DIY Frame Saw Blade from Carbon Steel Shim

[@ralphdempsey2874]

Really nice job! Its easy to forget that our forebears made all their tools by hand for thousands of years. I have great respect for you keeping this tradition alive!

[@dr.mcstuffins5977]

Only video I could find for what I needed. Thanks man.

[@JeepTherapy]

John, thank you. I am always pleased by your videos. I hope all is going well for you and yours. Again, thanks.

[@johnzzhu]

Thank you. Glad you've enjoyed them. Just been busy with Fall semester.

[@JeepTherapy]

John Zhu really? May I ask what you’re course of study? You have an engineer’s mind judging by your organization and attention to detail.

[@johnzzhu]

I have a PHD and post-doctorate in the field of Biochemistry.

[@JeepTherapy]

John Zhu oh wow. My wife would love to pick your brain. She loves stuff like that.

[@JeepTherapy]

John Zhu damn my manors. Thanks for sharing.

[@omarbz8681]

This video should get more views

[@johnzzhu]

Good and popular are divergent in this worldly life.

[@omarbz8681]

@@johnzzhu yes indeed, sadly most of the time useless/bad quality/redundant content gets a lot of views and goes viral, meanwhile good content struggle to survive.

[@madfists7106]

Really interesting. Didn't know Chinese frame saws were like that. Looking forward to the series! Well done.

[@johnzzhu]

The Chinese frame saw and European (German) frame saw have the word frame in common, but most of how it's made and all of how it's used are very different. It's like night and day of the same Earth.

[@MRrwmac]

Excellent work! Admittedly I’m surprised you took on this task, but am always amazed at your talent and willingness to take on and complete a new task! That is one great saw. Thanks for the video!

[@johnzzhu]

Thanks Mac. It had to be done, I couldn't find frame saw blades that I liked and of quality 1095 steel. There was enough of a challenge and a lack of any previous examples on youtube for me to make one. Several traditional Chinese woodworking tools are being (have been) made/filmed this was a small part of that series.

[@MRrwmac]

John Zhu Again, Great work and Thank you!

[@matthewharvey8755]

Wow I have made my own rotary blades, but never a buck saw blade.... That's awesome man!

[@rayking3009]

Very cool. You should make a vid on making the frame too. I've enjoyed your work.

[@johnzzhu]

Thanks Ray. The vid is being made now what you see in the vid is a prototype traditional Chinese frame saw. The Chinese frame saw is similar but very different from a German frame saw.

[@SteveFrenchWoodNStuff]

Nicely done, John!

[@johnzzhu]

Thanks Steve.

[@johirulislam9662]

It is very nice tutorial

[@JohnHeisz]

Interesting! I've been thinking off and on about making one of those miter boxes that use this type of blade and making the blade itself was part of that. Had an old 26" hand saw in mind for that, but the plate is thicker than ideal.

[@johnzzhu]

Thanks John. May be it'll be on now. Blade thickness was one of the problems for me. The 1095 spring steel is pretty nice. I think I'd get a 0.02" or a 0.025" for my next plate; the 0.016" gives a really thin kerf, and you know thin kerfs are trendy these days. BTW if you were thinking of using spray paint to transfer the tooth pattern don't waste your time, it was a complete failure for me.

[@johnzzhu]

Bandsaw blades as frame saw blades has been done. They are too often bimetal or heat treated which makes sharpening difficult/impossible w/o diamond files. Hence the need to make my own blades from regular old high carbon steel, the same steel that's been tested for thousands of years. with specific thickness and tooth shape.

[@chadhoffman1102]

John Heisz was here. Freaking awesome.

[@DavidKirtley]

Anywhere that carries ECE tools is a good candidate. Highland woodworking carries a variety. I bought several in different styles and now basically have a lifetime supply. About $10/each. They also have a Japanese style toothed one but I have not been thrilled with the longevity of that type tooth. They are wonderful until they are not.

[@قناةأصواتالطبيعة-س8ز]

Does anyone know what is he doing here? 2:12

[@thilinapradeep8631]

It is amazing. Nice to follow and make a saw

[@nickwindolf4523]

Absolutely killer dude

[@jchancalifornia]

I️ really enjoyed the video thanks for making it!

[@johnzzhu]

You're welcome. Come back for the Chinese frame saw.

[@Lemongrasspicker]

Pretty cool John. Nice work!

[@johnzzhu]

Thank you.

[@rcitpolytechnicinformation3043]

Wow very nice

[@aaronjermain]

I'm so grateful to see videos on Chinese hand saws, with English dialogue. Thank you! The alternate bending of saw teeth is called "set" (i.e. the set of the teeth, setting the teeth, more set, less set, removing the set), the path left by the saw is called the "kerf". Where did you get the steel shim? Is this a common hardstore product?

[@johnzzhu]

You're welcome, I ordered the shims from Amazon.

[@aaronjermain]

Thanks again! Looking forward to making my own.

[@robertbrunston5406]

Thanks John

[@johnzzhu]

You're welcome.

[@zulfiqarahmad3741]

Good and useful video!

[@johnzzhu]

Thanks ZA.

