I'm looking to make a 24-inch handsaw using a 6-inch by 24-inch by .04-inch blue tempered spring steel stock. I have access to a metal shear and some files in addition to a wood shop. My plan is to create a ripcut handsaw with 6 TPI set at 90 degrees. How feasible is this project? Will the blue tempered steel from McMaster-Carr work for this purpose? Any insights into the cutting performance or experiences related to making the handsaw plate would be greatly appreciated!
1 Answer
Making a handsaw is definitely doable, but there are a few key points to consider. If you don't have a way to taper grind the saw plate, which would typically require a surface grinder or some hand scraping skills, then you'll need to add a lot of set to the teeth—otherwise, it won't cut well. Alternatively, you can find taper ground blanks or repurpose a plate from an old saw you have lying around.
Creating the rip cut teeth is pretty straightforward—you can shape them with a triangular file. If you want to boost efficiency, try using power tools, but be cautious! Clamp the saw plate between thicker plates to avoid warping it due to heat.
Regarding your choice of steel, blue temper is solid stuff as it sits around the low 50s HRC. Other types of high or medium carbon spring steels like 1075 and 1095 are also popular choices for this kind of project.
Yeah, but what’s the process for a hand scraped taper grind?