More On a Saw

I don't know if another maker did it but it was a good idea. We often fail to realise that contrary grain gluing can indeed constrain wood to prevent it shrinking or expanding and it can do that without the grain splitting. You see using thin wood like with veneering and also narrow components allows for a little more tolerance. I have often seen thin veneers of mahogany on pine for instance which will expand and contract with the pine even though the two woods are generally incompatible with regards to equal shrinkage and expansion capacities. The thinner the veneer the more likely it will expand and that's why it is indeed so common to see the partnership work.

Spear & Jackson, as well known for its connecting ampersand between the two names and rarely seen arranged with an 'and', developed the spindle of 10mm beech rod to pass straight through the closed handle of their saws to add cross grain strength to what is a weak point in saws.

I wanted to see exactly what was through the middle because the black cover dot disguised what was below the surface. I thought it might be concealing a threaded rod of some type as that is what it looks like from the top. Wrong! Just wood.

I reglued the rod in place but could see that the handle had been subjected to climate change and had shrunk 1/8" of an inch from top to bottom. I suspect a batch had been made with wood not fully dried down because of the range of shrinkage. A quick trim and sand and it is now as good if not better than when it was first made.

The final shaping of the teeth gave me a saw that really gave me what I wanted. Just setting left now.