Back to Back Sawtills

by Bob Sturgeon

 

 

    In every Galoots life we go through a stage of collecting many different types of tools, maybe you start out with planes, then you get interested in hammers, squares, hand drills, braces or who knows what. 

 

First thing you know the old workshop seems to have accumulated large piles of tools.  Some on top of the main work bench, some on top of the big red tool chests you wish you could get open again, even that neat little bench you made to assemble projects on, and last but not least the shop floor. 

There has to be an answer to all this clutter.  You look at all the studs around your shop walls and it dawns on you, all I have to do is cover the walls in plywood, hang all the tools on nails.  The planes?, that's simple, just build some shelves for them to sit on.  Everything is on go now, problems are solved.

Then several weekends in a row, you hit all your favorite flea markets and antique shops.  And there it is, that beautiful old hand saw with the fancy etching with the tag on it saying "Your Wife Wants You To Have This".  So you say to yourself, ah just one couldn't hurt, but the first thing you know you now have twenty eight.  I'll hang'em up on the wall with everything else you say, but wait a minute, these things will take up a lot of room.  There has to be a better way.

 

Now enters the Sawtill

 

   

 

The Sawtill I built for myself is probably not original to me, My Daddy use to make them like this and I would imagine a lot of folks made them like this or a quite similar pattern.

The one thing I like about this one is its versatility.  It can be build as a single unit, or you can build two side by side to make a double and screw to the wall, or you can mount them back to back the way I did.  I built wooden shelf brackets, attached them to the wall studs.  Then put two 2x10x8' pine boards side by side for a shelf. 

 

 

 

 

 

Built eight sawtills, mounted them back to back to make four sets, and then set them on the shelf, one on each end and two in the middle.  Each till holds 34 saws, 17 on a side. 

I built mine out of pine boards to keep the cost down, but you could use plywood, oak, cherry or whatever suits you.

 

 

 

 

 

    One single sawtill can be constructed from one 1x12x10' Pine Board, plus one piece of 2x4x22".  If you want a side be side double, just double the length of the bottom, the front, the top and bottom rails, and leave out the two middle end caps.

 

 

 

Material List for Single Till:

 

1-1x12x10'             Knotty Pine

1-2x4x22"              Pine of Fir

16-                       2" Drywall Screws

16-                       1 1/4" Drywall Screws

12-                       1 5/8" Drywall Screws

 

 

(Optional for back to back arrangement 6-6x32 Bolts w/nuts and washers.)

 

 

 

 

Cut List for Single Till:

 

2   Backs                   1x11x32"

1   Bottom                 1x5-3/4x22"

1   Front                    1x5-1/4x22"

1   Top Rail                1x3x22"

1   Bottom Rail           1x3x22"

2   End Caps               (See Diagram)

1   Saw Blade Slot       2x4x22"

 

Begin by crosscutting the 1x12x10' board.  Cut two pieces 32" inches long.  Cut two pieces 22" long.  Save the scrap that is left over to make the end caps.  After all pieces have been cut to length, rip both 32" inch pieces to 11" inches wide.  Take one of the 22" inch pieces and rip 5-1/4"inches wide and 5-3/4 inches wide.  What is left of the second 22" inch piece is scrap.  Draw pattern of end caps on the saved end of board and cut out with grain running length wise.

Begin assembly by laying the two 32" inch Backs side by side on a flat surface, with the 22" inch width towards you and clamp with bar clamps top and bottom.  Take the 3" inch Bottom Rail and lay flat across the two Backs 3/4" up off the bottom, drill/counter sink and attach with 6---1-1/4" Drywall Screws.  Take the 3" inch Top Rail and lay flat across the two Backs 6" inches down from the top, drill/counter sink and attach with 10---1-1/4" Drywall Screws.  (Drill and counter sink all screw holes to avoid splitting.)

Leave bar clamps in place and turn assembly upside down and clamp the Bottom to the Back and drill/counter sink and attach with 6---2" inch Drywall Screws through the Back boards into the Bottom.  Once the Bottom is on, remove bar clamps.

 

Take the Front 5-1/4" board and measure over 4" inches from one edge and draw a line length wise.  Measuring from one end, measure down the line and put a mark a 1" inch.  Mark all the rest down the line at 1-1/4" on center.  When you get to the other end you should have 1" inch on each end and 1-1/4" through the middle.

Now take a 1" inch Forstner bit and drill holes at these marks all the way through. I used a Drill Press, because I can't make that nice of holes by hand.  You know you have to use those things now and then to keep them from rusting solid.

 

Use a back-up board to prevent tear out.  When all the holes are completed, rip down the 4" inch line cutting all holes in half.  This will give you 17 handle notches.  Sand the rough edges of the holes.  Drill/counter sink and attach Front with 4---2" Drywall Screws to the bottom.

 

    Now stand the Sawtill on its side and drill/counter sink and attach end caps with twelve (12) 1-5/8" Drywall Screws, six on each end. (See plan drawing)

Take the 2x4x22" and lay on edge and with a tape measure from one end mark at 1" inch, then mark a 1-1/4" on centers to the other end.  Same way you did the Front piece.  Square across each of these marks. 

Take any hand saw that cuts a wide kerf, and cut down each line to a depth of 2" inches.  You want them wide enough to allow the blade to slide in and out easily.

These seventeen 2x4 cuts and the 17 notches in you Front piece will now match each other.  Clamp the 2x4 Blade Slot piece 12" inches down from the top and drill/counter sink six holes through the Back into the 2x4, make sure you don't drill into one of the slots.  Attach with six (6) 2" Drywall Screws.

 

   

To mount back to back attach with six (6) 6x32 bolts, nuts and washers, three each side.  (Top, middle, and bottom. See drawing)

I haven't put a finish on mine, as of yet, but one day when it gets warmer I plan on putting on several coats of Orange Shellac (may say Amber in the hardware store).  I like Orange Shellac rather than Clear Shellac for a project like this because it gives Knotty Pine that old aged look.  In your case the choice of finish is up to you. 

Another nice touch I plan on doing, is to cut strips of colored flannel material and glue to the edges of the handle notches to protect the backs of the hand saws.  Since the saw Front is 3/4" wide, cut the flannel an 1" wide so you have an 1/8" overhang on each side of the notches.  You can buy flannel in nice looking Red, Green, Gold and probably several other colors, at most fabric stores.  You know the ones Women frequent, but don't be intimidated, barge right on in. 

 

One final thought, if you are going to screw the finished sawtills flat on stud walls be sure and use screws at least 2-1/2" to 3", these things can get quite heavy on a wall.  If you intend to build a wall shelf as I did and use sawtills back to back in sets then make sure you put screws through the bottoms and into the shelves for security.

 

Hope this helps with at least one of your storage problems,

 

Bob Sturgeon
In the Ohio Valley of Indiana

January, 2006

 

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