Hello,

After years of circular saw use and other material referencing tools, I am looking to grow the "freedom tools" of my kit. Once I have my axe and saw I think I will about have it. So, after getting snubbed on ebay in the last few seconds of an auction for disston handsaws, I thought I would try here. If any of you have a handsaw that you might want to part with (I know, this is a longshot) send me a pm please. Looking for a good crosscut.

Thanks,

Mo

I use a docking saw for larger work. The Stanley Sharp Saw for smaller work. I like the title Freedom Saw. I resharpen the docking saw but not the Sharp Saw. The freedom comes in where you can reuse the older saw easily. Most of the Sharp saws have hardened teeth. They sure cut nice though.

I just received in the mail a new tool catalog, in which I found some frame saws with replacement blades. I am curious at to how these would work for joinery? Also if the blade is sharpenable?

A nice rip saw is good to have at hand as well.

What else is in your freedom tool kit?

Tim

I've seen some frame saws that use a tooth like the Stanley Sharptooth. My concern is that you will be limited by the depth of the saw. Might be ok for 6" stuff, but bottom out on larger. I'd have to see one. I've got to learn how to sharpen hand saws, I've got all the tools around here.

Tim, I remember that docking saw from the workshop. I could tell when you were using it across the tent. It has a very distinct sound. The Stanley saws are nice, but sometimes I think that they may be a little too fine for end cutting an 8"x12" timber.

I most often use the chain saw of dropping drops, cutting the shoulder would allow the use of the frame saw, I think. I may try a replacement blade and make the frame.

The sharp saw will handle and 8x12 but not with out side effects. They work better on dry wood.

One thing I noticed with the sharp saw is the longer 26" blade with the 12 points not 8 or 9 will fold if you push it too hard. I used to complain they did not make a nice 26" with 8 tpi, I understand why now. The bodies are all the same thickness and can't handle the force applied to the longer blade, they are doing a lot of work. This is why the oriental version is pulled.

An off topic but related question I reasoned out, has to do with my Makita impact driver with the 3 amp hour battery, the larger one. They changed to 1.5 amp hour
batteries which are smaller and lighter. When the tool makes too many falls from great heights the lesser weight battery will not impact the handle and break it. I wonder if the engineers at Makita came up with this solution to save the driver body from breaking. I am using my smaller batteries now and am testing my theory. I like to think of my impact driver as a freedom tool, freedom from those lousy cords.

Tim

so far:

chainsaw (orange)
boring machine
framing chisel
knife
slick
mallet
eastern saw
different handplanes
spokeshave
drawknife

so I guess I need more than the handsaw and axe. possibly a peavey and adze might round it out. The adze still has a lot to teach me. What would you add to the list?

I know this fellow who can build a house out of the back of his truck working on energy from food. Thats a nice option.

Compass/dividers and a string. A simple oil stone, two grits. And misc. other stuff. Might as well be comfortable.

I often wonder what the minimum tool kit would look like.

T-auger
mallet, (site made?)
1-1/2" chisel
slick
knife
one axe
string
dividers
sharpening stone
draw knife
shaving horse (site made)
one handsaw

Not sure a tape measure would be necessary same for the square, a straight edge maybe you could use the back of the saw.

Food, a bag of Oreo cookies, not double stuff and an apple.

I am not very good with lists, I am sure I am missing something. I do like to see what I could do with out sometimes not by choice. Sometime it wrecks the day and other times a discovery is made.

Tim

so long as he doesn't have to move the truck...

plumb line / bob
string or ink line (or chalk line)
slick - yes.

handplanes? depends, maybe a block plane, scrub plane, and something like a #5, although i do love my stanley #10 for tenons and other work...

waterstones
diamond stone
western saw
dozuki (changeable blades)
ryoba
square
layout knife or utility blade
chisel(s) (framing, and furniture sized)
mallet

and more, i'm sure.

Alright, so this isn't exactly on topic, but I sure love my Silky Katanaboy,
as featured in Timber Framing sometime last year. The two foot blade is
especially great for cutting fairly close to the line on crazy compound angles.
It's like a hand-powered chainsaw, only better.

Hey Zach,

Nope right on topic. Thanks for the info.

I am so tempted to get one of those.

Tim

On that Silky Katanaboy, I just wanted to add that I bought a fancy handmade
Japanese saw for well over $100, and it isn't half the saw as the Katanaboy.

I think a smaller saw would probably be appropriate for smaller timbers,
and I haven't used any other Silkys but the pruning saws.
Anyone else have a favorite Japanese or back saw for medium to big work?

Hey Zach,

Does the Katanaboy give a fine enough cut for shoulders?

