The Technique of FURNITURE MAKING

Contour cutting

A flexible blade is necessary for contour cutting, and for fairly wide curves the clumsy but efficient wooden bow - or turning-saw (Figure 49:1) is suitable. The detachable blade is tensioned by a length of twisted blind-cord or a wire stretcher. For smaller curves the 6 in

(152 mm) metal frame scroll - or coping-saw (49:5) is useful, and both bow - and scroll-saw can be used for interior openings as the handles fully rotate, thus the blades can be detached, threaded through a pre-bored hole with the teeth pointing away from the handle, and turned to the correct angle for the cut. For openings further in than the throat of the saw will allow other means must be adopted, either by drilling a series of holes and chopping out with chisel and gouge, or if the curve is fairly easy cutting with a 12 in (304 mm) keyhole- or pad-saw (49:6) which is in effect a very narrow cross-cut-blade held by retaining screws in a slotted bradawl-type handle. Large varieties are the compass-saw with fixed handsaw-type open handle (49:3) or a nest of saws, table, compass and keyhole, with detachable handle (49:4). For very fine cutting in thin material the hobbyist's fret-saw/jig-saw (49:2) with a throat of 20 in (508 mm) and a range of wood - and metal - piercing saws is invaluable. It can be used to cut with a forward movement with the teeth pointing upwards as with the bow-saw, or downwards against a cutting-table with the teeth pointing towards the handle.