12 Australian Wood Review
TOOLS & EQUIPMENTKnew Concepts were the first to
successfully revolutionise the design
of these saws with their titanium
framed coping saw. However, I get
the impression that their emphasis
was primarily on the saw frame, in an
attempt to find a design that would
be light enough to properly tension
the blade, but inexpensive enough
to succeed in the market. This they
did, but for me the weak point of their
design was their blade tensioning
system. It did place a wonderful tension
on the blade, and for that I loved it, but I
have always yearned for a higher quality
version of it. This we now have.Blue Spruce Toolworks have built
on the Knew Concepts revolution
of frame design by introducing
carbon fibre to provide lightweight
strength, but have gone beyond by
vastly improving the blade holding,
tensioning and rotation system.Everything about the Blue Spruce
system is very high quality, and works
beautifully. It is so good that, uniquely,
it can be used as a scrollsaw, with the
blade under full tension but totally free to
rotate as the handle is turned to steer it.Each stainless steel blade clamp is on
the end of a short shaft that passes
through a boss on each end of theframe. One is threaded to receive the
wooden handle, and as the handle
rotates on the thread it applies the
tension to the blade.The really clever part is that a nut on the
inside of the boss can be adjusted to
allow the handle to lock up on its thread,
applying the required tension to the
blade, but at the same time remaining
free to rotate in the boss. Bearings
fitted to each shaft in its boss allow the
connected system to rotate smoothly
while under the applied tension.Thumbwheels fitted above each boss
control pins that allow the blade to be
fixed in any of eight indents along each
360° rotation.The saw can be bought as a fretsaw
or a coping saw, but the names only
signify two different methods of
holding the blade. The fretsaw uses
pin-less scrollsaw blades which are
held by stainless steel thumb screws,whereas the coping saw uses the
traditional pinned blades. A conversion
kit is available.Finally, each saw can be ordered in any of
11 frame colours, two hardware finishes,
and six handle woods (but two of these
cannot be legally exported from the US).Unfortunately, not everyone will be
able to, or will allow themselves to,
afford this superb saw. But if you love
beautiful things as much as I do,
I hope you will find a way. I know
I will be repeating the mantra about
long after the price is forgotten, the
quality remains.Photos: Robert Howard
Robert Howard is a woodworker and
woodwork teacher who lives in Brisbane.
See http://www.roberthoward.com.auReview tools supplied by
Blue Spruce Toolworks
See http://www.bluesprucetoolworks.comBlue Spruce Fretsaw
Reviewed by Robert HowardUS$ (^32)
5
Left: Carbon fibre
provides lightweight
strength in Blue Spruce
Toolwork’s new fretsaw.
Below: The blade
holding, tensioning and
rotation system is highly
effective.