to match the taper of the brass pin. The other arm is a replacement, less well-shaped but precise in its joinery. Make a Shapely Bowsaw The maker of this arm just drilled a straight hole for the handle. The saw frame shows evidence of the shaping by willard anderson process in various drill, rasp, carving gouge and saw marks. The shoulders for the mortise-and- tenon joinery for the arm and stretcher were radiused to a 21⁄4" circle and the Proper, tapered handle tenon corners were relieved. The joinery keeps the shoulders tight as the handles holes make this piece seat more deeply with wear, or where there is variation in blade length. The period-correct. mortise for the original arm was drilled with a 5⁄16" bit in three steps, then it was squared. The mortise in the replacement A special find. This bowsaw, which was probably made in the mid-1800s, was discovered at a arm was just chopped out. Mid-West Tool Collectors Association meeting. The rectangular mortise in the whorl he bowsaw is an ancient tool appears to have been cut with a mortis- and a member of a class of saws ing machine in two steps, halfway from during use, which may happen once a T called frame saws, in which ten- either side of the whorl, based on the straight hole is worn slightly. sion from the frame is designed to hold appearance of rub marks on the inside I do not know if the blade is original the blade taut. Also sometimes called of the mortise. Because this mortise to the saw or not. It does not appear to a “turning saw,” the bowsaw features may have been cut on a machine as be a band saw blade. The 15" blade is 9 a very narrow and thin blade with opposed to by hand, it is possible that points per inch (8 teeth per inch), filed handles that turn in the frame – that the maker purchased this part of the to a rip cut with the blade oriented to makes it particularly useful for cutting bowsaw from a vendor who special- cut on the push stroke. The rake is on curves and fretwork. Because the blade ized in this type of work. The groove average about 17°, which seems high for is attached by means of loose pins that for the cord in the whorl appears to have a ripsaw. The included angle is around X-ray view. This X-ray of the long handle of the are inserted in holes at each end of the been cut to depth with a crosscut saw, a 70° or more, indicating that as the bowsaw reveals the depth of the hardware hole in the handle and the taper of the brass blade, it is easy for a blade to be removed conclusion based on saw marks in the pin at each end. from the frame and slipped through a bottom of the groove. pilot hole in the stock, then remounted The brass pin holding the saw blade is Add tension. This picture shows on the frame for cutting. tapered through the original arm. A local the detail of the windlass, which is Bowsaws range in size from 6" (about veterinarian friend of mine kindly took used to apply tension to the bow- the size of a modern coping saw, which an X-ray of the handle area, which veri- saw blade. is also a frame saw) to about 15" in over- Curvaceous. This bowsaw, a reproduction of a mid-19th-century example with exuberantly fied that the brass hardware was tapered all length. The bowsaw contrasts with curved arms, features traditional tapered pins – unlike modern commercial bowsaws. into the handle as well. The holes in the other frame saws, such as veneer and handles were drilled very deep – much felloe saws, which feature wider blades longer than the pins required. There are fixed in the center of the frame and are purchase, then asked the owner to lend 1835 and 1863. The handles were made grooves on the pin inside the handle, typically used for ripping or cutting it to me so that I could make a reproduc- in the earlier years of the James How- indicating that the pin was probably stock lengthwise. tion. He generously gave his consent. arth firm, based on the stamp details. glued in place initially. Later, a steel I spied the antique bowsaw shown in Here’s irony: The cost of reproducing But if the handles were sold separately, cross pin was inserted through the the top right photo on the facing page this bowsaw exceeded the original’s then it is hard to say when the complete minor diameter of the handle to lock Period marks. Note the crossed at a tool sale, judged it too expensive to price. However, what I got for my extra bowsaw was actually made. the handle in place on the brass pin. scribe marks on the stretcher made money was an invaluable lesson in the The feature of this saw that appealed All of the modern bowsaws I’ve by the original maker and used design and construction of the form. to me most was the delicate windlass looked at have straight handle pins, and to lay out the arc of the tenon used to tension the blade. The toggle all of the antique bowsaws I’ve looked shoulder. “Men admire the man who can About the Saw of the windlass is neatly tenoned into at have tapered pins. Tapering the pins organizetheir wishes and thoughts The history of the bowsaw I used as the stretcher’s mortise, and is tenoned through the bowsaw arms locks the in stone and wood and steel and a model is interesting. Although the through a mortise in the whorl. One of handles in place by the wedging action maker of this saw is unknown, we do the saw’s arms is shaped very gracefully of the taper, as well as by the tension brass.” know that the boxwood handles were and was likely the original construc- from the windlass. This is an excellent Maker’s — Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803 - 1882) made by James Howarth, a toolmaker in tion, because the brass blade hardware mechanical method to ensure that the scribe marks American philosopher and essayist Sheffield, England, who worked between is fitted into a tapered hole in the arm saw does not rotate about the handles

