Dovetail Saw by Rob Cosman, how it's made.
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- Опубликовано: 13 сен 2024
- Rob and Dave walk you through the process of making the Cosman dovetail saw, from raw materials to finished and boxed saw. There are times when the video is really loud, guard your ears!
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I’ve spent a small fortune on so many of Rob’s saws and tools. I appreciate the craftsmanship and attention to detail he puts into these saws. To anyone on the fence about buying any of his tools: buy them - you’ll be happy you spent the money on quality. They’re a joy to use every time you pick them up.
hi, I'm an Irish man living in Ireland and working as a carpenter/cabinet maker. my favorite toolmaker of choice is lie_ Nielsen and I have a lot of Thomas's tools. I owned five of his saws_ two panel saws and three back saws, however four of them were stolen and I was about to replace them like for like till I came across Rob Cosman who makes many of his own tools including back saws. after contacting Rob and speaking through emails for many months I was sold. I purchased two of his back saws_ a dovetail and medium tenon saw as well as other tools he offers on his web site. Rob had them delivered to my hotel in Toronto Canada as I was staying there for new years 2017. once home I could hardly wait to try them out. I was not disappointed. the dovetail and medium sized tenon saw (which won an award in popular magazine I believe) cut through wood like butter.
yes his saw comes with a resin handle instead of wood (but for an extra charge he can put a hardwood handle which is treated to remove all existing air and replaced with resin) but I like this feature as it will stay stable and last forever.
as I said at the start I am a L N fan and always will be but now I have another professional craftsman I can turn to and I wont hesitate to recommend Rob to anyone. I will absolutely be purchasing more of Rob's tools in the future and if anyone out there is considering buying top notch quality back saws or any other furniture making tools then Rob Cosman is you're guy.
keep up the good work Rob.
Daniel
The manufacturing process is so flawless that Rob is willing to show us, giving us the trust that every tool he sells will get the same amount of passion put into it
I guess I’m a little late to the Cosman party. I am enjoying all of the tools I’ve bought so far. The saw really stands out amongst my others.
Funny how I went from thinking 'wow, those saws are expensive' to 'wow, those saws are cheap' in just one video. What an enormous amount of work you guys have to put into each and every one of them. Even with a very streamlined production process.
I was thinking the same thing :-)
+Honk Frot Try one and you'll see how inexpensive they are. The quality is amazing and your return on investment is immediate. They make you saw like a pro.
+Staying Sane, I think it was less a comment on the quality of the build, and more a comment on the value of time Rob puts into each one...He's saying that each saw is actually relatively cheap (read: good value) given how much care, attention and focus is put into making them.
Sideburnchef
It doesn't cut any better than a reasonably priced mass produced saw.
You pay for inefficiency.
Have you cut with one of his vs. the crap you are talking about?
I really like that Rob's shop really looks like mine (cept I don't have all of the cool tools), but there seems to be no flat surfaces without tons of crap on them. This is no show workshop, this is a shop that gets things done.
Worth every penny.... Love my Rob Cosman saw!!!
Every company needs a Dave. 👍🏼
aint that the truth
Disgruntled Dave!
"Dave usually does this" "This is Dave's expertise" No wonder Dave looked so grumpy, hes gotta do it all. lol
Love the channel, great videos. beautiful workmanship.
I will never question the price of a Rob Cosman saw again after watching you go through the process. An absolute masterpiece worth every penny. Great job!!!
Makes my head hurt. Good for you for craftsmanship. Bad for you in the overhead dept.
I couldn't help but enjoying the number of times I heard "Dave usually does this part" almost at least once on each step. Great video.
MrRogersHobbyhood gbi i
0
Lovely saws. Fascinating seeing a wood worker tool shop and approach applied to an engineering task; drill presses and table saw instead of a mill, all wooden jigs, no files, no belt grinder, water jet or CNC. Some procedures are fast and very efficient, others are painful to watch. Kinda inspirational for using what you have and not letting having a wood shop stop you making tools with metal. 👍🏻
where there is a will there is a way!
