As I move more and more of my woodworking to using hand tools, I have to try and experiment with different elements and techniques of hand tool applications. My latest attempt is re-sawing boards which is most commonly done with band saws.
I have an increasing collection of saws. I have a bow saw that I bought a long time ago (when hand tools were really just a glimmer in my eye and I was still power tool bound) and thought that this would be a great tool to start re-sawing boards with. I found this wasn’t the case. I’m not sure that it’s due to an improper tool choice as it may be to incorrect technique. I found that in using the bow saw, that the blade was hard to keep parallel to the face of the board. It wanted to turn (probably with the grain of the board which was not entirely parallel to the face) and I couldn’t get a straight cut.
After that attempt, I moved to a western style hand saw. Specifically a 26″ rip saw. This worked much better and I was able to get a nice straight cut.
After the board was re-sawn, I planed it smooth and it looked pretty good. Here are some shots:
I think this is a good sign as I keep moving forward with improving hand tool techniques.
