through though! I took a pic of the logs I cut on my phone....
This branch was quite dry and I had a green wood blade but it still cut well!
With a few tweaks I think this will be a winner? Would like to test it some more to check for robustness. I could always go up a size of box section to a 30x15x2mm if needed.
I like it!
Looks much better and more practical than the ones made from half a bed and a ball of yarn.
Now, if a readily available production run from a reputable manufacturer would come along and make something like that I'd buy one. Nice and compact with a good sized blade for cutting down them firewoods!
Looks much better and more practical than the ones made from half a bed and a ball of yarn.
Now, if a readily available production run from a reputable manufacturer would come along and make something like that I'd buy one. Nice and compact with a good sized blade for cutting down them firewoods!
That Duluth saw looks a good design and the cam lock looks simple to use. Making one would depend on being able to get box or C section aluminium in sizes that fit within each other well?
Biker
Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Ok here is the vid, first time using an editing App. I used to have a channel with the same name as on the forum but there was a problem between Virgin media and google and I cannot access that channel at all so I made a new channel and this is the first vid!
http://youtu.be/3FQlq4zMTxU
http://youtu.be/3FQlq4zMTxU
If you broke the first hole on the blade how dis the tensioning bolt work, was it long enough, or was it a make do and mend situation? Is that why the blade slipped out? Where the legs square with the crossbar?
The aluminium will deform as it is really really soft, and any focused stress point like the joints will deform really really quickly, reinforce them with steel so the corners of the aluminium are protected. On the brakets fold a piece over the crossbar or rivet apiece of steel to the leg that mates flat with the crossbar face, possibly a long piece. Or alternatley have the joints made from steel and keep the aluminium purely for the beams.
As for the square bolt like a hacksaw, I've never had a hacksaw where that worked, i'd think of another way like the takedown saw, it's how the best hacksaws are made
The leg length, it's a balancing act between the blade length surely? 3 times length to height?
It was under good tension without turning the bolt, just long enough! The blade slipped out because the tension bolt end was just an L shape and probably needed more of a recess to hold it? Yes the legs were square.
I think the prototype no 2 will try steel brackets. I hear what your saying about having steel on steel at the points the Aluminium meets when in use and if this first saw shows any deformation in these areas I will add some.
I'm thinking if I even need a tension system? Maybe just two bolts holding the blade and the slots in the legs will keep the blade straight? After me snapping the blade it fit snugly and was fine installing it. Though if the frame distorts over time it could become loose, will have to see?
Thanks for your input.
I think the prototype no 2 will try steel brackets. I hear what your saying about having steel on steel at the points the Aluminium meets when in use and if this first saw shows any deformation in these areas I will add some.
I'm thinking if I even need a tension system? Maybe just two bolts holding the blade and the slots in the legs will keep the blade straight? After me snapping the blade it fit snugly and was fine installing it. Though if the frame distorts over time it could become loose, will have to see?
Thanks for your input.
Interesting, I made 1 year ago also a browning clone, and indeed, it works very nice.
It's light, quick to setup, and cause I made it the same size as my axe, it fit's in my axe sheath as well.
Here is my pic report about how I did it.:
http://dabberty.com/?p=1281
Also did a bucksaw version, also works fine, but the browning clone has my preference.
http://dabberty.com/?p=1268
It's light, quick to setup, and cause I made it the same size as my axe, it fit's in my axe sheath as well.
Here is my pic report about how I did it.:
http://dabberty.com/?p=1281
Also did a bucksaw version, also works fine, but the browning clone has my preference.
http://dabberty.com/?p=1268
That is excellent dabberty, I'm liking the joint plate design, much easier to make than an L shape! Would you mind if I pinched your idea?
I see you riveted your pivot joint, has this held up well to movement?
Thanks for sharing from the beautiful city of Prague!
I see you riveted your pivot joint, has this held up well to movement?
Thanks for sharing from the beautiful city of Prague!
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Thanks, the joint plate shape, i thought it would help keeping the saw in folded state better in place. So far no issue with it.
Pinch as much as you like, if it's useful, use it
Pinch as much as you like, if it's useful, use it
Just thinking on your handle, and need for extra wrapping.. could try some paracord round it, give it a nicer grip?
I tried that on mine, but then it wouldn't fold so nicely together anymore.
On the bucksaw version i put a piece of inner bicycle tube though, that was fine.
On the bucksaw version i put a piece of inner bicycle tube though, that was fine.
I have just been down the woods again and found some felled trees about 10 inches diameter. The saw worked well again except the blade tensioner, it kept pinging out of the blade hole when the saw gets stuck so I will bin that idea and just cut slots in no.2 and use bolts.
There is definite graunching on the metal on metal surfaces, I may have the pivot bolts too tight but will look into that.
I was thinking if I can get some 3 or 4 mm thick box section I could mill out a 2mm recess in the handle area to allow a thicker handle wrap without affecting the fold ability? Maybe this is a bit ott though?
It's surprising the amount of teething problems a new project has!
There is definite graunching on the metal on metal surfaces, I may have the pivot bolts too tight but will look into that.
I was thinking if I can get some 3 or 4 mm thick box section I could mill out a 2mm recess in the handle area to allow a thicker handle wrap without affecting the fold ability? Maybe this is a bit ott though?
It's surprising the amount of teething problems a new project has!
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