I am sharpening a bunch of 36″ and 48″ long frame saw blades so it seemed like the perfect excuse to build a specialized saw vise for these big blades. I’m building what is usually called the “Lie Nielsen Saw Vise” since it was shown in a Lie Nielsen You Tube video. This design can be scaled down very easily for more “normal” sized saws too. Enjoy!
The frame saw blades I’m sharpening here are made by Blackburn Tools.
Excellent video, Shannon. And fortuitous timing, as I need to make a vice for a saw building class with Matt Cianci I have moving up in April.
Will work on that this week, maybe.
TKW
I have had good luck with my saw vise (a lot smaller than yours) without the hinges. I just used an oversize block on the bottom, screwing both of the vise’s sidewalls to it. With no clamping pressure, it loosens plenty enough to insert saw plates, and tightens up working exactly like yours.
Do you see any benefits to installing the hinges?
Not at all and your method sounds like a great solution. After all how wide do you really need the jaws of a saw vise to open right. I was going to use leather hinges like Lie Nielsen did, but I had that hinge set floating around and I thought it would help keep the jaws aligned better.
This is a really nice saw vice.
I made one that has a couple differences done with a plane.
If you plane a bevel on the rails that hold the blade so that the top edge is a little proud of the bottom edge, then the vice will grip more firmly at the top. I like the leather and I think this may perform a similar function.
Also, for single bench vise use, if you plane the rails a little hollow, then you can get them to grip the blade more firmly at the extreme ends.
In fact, a couple well shaped boards can accomplish the whole deal, but require fiddling the adjustment. Yours looks like a no-worries solution.
John
Quick question I do not have a front vise and am planning on using two clamps to squeeze my jaws together (my vise will only be about 12″long btw) would you recommend using a slight backwards spring joint so I have some increased pressure in the middle? Just a few plane strokes on the ends of the top “jaws” is all I am talking about I am worried about the limited throat depth on my “F” style clamps not being able to stop any vibration (and annoying file sound) in the middle of the saw blade. I am not planning on using leather. Thank you Great Work.