44 ■ popular woodworking magazine November 2011 lead photo by al parrish; step photos by the author; illustrations by linda watts from the author’s drawings popularwoodworking.com ■ 45 user refiled the blade, he focused the NOTE: These illustrations are not drawn to relative scale. file on the leading edge of each tooth, 1∕2" which would explain why the rake was so high. The teeth have a heavy set: 6 thousandths on each side. 5⁄8" 1" For the following reasons, this bow- 11∕2" saw was probably made by a user. First, 13⁄8" manufacturers often stamped their 4" work but this saw has no stamp on the Ream. Before turning each handle to its final body. Second, the curvature of the arms dimensions, use a hand reamer to ream the 9⁄ is exuberant. In commercial bowsaws, Pin hole. Drill a 32" hole in one end of each holes so that the brass pin is just shy of fully 13⁄8" the handle, the mortise shoulders and handle blank. seating. the finial are usually in a line, which 23⁄4" allows all of the joinery and the holes to be cut from straight and square stock. is often used. I cut my boxwood log to but many other options are possible. This particular bowsaw had to be par- length and cut the handle blanks from The weakest part of the arm is at the handle layouts tially shaped in order to get access to the the log just shy of the pith. Drill one end finial, so orient the template to give the 137⁄8" joinery surfaces for drilling the holes of the blanks to 9⁄32" (the small diameter longest grain in this region. Saw two and cutting the mortise. And third, of the brass pins). parallel cuts to define the front and back the degree of shaping of the bowsaw While the blanks are in the rough, of the arms as much as possible. Plane arms and stretcher is quite refined and ream the holes using a hand reamer until and spokeshave these two surfaces flat 1⁄16" required a lot of handwork – which the pins are just shy of seating completely. and square. 3⁄8 1 " 3 1 ⁄4" 1∕4 would likely not have been economi- Turn the handles to their final dimen- I inserted a 3⁄8"-thick spline into a ⁄4" 1 " 5 cal in production. sions. The handles are then carefully 3⁄4"-deep slot into the end of each arm, ⁄16" 5 reamed for the final snug fit of the pin. at right angles to the face of the arm. The ⁄16"

Gather Your Materials Coat the pins with hide glue and tap them 3 1∕2" 3 ⁄8" I generally cut my blades from band into place. Because the hole in the small saw blades but you can find 15" 9 ppi handle is so much shorter than in the 1 11∕2" 1 pinless blades (note that these are only long handle, two reamers will be needed, ∕2" ∕2" 1 3 14 ⁄2" hole to hole) at traditionalwood one cut to length for the small handle. 1∕2 16 ⁄4" 5 " ⁄16" worker.com. 5 I bought this project’s Turkish box- Arms 11∕4" ⁄8" wood as a log from Tropical Exotic On most bowsaws, the inside face of the Hardwoods. The quartersawn Euro- arm at the handle hole, the mortise and pean steamed beech was purchased by the finial are all in a line. This makes Whorl layout special order through a local dealer. it easy to lay out and cut the holes and 51⁄2" You’ll also need two taper reamers. I joinery on square stock, then to shape recommend the Brown and Sharp No. the arm afterward. 1 3⁄4" 1 ∕2" 2 taper (1⁄2" per foot). But on this bowsaw, the curvature of ∕2" The tapered brass hardware for the the arm is so exuberant that the finial is handles is copied from the Howarth well in front of the mortise. Therefore, 1" design and machined to my specifica- the arm needs to be partially shaped Spline. While the tool I was copying didn’t tions. It’s available at edwardsmountain before the joinery is done. I used per- have this spline, I added it to reinforce the woodworks.com. fectly quartersawn beech for the frame tapered hole for the handle. I made extensive photographs, draw- ings and measurements of the original 53⁄4" 33⁄4" saw and of the brass pins in particular. I then made templates for laying out the Bowsaw 2" arms and the stretcher. The schematics No. ITem dimensions (inches) material Comments 9⁄32" of these are on the facing page. T w l

Cut your pieces to the dimensions 3⁄4 1 3 ❏ 2 Arms 5 14 Beech* Quartersawn 1 ⁄4" ⁄4" 3 1 3 on the cut list at right (these are the ❏ 1 Stretcher ⁄4 1 ⁄4 16 ⁄4 Beech* Quartersawn 3 ⁄4 3⁄8 3 3 3 " " dimensions that the stock needs to be ❏ 1 Toggle ⁄8 ⁄4 5 ⁄4 Beech* Quartersawn 1 1 ⁄2" 3⁄4" prior to shaping). ❏ 1 Whorl 5⁄8 11⁄4 33⁄8 Beech* Quartersawn 1 1 ❏ 2 Handles 1 ⁄2 1 ⁄2 4-6 Boxwood** toggle layout Arm layout Handles * Or hickory, ash, maple or other straight-grained hardwood 5⁄16" Any tight, straight-grained wood would ** Or ebony, dogwood or other hardwood be suitable for handles, but boxwood Stretcher Layout