[@mfwoodshop]

Interesting John good info

[@johnzzhu]

Thanks Mike.

[@beyou8958]

nice video i love it

[@wallacelouro721]

Muito bom!

[@TheWoodYogi]

Brilliant John :) I have been thinking about making a frame saw blade for a good while. This has really helped :) I never considered carbon spring steel plate. Your saw turned out great. Thank you :) ॐ

[@johnzzhu]

Thanks yogi. I think you'll like the shim steel is tempered just right for frame saws. The Chinese frame saw video is coming as part of a series of Chinese woodworking tools.

[@TheWoodYogi]

That sounds great :) I'm looking forward to the videos. Will you be covering Chinese joinery techniques at any point?

[@johnzzhu]

No plans. I have a simple joinery palette.

[@hegdespoorti]

I inspired by your video and altered my hecksaw blade It really works, Thank you, love you

[@prashantkudale8273]

What alteration you did, please, cause I'm not finding right blade for it here in india

[@SuperCarlos20000]

Es muy interesante el video esto me ha permitido aprender algo nuevo sobre las sierras, su uso y su mantenimiento, felicitaciones..

[@thomasarussellsr]

Awesome video and inspiration for those hard to find blades. (Just make them yourself.) Where do you find a good saw file though? The files at any of my local "big box" 'hardware' stores are garbage; they all have either twists, bends, broken teeth, or a combination of issues that make them basically useless for this kind of project. Thanks for any help or links to a source for good quality files.

[@johnzzhu]

I am used a standard small file from a big box store. Sorry to hear that you're having trouble with twist and bends; I've never actually had any problems. May be you have the "curse."

[@JeepTherapy]

Ace hardware has Nicholson files. They’re not premium but they will get the job done. I haven’t discovered any twist or anything like that in the ones I’ve bought yet.

[@chadhoffman1102]

Cool as always. You mentioned you built your frame saw..video? I'd be interested to see that.

[@johnzzhu]

Thanks Chad. I am working on a series featuring 6+ different Chinese woodworking tools. I think the first one is the jack plane (filming wrapped up), the frame saw might be after that (still filming).

[@chadhoffman1102]

John Zhu I'll be looking forward to that.

[@Mr86clair]

Hi John, Thanks for a great companion video to the frame saw. Where do you purchase your spring steel plate for your saw blade.

[@johnzzhu]

Always appreciate your kind words. I bout mine from Amazon, though these days not sure if they still have them.

[@naithamsaikumar1236]

super bro

[@js8039]

Lol at the beginning when you thumped that steel you went a little slack jawed. You went away for a bit John?

[@johnzzhu]

Nah, I was just grooving to the sound.

[@bloody_toast8103]

How were you able to make the teeth 'flare out' (making the teeth/kerf slightly wider than the rest of the blade) or was that step omitted ?

[@johnzzhu]

A saw set tool is used to set the kerf. It is not omitted.

[@BladeforgerKLX]

COOL!!! THANKS!!!!!

[@johnzzhu]

You're welcome.

[@weedeater64]

What is this stuff ordinarily use for? ie.. what sort of contractors could I talk to about getting some scraps or buying locally?

[@johnzzhu]

I got mine online.

[@carbonitegamorrean8368]

does that shim come in a 4' length ? I been in need of 48"+ about 2"+ high.

[@johnzzhu]

Yes, you can get them w/ a variety of lengths.

[@argentorangeok6224]

Check out McMaster-Carr or speedy metals for a good selection of 1080/1090 steel.

[@omarbz8681]

Why I didn't find this video before

[@jamesfranklin5541]

at 2:11 what tool is that? What is it for? excellent video sir

[@johnzzhu]

saw tooth set

[@weedeater64]

Did you source the shim stock locally, or where? I looked at grainger and they had some 1095, some of which they describe as full hard where some other had a blank in the hardness description. Is the stock you used hardened? or blue tempered, or what?

[@johnzzhu]

blue tempered (RC50-55), 6" x 48", the thickness is ~ 0.5mm, ordered online from Amazon.

[@قناةأصواتالطبيعة-س8ز]

Does anyone know what is he doing here? 2:12

[@jthadcast]

saw tooth setting tool.

[@18roselover]

fyi AS A possible alternative you can buy a euro german 9 tpi frame saw blade that is intended for a euro frame saw , but the kerf would be wider ?? than the chinese blade.

[@johnzzhu]

There is no set width, thickness, or length to a Chinese saw blade. One could always buy a frame saw blade, the point on the video is to show one how to make one oneself.

[@richnfamous59]

why not just clamp the bandsaw blade to the blanks and use it as a guide?

[@johnzzhu]

try it.

[@johnrush07]

HAYDEN SEI TUUUU?!!!

[@TheMomanslm]

I'm stuck at FOUR CUTTING WHEELS!... Sorry but FOUR cutting wheels sounds like money. Cool video and all... just checked and that's only about $12 so not too bad. If I'm going to make my own blade and cut in the teeth I'm probably going full on stupid and using a file and a guide block. Keep up the good work!

[@johnzzhu]

lol, 4 dremel sized cutting wheels is not $12. For $12 you could get >30 of them.