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What Is It? |
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This tool was previously an identification favorite at tool
events. Over time, there have been two accepted explanations
for its use. It's often referred to as a veneer or a stair saw;
after close inspection, these categorizations may bring the
tool's intended function into question. We did the inspection,
and you, the reader, get to see the pictures and make your choice.
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| Close-up of blade-fastening strip |
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The tool's mahogany handle |
This
cutting tool is extremely well made and certainly not small
— it measures 18" long x 5" wide. The hanging
eye indicates that it had a storage place on a vertical surface
and perhaps was used only infrequently for special applications.
The saw blade measures the full 18" by 5" and is fixed
to the handle using a 1-3/4" mounting strip that runs the
length of the tool. The strip is necessary, given the method
of fastening the blade to the handle (small countersunk flat-head
wood screws), and possibly provides a certain amount of blade
rigidity. The handle is mahogany and resembles a section of
handrail or banister, which may be the source for the stair-saw
identification. However, most manufactured and user-made stair
saws are employed in a trenching function using a vertical application
and require only a short, stiff 6" to 8" blade. They
must also provide a means of adjusting cutting depth. It seems
unlikely that a craftsperson would construct a version more
than twice the length of commercially made tools that is difficult
to control with such an awkward offset handle.
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Other Articles from this Issue |
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