46 ■ popular woodworking magazine November 2011 popularwoodworking.com ■ 47 original bowsaw does not have such a The first shaping can be done either Size the Stretcher lay out the arcs on the tenon shoulders spline, but I have often seen these on by cutting along the layout line with The stretcher length is dependent on and on the mortise cheeks so they would other examples of the tool. The spline a coping saw or a bowsaw, or alterna- the length of the blade to be used (hole match. An alternative method (one that ends just below the handle hole and tively cutting to the profile line with a to hole), plus how far the handle pins the original maker used) is to define the functions to prevent the handle from series of closely spaced crosscuts, then extend through the arms. Both of these arc on the stretcher using a divider set splitting under the force of the taper chopping out the waste with a chisel. will depend on how the blade was made to the radius of the circle. The maker from the pins. I used both methods and they took me and how the arms were shaped and found the midpoint on the stretcher by The handle hole is drilled from exactly the same amount of time. In reamed. To get an accurate measure- scribing a curve from each corner of the both faces of the arm to ensure that it either case, rasp the blanks to the final ment, assemble the handles in the arms tenon shoulder, then used this midpoint is square to the handle. Scribe the mid- profile. At this point, draw a centerline and insert the blades into the brass pins. to scribe the arc across the width of the line from both cheeks, then scribe a line completely around the arm stock, then Measure the distance from the inside stretcher. Lay out the tenons as 5⁄16" Whorl. To lay out and cut the mortise on Groove. To cut the groove on the whorl that 1 1" up from the bottom. Clamp the stock lay out the waist and the taper profiles face of each arm. This will be the length thick and ⁄2" long at either end. Lay out the whorl, start with square stock and draw holds the string in place, use an 11-sweep 10 in a vise flush with the bench surface, symmetrically. of the stretcher measured from the bot- a second tenon shoulder at 3⁄4". Cut the centerlines on both faces, then use a gauge to mm gouge to define the depth, then switch to and drill the hole with a 9⁄32" bit, using a Shape the waist profile first, then cut tom of the arc of the two tenon shoul- tenons to the first shoulder. Lay out the define the mortise on both faces, and chop in an 8-sweep 11 mm gouge to shape the curve square to help keep the drill vertical. the tapers. The taper is not straight, but ders. In addition, allow for the height arc using the template or dividers set to from both sides with your chisel. up the groove’s sides. When reaming for the handle, the rather fat near the mortise, then curving of the arc (approximately 1⁄4"), plus the the second shoulder. Chop the curved goal is to seat the handle so that it is to about 3⁄8" thick at the finial. Clamp length of the tenons (approximately shoulder profile with vertical cuts using locked in by the taper and not by abut- the arm almost horizontally in a vise, 1⁄2"). This accounts for an additional a bench chisel. Taper the two long edges Once the mortise is cut, lay out fair topped it with a final coat of wax. ting the arm. This is a trial-and-error and support in underneath with a block 11⁄2" of stock length. of the tenons and knock off the corners curves using the centerlines as a refer- The final task is to string the saw. process until the gap between the arm to hold the finial up a bit. of the ends of the tenons. ence. The whorl is cut to shape with a I used a heavy cotton twine, but jute and the handle is 1⁄8" to 1⁄4". If you taper Shape the curve with a spokeshave. Cut the Tenons coping saw, then rasped smooth. would work, too. I tied one end with a too far, you can take a few shavings from The transitions from curved surfaces The mortise-and-tenon joints where the Cut the Toggle Mortise To cut the groove, first lay out 1⁄16"- loop, then wound the string around the the outside face of the arm until the to flat surfaces (at the mortise and the stretcher meets the arms are meant to The mortise is centered on the long edge wide marks on all edges. Clamp the finials three full times. On the fourth handle seats properly. You will correct handle hole) should be crisp and square rotate to account for slight variations in of the top of the stretcher. This mortise whorl in a vise and use an 11-sweep 10 course, I cut the string off halfway for this when you make the stretcher. to the profile and meet at the corners of the effective blade length at the handles, is meant only to catch the toggle of the mm gutter gouge to define the depth of around then wove the end through the The mortise is as wide as the stretcher each edge. Define these shoulders with as the handles wear in and seat over windlass. The mortise