Anybody used any of these?

LYNX

I've cut shoulders with the kattanaboy on rough-sawn timbers for a barn. It cut's so fast though, you have to be careful. The end grain is pretty remarkably smooth. I highly recommend the saw.

Mo – I've bought some truly wonderful Freedom Saws on ebay, often for very short money. On more than a few occasions, for starting bid price for lack of any other bidders. I have had several of those seemingly elusive Docking Saws arrive on my doorstep, shipping included, for less than the cost of a Stanly Shark Saw at the local Home Despot. You just have to be willing to look at all the pics of that long list of offerings, keywords don't do it. Most sellers have no idea what a user is looking for or how to describe it. Most buyers are collectors and are primarily interested in name of manufacture, and fortunately there were a multitude of very fine saw makers they pay little mind to. Look for features, skew and swept backs, nibs, funky elaborate embellished handles & saw-nuts Rosettes and of course plenty of heel and hardest of all to find (though lacking such is not a deal breaker) timber desirable TPI.

And FYI, orange saws are clown saws.

Tim – Despite my love for well tuned western saws, I am incredibly fond of my Silky Bigboy, so much so, I'm fighting an urge to find my Speedy Stitcher and make a Baldric for it (it is too big to hang on your hip which is why when they became available I finally bought a Gomboy after years of occasionally borrowing the formerly stubby little things) so at any moment I can just reach over my shoulder and have it in hand. Maybe I'll wait on that for a Katanaboy

http://www.silkysaws.com/BIGBOY-2000-Extra-Large-Teeth

Hey Mo,

I have to confess to just getting the Katanaboy, and I've only used it on a couple of logs and smaller yellow cedar timbers. I think it's too rough for cutting to the line. I took a look at the link Will gave, and I think the Big Boy is probably better—comes in a few different TPI choices.

But as I said, the Katanaboy is really nice for crazy angles diagonal to the grain and it cuts pretty straight, to then polish up with a chisel.

--Just took a look, the Katanaboy is 4 TPI, whereas the extra large teeth on the big boy is 5.5

Hey, Thanks for the good info. These silkys look really nice. So I am on their website looking back and forth between the bigboy (extra large coarse: 5.5tpi) and the bigboy (large coarse: 6tpi).

The 6tpi saw has under its description and again under technology has "Mira Me" smooth cutting "technology" and the extra large does not specify the same characteristic.

I am looking to purchase one of these and since I have not used one I am dependent on you good people for advice. I want a saw that is aggressive as possible but also makes a cut that does not need finishing with other hand tools.

It appears that these saws are efficient in cutting all directions in relation to the stick. With enough practice, I think that I would prefer this freedom instead of having to set angles on a circular for compound work.

Which one should I be looking at?

Much thanks.

P.S HUSQY! hehe

This is a good topic. As far as the Lynx saws, don't bother, new English steel is no good. I bought a used Pax saw (same manufacturer as Lynx) at a garage sale for hardly anything and thats all its worth.

Japanese saws are great, but not if you want to sharpen them yourself.

I'd look at getting an old Disston or other antique saw that is straight and has some meat left. Don't worry too much about the teeth pattern, a saw shop can punch out and sharpen them to whatever suits your fancy. More than likely you can find a local saw shop that will do this for you, if not I'd suggest these guys: www.badaxetoolworks.com

If I had the money for a handmade: www.eccentricwoodcraft.com
I tried his rip saw, it was amazing.

That is the ultimate freedom saw, from eccentric. Cool site.

Tim

For me 3-4 TPI is the good stuff...

Though it's a function over form thing. One just has to accept that a shoulder that will never be seen needn't be burnished to some unnecessary level of perfection.

A perfect joint is one that fits well and continues to do so as the timbers it joins seasons.

Words of wisdom to live and work by.

I hear a lot of talk about Japanese saws and American hand saws but I don't hear anything on these forums about bow saws. I've only ever used them growing up cutting Christmas trees or cutting branches that got too close to a building. But, I had a boss in a shop once that talked about a framer he had that had one and said it cut quite quickly. Does anyone use them for framing on a regular basis? If so how?

I got my rip saw from an antique tools collector with a barrel full of hand saws. He liked the collecting aspect of it but his wife told him he had to sell some before he could buy more.

They may steer hard through deeper cuts, but with practice I am told they work well. I have often wanted to try one. You will want a good quality saw, not one of the cheese knock offs, I think Sanvic sold out to ??? I believe it would make a reasonable substitute for one of those orange saws. I don't see them working well in a combination rip/cross cut problem, say on a principle rafter.

Tim

p.s. Be careful of you thumb they jump around when starting and bite.