Takedown bucksaw

[John Elstob]

I was wondering if someone could help with answering some questions about takedown bucksaws? I recently bought a 24 inch saw. I had never used this type of equipment before. Any saw I had experience with was either a metal bowsaw or a folding saw.
After using it for awhile, I've found that the blade would stick when pushing forward, causing the blade to flex and bend, I thought I had tightened the windless enough to stop the blade from flexing but I am cautious of over tightening if this is possible?
How do you know when you have tightened the windless enough on your saw?
Who is there such thing as a multipurpose blade that will cut both green and dry wood or does it have to have one or the other? Should the tension of the blade be eased off when not in use
Any idea why the blade still flexes and bows during cutting?

 

[TLM]

Sounds a bit like your blade does not have enough set, that tends to cause sticking on fresh wood. Other possibility is that you have some resin from spruce or pine on the blade, wipe it off if so.

 

[FerlasDave]

Are you using the correct blade for the wood your trying to cut?

In general I do find tightening the windlass works but also you have to make sure your letting the saw do the work and not pushing too hard. What brand saw did you get?

 

[British Red]

It could be that your saw is binding in the kerf. Is the blade deeper into the wood than it's own width (buried into the wood)?If so it's likely that the kerf is pinching the blade like a brake. Wedging the kerf can reduce this.

 

[Broch]

I like to have the saw blade so tight that if you take hold of it in the middle you can't twist it more than 45 degrees. The only all-purpose blade is one for green wood - that will cut green and seasoned wood. Any other will bind in green wood. If it's a good quality, greenwood blade (there are some rubbish ones on the market), and it's clean as mentioned above, it shouldn't stick.

 

[C_Claycomb]

I have a frame saw tightened by a windlass in my workshop for wood working, when not in use I do slack it off a bit.

Is the saw still cutting straight, or is it cupping?

I can tell you that this saw was not highly tensioned, and it worked fine (new "green wood" Bahco blade) to provide our group with cooking fire wood for five days.

DSC02253 by Last Scratch, on Flickr
DSC02196 by Last Scratch, on Flickr

 

[Stew]

I like to have the saw blade so tight that if you take hold of it in the middle you can't twist it more than 45 degrees. The only all-purpose blade is one for green wood - that will cut green and seasoned wood. Any other will bind in green wood. If it's a good quality, greenwood blade (there are some rubbish ones on the market), and it's clean as mentioned above, it shouldn't stick.

What are you thinking for decent quality blades - I always think bahco but are there others to consider?

 

[Kav]

Two, and one man crosscut felling and bucking and dimensional saws
Come with Lance, Champion and Tuttle tooth patterns. The lance has
Both cutting and raker teeth for soft and Greenwood’s, the rakers ( the outer curled teeth) help cut the fibers and push out chips as the teeth cut deeper. The other pattern are variations on the old Roman saws that use raw power to cut hard and seasoned woods

 

[Kav]

The old ‘Pit Saws ‘ employed two men cutting dimensional timber. One man in a pit pulled down and was the ‘pitman’ recognized by a straw hat for falling sawdust. The
Tillerman above would raise and guide the saw for each cut. He’s the guy in the old Cat Stevens song.

 

[Broch]

What are you thinking for decent quality blades - I always think bahco but are there others to consider?

Bahco (2TPI) or Fiskars, Roughneck are OK, but definitely not Silverline IMO.

 

[Broch]

The old ‘Pit Saws ‘ employed two men cutting dimensional timber. One man in a pit pulled down and was the ‘pitman’ recognized by a straw hat for falling sawdust. The
Tillerman above would raise and guide the saw for each cut. He’s the guy in the old Cat Stevens song.

Very frequently, the 'pitman' in the estates around here was a 'pit woman' - a dreadful, tiring, dirty job with constant eye problems from the various wood dusts and I dare say lung and breathing problems later in life

 

[Kav]

Silky saws have become a bushcraft ‘MUST’ along with paracord, pharaoh rods and scandi grinds. I know, they outperform even a cheap chainsaw.
You show up with OMG- a Bahco Laplander, you poor soul; and it’s Monty Python ‘ Bring out yerdead’
My hickory bucksaw has 3 spare blades; one Bahco hard and two soft/wet blades in a package no bigger than a comparable Silky.
If I’m tired, cold or hungry ( dummy
Plan ahead next time) it’s macro size and forgiving blades cut wood
Like their tooth patterns have for centuries. I’ve even managed to cut
Soft wood with hard blade and vs a vs. It’s not impossible.
To many tools have substituted performance over robustness and user skill.

 

[swotty]

I've not encountered the problem you mention with a bucksaw but I carry a wax candle in my tool kit for panel saws if the blade is binding. Just a bit of a rub with the candle and it stops....might be worth a go for you?

 

[John Elstob]

Are you using the correct blade for the wood your trying to cut?

In general I do find tightening the windlass works but also you have to make sure your letting the saw do the work and not pushing too hard. What brand saw did you get?

The saw does not have any brand name bud, i got from a maker on etsy. When I got the saw when came had an irwin multipurpose blade in and was dreadful. As try as I might the blade would not tighten sufficiently to stop blade movement. I ended up snapping the original string (that was paracord) trying to get sufficient tension so the original blade would stop flexing, bowing. I swapped it out for a Bahco blade straight away and it made a difference straight away. But the blade still wander's when in the kerf, it cups, an jumps too. I also am trying not to use brute force when cutting.

 

[Stew]

How does the e tension compare to your metal framed bow saw? I would expect it to be similar.

I’m wondering if the way the frame has been made it can’t exert sufficient force on tightening the blade.

 

[FerlasDave]

In that case I’d probably assume something similar to stew. Perhaps it’s not made using a suitable material.

 

[John Elstob]

I have a frame saw tightened by a windlass in my workshop for wood working, when not in use I do slack it off a bit.

Is the saw still cutting straight, or is it cupping?

I can tell you that this saw was not highly tensioned, and it worked fine (new "green wood" Bahco blade) to provide our group with cooking fire wood for five days.

DSC02253 by Last Scratch, on Flickr
DSC02196 by Last Scratch, on Flickr

Yes the saw blade does cup and on stuff that 4" plus it will not cut straight

 

[Stew]

Do you mind sharing pics of your saw?

 

[Kav]

If I may, no promotion intended; www.bonevalleyco.com
I bought my 24” bucksaw and a matching hickory handled knife.
Good people and friends. You can
Read comments about the various wood characteristics, including an impact test and chart.
It may be a design fault, or issue with the wood’ stability.

 

[C_Claycomb]

Yes the saw blade does cup and on stuff that 4" plus it will not cut straight

Bin the blade. Something is bent and there is no (practical) fixing it. Once a blade starts to cup cut no amount of tension you can apply will return it to straight.

Good news is that causing the bend that causes cupping is almost always down to user handling and technique, not an inherent quality of a particular saw frame, although the weight and balance of a backsaw frame might lead you to poor technique at first before you get used to it.

this is the video to watch. Mors Kochanski ”Saws”.