measures 5⁄16" the slot, then shape the curve up to the three strings on one side. (11⁄4"), with shoulders only on the careful rasp and shallow gouge work. time. The tenon shoulders are curved by 1⁄2" and is approximately 1⁄2" deep. edges with an 8-sweep 10 mm gouge. Now insert the toggle and whorl cheeks. Eventually the mortise cheeks The last shaping step is to round with an arc (a 21⁄4" diameter) over the Note that the tenon on the toggle is only Refine the groove with a round rasp between the two groups of three strands are cut to an arc, but for now they are left over the long edges of the arms. On full width of the stretcher material and 9⁄32" long. and sandpaper. and turn the windlass until the blade straight. The dimensions of the mortise the inside long edges, taper the round- this arc matches the arc cut on the mor- The toggle is designed so that the is tight. The blade should have a sharp are 5⁄16" wide and 3⁄4" deep. I chopped ing down from the finial and along the tise cheeks. Shape the Stretcher shoulder-to-shoulder length between pitch when plucked, but not be over- this with a sash mortise chisel. waist of the lower arm to end at points The tenons are tapered and rounded The stretcher is shaped in much the same tenons is just a bit longer than the dis- tight (this is a matter of feel and, ulti- at the shoulders. Use a spokeshave to at the ends to give play in the joint. The way as the arms. There is a straight, flat tance between the top of the stretcher mately, of performance). Shape the Arm round the profile through the shoul- cheek faces of the mortise and the tenon area at each end of the stretcher approxi- and the bottom of the whorl when the When the saw is not in use, release The arm is shaped from three perspec- ders along the whole length of the arm should be snug, however. I cut a template mately 2" in length where the tenons toggle is in place. So, the tension of the the windlass a turn or two so that the tives: the face profile (laid out with the along the outside edges of the arms. The to match the width of the stretcher stock begin, and an area of about 11⁄2" in the string pushes the two toggle tenons tension is off the blade but the saw template), the long edge view (to lay out effect will be for the shoulder arrises to (11⁄4") and shaped inside and outside center for the mortise. Each of these ele- snugly into their respective mortises. pieces remain together. PWM a narrow waist between the handle and curve up and down from the mortise arcs at both ends. I used this template to ments is defined by crisp shoulders. The The tenon through the whorl is fairly the mortise, and a taper up to the finial) area in gentle arcs. At the finial, carve area between these elements is shaped snug and protrudes through the whorl. Bill works and teaches woodworking classes in his workshop at the base of Edwards Mountain in and, finally, by rounding the outside the rounding to give a pleasing neck at in two dimensions to give it a waist. I The tenon into the stretcher is relatively Chapel Hill, N. C. edges to half-circle profiles. the bottom of the whorl. cut these waist profiles using both the loose (approximately 1⁄32" shy in both coping saw and the crosscut methods, dimensions). rough shaping with rasps and defining Lay out the toggle tenons with a mor- u Go Online for more … the shoulders with gouges. tise gauge, then cut them with a bench chisel (because so little material has For links to all these online extras, go to: Make the Windlass to be removed). Shape the waist, start- u popularwoodworking.com/nov11 The windlass has two parts: the toggle ing approximately 3⁄8" from each tenon video: Bill has been a repeat guest on and the whorl. shoulder. Because the cuts are so shal- Roy Underhill’s PBS show “The Wood- wright’s Shop.” The string whorl has a central low, use a rasp for this step. blog: Read more about James Howarth through-mortise. Lay out the whorl and see his trade card. on square stock. Draw centerlines The Finishing Steps web site: Find out about the Mid-West and carry these around on both faces. The period bowsaw I copied for this Tool Collectors Association – the Center the mortise on these centerlines build appears to have been stained world’s largest organization of its type. using a mortise gauge and one long and – although this could be patina from in our store: “Understand and Use a one short reference edge of the stock. In age. I decided to sand my bowsaw parts Bowsaw,” from October 2010. Play. The ends of the stretcher are rounded to 1⁄ allow a little play in the joint. You can lay out this manner, you can chop the 2" long, up to #220 grit. I then applied three Our products are available online at: 5 Shape the arms. You can cut the shape with a coping saw or bowsaw, or make a series of crosscuts the curve from the template or set a pair of ⁄16"-wide mortise accurately from both coats of shellac, and followed that by u ShopWoodworking.com and chop the waste with a chisel. dividers or compass to scribe the curve. faces using a bench chisel. buffing with #0000 steel wool, then

48 ■ popular woodworking magazine November 2011 popularwoodworking.com ■ 49