That saw is a work of art. Its so beautiful I would be scared to use it. And then if the person that placed the order for this saw was told that it was featured on this segment....
Great video and great saw. I'm putting your saw on my wish list. Thank you for sharing...You are truly a Master Craftsman.
Thanks for sharing, Rob and Dave. I love my Cosman saw, and looking forward to my new set. Glad there is still companies like yours willing to manufacture things the right way. No short cuts on the process or materials.
Just received my Cosman Saw a week ago and the saw is awesome. It made hand sawing fun!
I love watching a real craftsman at work, seldom seen today
Hi Rob, I knew that you and Dave hand made these saws but now I appreciate them even more, the birds eye maple is to die for.
Still relishing the great time we spent together at the Ontario workshop last summer.
Your friend,
Mike
Great Job Rob there to me is nothing better than using hand made items.
I like the manual oscillator sanding spindle! Even more how the process was mapped out and implemented. Great manufacturing process. Looking forward to getting my own saw.
Ty Rob
I have been mulling what to buy for a while now the price of yours has seemed to much but after watching this I will save up and order 1 from u!
Thanks
claude
Rob's saw is the finest quality ,hand made , most expensive hand tool I own. It was well worth it, I am a believer in "you get what you pay for"
It cuts like magic ! But it does not make dovetails with out your input, that's where the challenge begins, I haven't cut thousands like Rob,
only six, with the saws help, I have a long way to go!
Fantastic. This is on my list of must-have tools now.
I was lucky enough to win one of Rob's Dovetail Saws! I have a project I'm working on that will have dovetails. What perfect timing. I live the weight of my Rob Costas saw. Great saw!!
And here I thought the guy only did sports.
what a wonderful video.
Wow... totally worth the asking price. Will definitely be picking up one of these.
Rob cosman makes very good informative videos I'm glad I have one of his dovetail saws it's a beautiful tool if more wood workers knew about them I don't know how he could possibly keep up with demand.
Thank you for the video. That 50 mins went by quick! Now you need to make a video that convinces the wives to agree with the purchase! Lol.
Very awesome! Thank you for showing us, it's quite interesting how simple material can be combined together by a skilled craftsmen to make something worth using for a lifetime!
Work of Art!! Virtually handmade wood craft instrument. Future generations of woodworkers which will most likely be CAD and robotic technicians will revert to hand tools as a "new "thing" and fight each other over your saws!!
What an amazing saw, truly. I look forward to the day that can buy one of these beauties.
I got one a few weeks ago...they are very nice
Beautiful craftmanship.
the dove tail saw and tenon saw are awesome work
Like many who thought these saws are expensive, I changed my tune as I watched this video. I own a resin handle dovetail saw and absolutely love its heft/weight. I have such a great appreciation for it and now ever more so after watching this video!
Truly custom. Thanks for sharing
I loved the creative use of the drill press:) Really inspires me to set up my own sanding drill press stations, thanks:)
Yes, the metal workers amongst us cringe at the thought of cheap drill presses (we'd use a milling machine) engaged in a milling operation on the brass back blade slot !
Wow ! What a great video you guys have put together. It is really special how these saws are made and to see the entire process makes them even more desirable. It is so refreshing to see the craftsmanship, attention to every detail and technical parameters you set for every saw before it qualifies as ready to go out for some lucky woodworker. Rob, Dave, you guys should be very proud of your work on these saws. Now to decide upon which saw I want first. Simply awesome guys.Derek
good luck with the venture
I've never seen so many drill presses in once place!
Haha, now I know how to make your saw!!!
+Rob Cosman Joking aside, this is a great video and I'll be buying one of your dovetail saws shortly. Thanks for behind the scene peek.
Step 1, buy a dozen drill presses. :-)
I just received the dovetail and the cross cut saw. They are very well made and heavy.
Absolutely incredible. As a leather and wood craftsman, I am impressed. Keep it up.
