Laminated Coping Saw

This project brings together a diverse set of skills including epoxy work, bent lamination, metalworking, turning, and riveting

- Ryan Carpenter

Chopping vs. coping dovetail waste can be a fiercely debated topic, but I find coping better fits my workflow. Debate aside, I find hardware store coping saws have clunky ergonomics, insufficient tensioning mechanisms, and difficult scroll angle adjustments. After looking at some antique saw designs, the answer was obvious— why not make a coping saw out of wood? Add in some metalwork and a little epoxy, and you will have a lightweight saw that cuts fast and true.

A bearing at the top allows you to continuously adjust the scroll angle as the cut progresses; this may take a while to get used to, but I find it much faster to switch angles as I cut dovetail waste. A quick-release blade allows fast blade changes and adjustments without your hand leaving the handle. Lastly, the rigid saw frame allows significantly more tension than hardware store saws, all while weighing in at just under 7oz.

Begin with the Bow 

It all starts by cutting accurate veneers. A freshly jointed face against the fence, a well-adjusted bandsaw with a Wood Slicer blade and full feather-board produces veneers that require minimal planing. Use calipers to ensure veneers aren’t thinner than specified.

Next, align the templates onto the veneer. But first, careful consideration is needed to ensure the grain direction wraps around the saw. I do so by aligning each piece with the grain, as seen in photo 2 while keeping holes away from the edges to minimize splitting. I don’t adhere my template directly onto the veneer. Instead, I use spray adhesive to adhere my templates to a layer of painter's tape for reside-free removal. While you are gluing, attach the assembly fixture to 3/4" plywood.