Understanding the variety of Japanese carpentry tools
- Thread starter Minotaur
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That is fascinating - many thanks for posting it. I was particularly interested in the idea that Japanese planes are pulled, not pushed; I'm also intrigued by the double-bladed plane. I wonder if it works like the good ol' Gilette G2 razor...
Again, many thanks for posting it!
I’ve used the Opinel#12 pull saw for a long time so I wonder why I only discovered Japanese type pull saws about five years ago.
Two are now in constant use:
A 350mm pull saw
And
A double sided rasp: fine and coarse, made of a lattice of hacksaw like blades.
I’ve even used these tools with my lathe.
I was intrigued when I first went to Africa to find that the ordinary panel saw was most commonly used to cut upwards; upside down to European convention. The saw is sharpened to pull as much as push.
It takes a little more effort to lift the saw to the cut rather than bear down on it but it is much easier to follow a line with most of the saw out of the way as you cut away from yourself.
Two are now in constant use:
A 350mm pull saw
And
A double sided rasp: fine and coarse, made of a lattice of hacksaw like blades.
I’ve even used these tools with my lathe.
I was intrigued when I first went to Africa to find that the ordinary panel saw was most commonly used to cut upwards; upside down to European convention. The saw is sharpened to pull as much as push.
It takes a little more effort to lift the saw to the cut rather than bear down on it but it is much easier to follow a line with most of the saw out of the way as you cut away from yourself.
All the Silky’s are pull saws so most arborists are used to the technique. Don’t lend a Silky Big Boy to a mate or you’ll hear a nasty ‘click’, followed by muttered swearing.
For fine woodwork, especially marquetry, it’s important not to remove much wood when making panels so as to keep a matching grain pattern (book-matching).
For fine woodwork, especially marquetry, it’s important not to remove much wood when making panels so as to keep a matching grain pattern (book-matching).
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