Laminated Coping Saw

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

By 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…

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Popular Woodworking (Digital) - 1 Issue, September/October 2023

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