Dave looks like Kim Jum JOO.... but he makes beautiful saws. I am gonna save some money to buy one. Rob, you are knowledgeable and humble .. love your show!!
Man cutting those handles out looks like a great justification for a cnc router table.
Too tough, would need a large machine, this stuff is hard.
This is very impressive. Thanks for sharing.
I have a tremendous amount of respect for your woodworking abilities AND your business. You guys have clearly invested a lot of time and effort into making these the best saws you can - and it shows. Your build process is very impressive. That said, you could really benefit from a few tools that would really save you a ton of time, and probably yield a little better results in the end. The processes where you cut the slot in the brass, as well as where you cut off the excess brass - these things could be done so simply on a very inexpensive milling machine. Milling brass is very easy, and the learning curve would be very small. Also, your router station for doing the handles is truly impressive - but this could be done much faster and easier with a cnc. You could get away with a very small cnc as well - the handles are small parts. Overall, I'm extremely impressed - and I haven't built my own business the way you have, but I really thing making a few small changes could really decrease the number of processes you go through by a lot!
Really enjoyed watching Rob build that beautifully made dovetail saw. I've been a carpenter for more than 40 years and just recently became interested in unplugging my power tools and going back to the basics of my trade. As I watched the video I noticed the care Rob took in the details as he finished his saw. It's wonderful to see someone that is more interested in the quality of a product he produces and not the numbers he can turn out in a day. Well done my friend!
really cool video.. had no idea those are made AT the shop! technical and very beautiful saws. would love to hear more about the vacuumed resin in the wood handles....
I've had the pleasure of not only meeting you Rob but to have one of your superior saws. Was at the Get Woodworking show, Alexandria palace, London back in 2009 or 2010 (I've slept since) and not only are you a nice guy but willing to talk to anyone...Thank you for showing the in-depth look at how these stunning saws are made....and yes, my tenon still cuts straight 👍🏼😊🏆
the saw looks amazing and fine craftsman ship. as some one who is just getting into wood working i sure wish i could afford one. nice job Rob Cosman!! new subscriber for sure!
Looks like the grove is machined a lot wider that the saw plate is that where the industrial adhesive go and how do you keep the plate centered in the epoxy. Very beautiful saw would love to cut a dove tail with that
This displays very clearly the reason why quality tools cost so much.
Amazing detail...no less than perfection.
Purpose built machines and jigs for production, very nice. Did you create the procedures and work it all out, Rob?
I like the care Rob takes with each step in the process. I guess I should expect nothing less. I also like the Cool Whip wrench holder...top quality. :-) Do you have any factory seconds that I can afford to purchase?
Dave knows everything, why is he not the one doing the videos?
Thanks for making this video.
That is quite the process you have! Impressed. But you didn’t cover the cutting of the teeth. Do you buy blanks with the teeth already filed and set?
Looks like a fair amount of labor involved sanding those composite saw handles. Have you tried a tumbler to do 20 units or more at a clip. Put em in walk away check 24 hours later. Rocks polish in a tumbler so should your composite. Experiment Rob.
I own three of his saws. BUY ONE! You will be amazed!
As Rob says, about 80% of cutting a dovetail is in the saw. Once you have one of his you quickly learn how absolutely true that statement is.
Laurence Lance I agree but he does not make the blade himself and the handle is composite so overpriced in my opinion
If he made the blade himself it would require extremely expensive machinery to do it precisely so the price would go up, he makes the handle out if composite because it's easier to get (more reliable supply), it's way heavier and more durable. It would take way longer to make the blades as well
Excellent
Wow! Thanks for the documentary. It certainly gives me a greater appreciation for what goes into making a hand saw! To say that it's a lot of work would be an understatement.
