Bow saw

[Tim Ault]

Wood working has always been my weak area so not well well versed in what saw works for what best . But my question is for removing excess wood from a blank like along the forestock will a bow saw work for ripping ? I am planning on using a aluminum guide on each side of the wood to keep the cut straight . I don't have a band saw and only other saw I have is paps old handsaw .  alternate method would be a sawall with a suitable wood blade . If there's other methods for us that don't have bandsaws  please let me know what works and what don't .

Thanks , Tim

[rich pierce]

Yes a bow saw or frame saw will work. There are wider blades available. If hard sugar maple be prepared to take some breaks. I’m not sure a guide works because of the set of the teeth.

[oldtravler61]

 I have a bandsaw but lately. I have been using my sawsall.
  Work's well for me an can keep it on track with the lines I have marked on the stock. Warning don't use the ripper blades. I use the metal cutting blades. Smoother cut.
 Oldtravler

[smylee grouch]

I'm just speculating but would a blade with no set be better for rip saw work along the barrel channel or any other section of the blank?

[heinz]

I use a Diston D7 rip saw.  The rip saw has coarser teeth and less set to the blade.  If you do not know how to sharpen one, look it up on You tube.  Rip saws are much easier to sharpen than a cross-cut.   

[Pukka Bundook]

I'm with Heinz on this.
Have an ancient Joseph Peace rip saw.   it cuts very well, but of course won't cut around corners/curves.

[bob in the woods]

A good rip saw will do the job easily.  It took me a few minutes to cut out the stock blank from the plank.  Hardly worth walking over and setting up the bandsaw.  Even the curves were roughed out with angled cuts.

[Tim Ault]

Thanks all I'll give it a go with the bow saw or go see if I can find a rip saw locally . The alum guides I mentioned were not to run the blade up against but more for me to use as line as for me anyways it's hard to see a pencil line on walnut wood .

[Clint]

Try flea markets and antique stores for a nice old rip saw. Study on the web to see exactly what the teeth look like and also buy a brand new three sided file. I use my Henry Diston 11 tooth to rip  lots of thick oak cherry and maple. I knew a man who's father worked in shipyards , north of Boston in the 1920's . My elderly friend told me that he helped his father, on weekends, to rip fire wood with a saw rather than split it. So, if you are not overly experienced with wood tools you may be surprised how well the old hand saws work, after you have sharpened a rip saw, you may want to try a crosscut saw. Remember, these saws have been around for hundreds of years and have had a lot to do with some pretty nice wood work.
CW

[mikeyfirelock]

I use a frame saw.....offers the ability to re orient the blade to make cuts from different directions, and is capable of gentle curving cuts, and several options on type of teeth.

[heinz]

Tim, if necessary plane the surface enough you can get a good line.  On the straight cut, mark them with a knife cut line, and then fill the line with pencil (or you can do the cut through the pencil line iif you want to pencil first).  It is easier to follow the knife cut than just a pencil line.

[Tim Ault]

Thanks Mr Heinz I'll try that trick . If  still have issues seeing the line I was going to give the area a light coating of white spray paint and then pencil the line like I said with my vision not sure if it's the color blindness or what but it's very hard to see that line on this walnut . Again thank you

[heinz]

I forgot to mention, wax the saw blade.  I just run a beeswax block over the teeth lightly.  Regular candle wax will also work.

[Pukka Bundook]

As mentioned above, it's important to set rip saw teeth in correct manner, not like a cross-cut.
If an old saw turns up with all "cows and calves" for teeth, there are still businesses that will strip and re-tooth a saw.
It can be doe ant home, but is a lot of work if not used to it.

[LilysDad]

You can use a white or other color pencil.

[Clark Badgett]

I use a silver welders pencil on walnut. Get the free stubs from our welders at work.