Dovetail Saw Kit Assembly Instructions
1. Begin by squaring up the rear portion of the area relieved for the
blade back in the top forward portion of the handle. This slot is
machined with a specially ground mill and will be the correct depth and
width only needing the radius at the rear squared up so that the blade
back seats properly.
2. The next step is to drill the holes through the blade for the
mounting screws. This is done with a sharp 3/16 drill. If you are going
to use a power drill or drill press for this operation it must turn
slowly! The blade is relatively hard and if the drill turns to fast it
will burn up! The preferred method is to seat the blade in the handle as
you want it, then clamp everything down with a screw hole aligned with
the drill bit and drill the first hole. Then place a screw partially
into this hole and repeat the process for the second hole. It is very
dangerous to hold the blade while drilling these holes! The drill can
easily catch in the thin blade material and spin the entire saw, which
can due great damage to the operator. Please take your time and clamp
things down!
3. After drilling these holes remove the blade and begin shaping the
handle itself. This can be done with only a sharp carving knife or you
can use chisels if you prefer. Next I use a half round file to smooth
things up and finish with various grits of sandpaper. This will take a
while; I would estimate 2 hours for the average builder. Finish in the
manner you prefer, I like a Tung Oil finish but everyone has their own
preferences.
4. The last step is to clean up the screws and install them in the saw.
Simply file the small tit off of the screw heads, finish it and the
split nut section by polishing them on a sheet of fine (about 220) grit
sandpaper laying on a flat surface. You will need to make a tool to
install the split nuts if you don’t already have one, you will need one
in the future anyway as you acquire more old tools and other saws that
have split nuts that are loose. Simply take a thin bladed screwdriver
that fits the slot in the nuts and using a small rat-tail file, file a
small notch in the center of the blade deep enough to clear the screw.
Put the screws in with the heads on the left side of the handle with the
saw in a using position, you may have to tap them into place using a
piece of hard dowel and a mallet. Place the nuts on and tighten them
until snug. Now you are ready to cut dovetails!
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