A Better Coping Saw - Complete Tutorial

[BobSmalser]

As the lads I'm writing for have made good progress in the last year, the next article I write for them is gonna be on something a bit more complicated than basic tools and joinery:

Store-bought coping saws never work to their potential because those flimsy steel frames don

[capt jake]

Bob, you do such nice work! I hate reading your posts, because I want to go out and throw away all of my tools!

You do truely impressive work! A level I will attempt to achieve in some lifetime. :) I hope!

[BobSmalser]

No biggie. The hard part is perfecting the design.

When I get that done and post the pattern, anybody with a drill press. solder and a 1/4X20 die can make one. The handle can be 8-sided by those without lathes.

[P Doug (WA)]

That is nice. Again it is thank you for sharing. What did you use for the blade?

[BobSmalser]

The blade mounts are merely two saw cuts in the end of drill rod cut to length and filed where necessary to fit the stock coping saw blades.

I bevel the ends slightly using an electric drill and grinder, both for neat and in preparation for cutting threads where required

[Charlie Jones]

I LIKE that. I think I need one of those in MY shop.

Very nice Bob. Do you have a LITTLE more detail on the blade holders?

[jakehaynie]

Nice! Can't wait for all the details, especially for the caulking mallet. You are indeed a true artisan. Keep posting.

Jake Haynie

[BobSmalser]

I counterbore holes for the necessary washers that distribute the considerable stress of the blade mounts and tension rod across a wide area of the handle. As the hole for the drill rod is already present, and it would have been difficult to bore these to the correct depth while the stock was still rectangular, I index the flats of the handle on the drill press table using blocking and fill the hole with a tight dowel to better index the pilot of the Forstner bit. This is another opportunity to hide an off center hole by offsetting the washer within the tolerances of its fit around the rod. If I were using wood prone to splitting at the holes, like any flatsawn ring-porous wood, I would bed these holes in dyed marine epoxy. The best method for this is to drill the initial holes oversize, fill them with epoxy under light heat to better soak into the wood pores, damming one end of the hole with masking tape, and redrill them to the correct size after curing.

I clean up the saw marks on the drill press using a drum sander, and round over the edges using a router with 3/8 round over bit. Then I do some minor rasp and file work that distinguishes these pieces from something that can be done in a factory. I change the radius of the curves so as to better fit the hand, and add some subtle curves in the handle

[Charlie Jones]

Thank you- 'tis all clear now. The pins were my real hangup in understanding.

When I have time to breathe again after finishing this boat, I'm going to dig this back out and build myself one.

Again, as usual, very nice work.

[BobSmalser]

Updated.