Next level in the saw shaping. Another hour and you will complete your saw handle.
I use the saw across the grain to shape the underside of the handle as I did for the underside of the handle yesterday.
Then I cut in toward the saw cut from both sides to shape the relief to the handle.
With the shape defined I file and sand to shape.
Now the underside of the handle looks like this.
Now I make an incursion to handle for more grace and shape to the handle.
Use a pencil to rough the shape of the chip carving to one side of the handle.
And then chip with the knife. Begin with a vertical centre-line cut followed by an angle cut towards the knife cut. You must feel for the grain direction so that you are cutting with the grain as much as possible. This will give a clean, incise cut with crisp lines.
With the chip carving done, apply three coats of shellac and steel wool when dry to smooth the finish.
And here is what it looks like when finished with three coats of shellac and wax and polish. Scroll down to blogs below to see it before I reworked it.
6 Comments
Hi! I have been ennoying myself reshaping handles and making new ones from various types of Woods. One of the hurdle I come across is using files and rasps. I have a very fine files that doesn’t a great finishing work, but my rasps (cheap plastic handled ones from the Hardware Store) just seem to be way to coarse. They leave very deep marks and tear too much. I have resorted not to use them anymore. Would there be any ttpe of file or rasp that is coarse enough to remove Material somewhat quickly, but fine enough to leave a surface that is easily finishable by my finer file? Thank you! (I don’t mind paying the price for this sort of gear, since this would certainly help in the shaping of my yet to be built guitar.
Absolutely the best rasps in the world are made by Auriou. Get their cabinet rasp and you can tackle almost anything. Beautiful, costly but know no equal and they last.
Great idea 🙂 My newer vintage saws are in better condition than my older vintage saws but they have unlovely, uncomfortable handles compared to my older saws. I was wondering whether it might be practical to tweak them but needed some guidance – you have provided that guidance. Thanks Paul 🙂
BTW I find a V-tool a handy way of making incised decoration, as you did with your knife. For this type of decoration, I like my small (12mm wide) Ashley Illes 60 degree V-tool, bought used several years ago, off ebay. Some more experienced woodworkers advocate buying only a single large V-tool, as it can make big, medium and small cuts, but I find using the smaller tool reduces both the likelihood that I will cut too deep/wide and the magnitude when I do. Eh hem. The bigger V-tool can be more expressive tho’ (like a wide nibbed caligraphy pen).
Accomplished Swedish carvers often hold the long blade of a Mora 106 woodcarving knife, like a pen, near the tip. And cut just 2 sides of a V-groove (no centre line cut). But those knives are so sharp, I never felt safe holding one like that. I fear losing my grip and slicing through the web of my hand between thumb and index finger – a distinct possibility :(.
Can you comment on the E C Atkins full size saws with the Improved Perfection handles?
The thinking behind them was to keep the wrist at the best (centred ) angle and direct the force straight at the teeth cutting the wood . I aways found the Disston rip saw handle was too vertical and uncomfortable .
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Hi! I have been ennoying myself reshaping handles and making new ones from various types of Woods. One of the hurdle I come across is using files and rasps. I have a very fine files that doesn’t a great finishing work, but my rasps (cheap plastic handled ones from the Hardware Store) just seem to be way to coarse. They leave very deep marks and tear too much. I have resorted not to use them anymore. Would there be any ttpe of file or rasp that is coarse enough to remove Material somewhat quickly, but fine enough to leave a surface that is easily finishable by my finer file? Thank you! (I don’t mind paying the price for this sort of gear, since this would certainly help in the shaping of my yet to be built guitar.
Absolutely the best rasps in the world are made by Auriou. Get their cabinet rasp and you can tackle almost anything. Beautiful, costly but know no equal and they last.
Great idea 🙂 My newer vintage saws are in better condition than my older vintage saws but they have unlovely, uncomfortable handles compared to my older saws. I was wondering whether it might be practical to tweak them but needed some guidance – you have provided that guidance. Thanks Paul 🙂
BTW I find a V-tool a handy way of making incised decoration, as you did with your knife. For this type of decoration, I like my small (12mm wide) Ashley Illes 60 degree V-tool, bought used several years ago, off ebay. Some more experienced woodworkers advocate buying only a single large V-tool, as it can make big, medium and small cuts, but I find using the smaller tool reduces both the likelihood that I will cut too deep/wide and the magnitude when I do. Eh hem. The bigger V-tool can be more expressive tho’ (like a wide nibbed caligraphy pen).
Accomplished Swedish carvers often hold the long blade of a Mora 106 woodcarving knife, like a pen, near the tip. And cut just 2 sides of a V-groove (no centre line cut). But those knives are so sharp, I never felt safe holding one like that. I fear losing my grip and slicing through the web of my hand between thumb and index finger – a distinct possibility :(.
Can you comment on the E C Atkins full size saws with the Improved Perfection handles?
The thinking behind them was to keep the wrist at the best (centred ) angle and direct the force straight at the teeth cutting the wood . I aways found the Disston rip saw handle was too vertical and uncomfortable .