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Wednesday, November 4, 2015
DIY Bow Saw
Last year I fashioned a bow saw from a snare wire/saw (See it in action HERE- LINK) in my Micro 10 C's Kit (Link- HERE). I have upgraded saw options several times and when I'm taking out a lightweight late fall kit I tend to pack just a saw blade that is 21"-24" along with two key rings affixed to my axe. Alternatively you can carry this gear inside your belt although I don't particularly like the idea due to the possibility of getting cut without significant modification to the belt. Carrying just a saw blade reduces your pack weight significantly and can provide you with a significant cutting tool in for making long-term shelters, cutting fire wood and much more. The best thing about this improvised saw is that it takes less than fifteen minutes to make and can be made easily with just the saw blade and a belt knife or simply just the saw blade. The video below shows the saw in action and I will provide you with step-by-step directions below.
Need A Saw? Try One Of these For Your Kit!
So How Do You Build a Bow Saw?
1) So what do you need to make this saw? Just a saw blade will work but a good belt knife to baton the the saw helps speed up the process and saves your hands from the bacho taking a bite out of you.
2) Cut your live bowed branch (make sure you have to bend it at least 4" in to get sufficient tension and cut it off several inches long as you can adjust the saw back in camp.Once you get back to camp pick the end that you want to start with and baton a 1.5" lit into the limb inline with the bow. Place a key ring through the hole at the end of the saw and then bend your saw to the determine the point where you need to trim your limb down to, mark it with your knife and then baton through at that point. You can then split the limb inline with the bow, make sure the two slots are as close to lined up as possible as additional torque can damage your saw blade and cause it fail prematurely.
3) Secure both ends of the saw with cordage using a timber hitch and about a 4' wrap and finish the wrap off with a loop that will slide over the end of the limb. This provides for a very secure saw blade that will hold up for long-term use in camp.
4) Put that darn saw to work cutting whatever you need. While it may not perform as well as some commercial variants, if you take your time you can get the performance level very close and the difference is so minimal that the weight savings is well worth the extra time it may take you to craft the tool. Strap a couple different saw blades (same size so you only have to make one size bow or buck saw and can simply change blades) for different tasks to your axe or throw them in your pack and you will be ready for some extremely hardcore wood processing on the fly. Helpful hit... Buy the Bacho blades i have a link to above as they will last for quite awhile and cut through wood like a hit knife through butter. Also if you're going to buy a buck saw like I have be sure to buy saw blades that will fit that saw and can also be utilized to make improvised saws for fall and spring when you might not be processing as much fire wood.
Conclusions:
This is one of my favorite things to craft in the wood as it saves weight, works well and is a significant upgrade from the wire saw bow saw I crafted last year as the durability goes through the roof along with effectiveness. For less than $10 you can process significant diameter lumber for shelters, firewood and anything else you can think imagine. Fifteen minutes of your time and one saw blade offer you a significant upgrade to your belt saw (Bacho Laplander for me!) as you can cut the same log with about half of the effort.
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