Do you not run into issues using the drill presses as "mills"? I realize brass is soft but people always advise against using the drill press with such applications. Also, are you peening on your jointer bed? :)
I can't speak for Rob, but in my own playtime, I've found that cheap drill presses can't handle the milling, but big quality ones can take a bit of a beating. But anything like actual stock milling or even light shaping with 1/4 plus bits and you've got yourself a dead machine, or you've broken your back trying to shove the stock through
+Rob Cosman Yeah, I worked my way up from the machine shop to the engineering department and some of the things you were doing had me cringing. Can't argue with the results, though.
Since you've probably already heard it from your machinist friends, I'll just leave it at that. But if you're ever looking for suggestions, I was a tooling and fixture designer before I became a professional beach bum. Now, I'm learning to do to wood what I used to do to metal. Maybe I could return the favor for teaching me so much about woodworking with your videos.
Do you ever sleep?lol All jokes aside i admire your skill, craftsmanship, and passion for what you do. One of the best!
I see now why they go for a premium, worth every penny!
Those brass shims i see at the beginning of the video, are used to compensate for the blade thickness in the back piece slot? It seems too wide to me so i asked 😁..Great video as always
Great setup and craftsmanship. After you milled the slot in the brass, you used a caliper to check if it was centered. What if you mill it a second time after flipping it over after the first pass - then it would be perfectly centered every time.
need it to be .0625, cant risk making it wider.
Compressed air to unload the sanding belt, genius!
Great video on your operation! The handles are quiet an process by then self! Buffer is so high speed on composite? Why dont you get them casted in plastic or metal, less work and less cost to the consumer. But interesting, thanks so much for shari h Rob!
Steven Columbus Michigan
Sure would be nice to have a good shop like this. Most of us work out of half a garage.
its like his workshop never ends...
I commented on how he should put what tools he uses in the description of videos. Then i found out he makes his own saws
Wow I’ll never again question the price . I had no idea the amount of hand work it takes . I don’t know what I was thinking but the amount of steps is unbelievable. Great job on all you set ups.
Excellent video, Rob! I will buy your saw but a bit later :)
Wow! That’s an incredible setup you have! I love the hugs and stations you built to get the handles made. That to me is incredible and shows how passionately you are to getting the masses into dovetailing by building a better saw.
Rob, many thanks for showing how you make your saws, no wonder they're the quality they are. Worth double! As usual an excellent video, keep up the great work. Mike from the UK.
Dave is all pissed off just throws box on table saw hahaha
Bet he still waiting on that raise...after "his" award in Fine Woodworking mag and all :)
Hi Rob , thanks for Sharing. It seems it is a lot of work involves, I'll try from local wood craft if I can purchased a couple from them.
You know it was made in Canada, NB...Great job !
Thanks for sharing Rob. Seeing the video lets viewers understand the work that goes into each saw. Like another viewer, I would like to know more about the blade, how the teeth are created & tuned.
I don't know when they stopped sending out their saws in a wooden box but MINE came in only a cardboard box . It rattled around and the blade protector was OFF when I got it. No big deal . But do not expect a wooden box.I was disappointed. Also the resin horn was slightly chipped . I sandpapered it back . It's ok now .
Well, damn. Put one on the wish list.
Great workmanship, one question a for you. While your buffing, you apply polishing compound and then it looks like you use a piece of brass stock? Is that to thin out the polishing compound? Make it more even?
I love the quality and precision you guys achieve on such a regular basis - real craftsmanship! Have you considered filming the process and then doing a voice-over explanation of each stage? I think it would help cut down the time of the video, but (more importantly) improve the audio quality so that there is less difference between the screeching power tools and the quieter hand work sections...Itis more time/work in the post production process, but it would come out better and possibly make for a smoother video.
Yeah I can imagine! I hardly know where you have time to build commissions, and spend time with your family!
Thanks for the reply, I'm a huge fan of your work and videos.
Hello Rob and Dave, Let me just start by saying congratulations ! It is quite an impressive process ! I really enjoyed watching it. At the beginning of the video, when you are showing the material that is used to make the saws, there is some shim stock on the bench, which I imagine is to place as filler on either side of the plate in the back groove !? If so, are the holes going through the shim stock as well ? The other thing I was wondering about, is that if there is a curve in the plate, how do you retention the plate if it is glued in and pinned ?
Thanks
Hi rob, I am from London England and I would love to buy one of your beauitful hand made saw, the fact that they are hand made is the reason why I want one, I have looked every where to get one but haven't yet located one, look forward to hear from you
Kind regards
Sam
robcosman.com Sam, just made a batch today. And yesterday and more needed to be made tomorrow.
I appreciate you are doing it this way and not using CNC machines.
That is a lot of work.
same here... lol
He’s a woodworker, he knows and strives for quality.
Awesome video. Makes me appreciate my RC tenon saw even more knowing all the handmade steps it takes. Thanks.
Nice saw and packaging
Hi Rob,
I do production work in a home shop and the only way I can make money is by being efficient.
I have one suggestion for you that could save some time.
If you always use the same size blank for your handles, instead of drawing around a template for each handle, get some thing MDF or something else easy to cut but hard enough to hold up and cut it to the same size as your blank.
Then draw on the handles, cut it out while leaving it in one piece. Then you just need to clamp the template to your blank and start tracing.
It will be way faster than arranging a single template over and over on every single blank.
Also, when cutting the handles to shape, could you use a pattern bit in a router table or is that stuff too hard? If not then you can cut the patterns oversize, use double-sided tape to hold the pattern to the blank and go at it.
I'm sure you've already worked a lot of this stuff out but every once in a while someone points something out to me that makes my life simpler because I've already done all my prototyping and don't think about it too much any more.
OK, you are using a template router. I hadn't gotten that far yet. Sorry. :)
That's a pretty cool process, love my saw and the Bloodwood handle I got is awesome!
That handle sounds awesome! I bought one with the white resin handle. Great Saws
They have setups like that in China, with workers chained to each station, and they can leave after a given number of units have been produced without defects.
Rob, I fortunately own one of your crosscut saw. It is awesome as I knew it would be. Your work is pristine! How many drill presses do you own? Big smile!!!
Beautiful.
I did not see you talk about the blade of the saw? About the steel, number of teeth and so forth.the rest was very impressive to say the least.
we offer 6 different saws, three have .025" thick blades, 2 have .020" and one is .015" and that is about to become 2. Teeth range from 12 tpi to 22 tpi, the webside has a description of each robcosman.com
So they are set and sharpened at wherever the plates are actually manufactured and before you do the assembly?
Wow ,even the boxes are superbly made aren't they ?I know some people have criticised this man and his prices . $249 USD does seem a little expensive ,thats what i though t. But then I watched the two of them buld this saw . Its superb quality . these saws will be around in 200 years time ,I know they will . When you think of all the crap you can buy for 50 bucks or even 24 bucks . these saws are incomparable to mass produced crap . plus look at all the good work that Rob cosman does for invalid military people . he is a very nice goodhearted man . Dont buy a damn saw but just stop whining about the prices . This man is skilled . Are the moaners .? i doubt it .
What a masterpiece. Do you have suppliers in South Africa? I will not use that in my workshop. That saw will be in a glass cabinet behind lock and key. Too beautiful to use in a workshop. Thank you for sharing.
Hi Rob have you thought about getting a CNC machine to cut the handles as they are being used more and more
How do you get rid of the metal chips in the Saw ? Couldn't they fire the trigger?
Great jog , by the way. Thanks for all the insights and inspirations!
Rob,
Nice job on the design and manufacture of your product. It is obvious that a lot of thought and effort has gone into it.
As someone who has spent their entire career working with machinery, I have to make a comment on safety. There are numerous steps in your manufacturing process where you place yourself in jeopardy by wearing gloves while working on rotating machinery. This practice seems innocent enough, but it can claim a finger or hand before you have a chance to react. Go to the Unites States Department of Labor and do a search for rotating shaft injuries to see the mayhem something as innocent as a drill press is capable of. Most all of these instances involve the wearing of gloves or loose clothing.
Take care and be safe.
Tom