My take on the fiddle bow bread slicer

Calvin Robinson

Calvin Robinson

Moderator Christian Forum
Worn out portaband saw blade and cypress.
I left the saw teeth on as a novelty and ground the other side to cut the bread.
Please give me your thoughts on this,good bad or otherwise.
 
Calvin,
it looks functional, But I would give the bow some more eye candy with a fancier wood or two tone wood maybe?

You knives have so much more appeal to them. What could you do to liven it up?

Laurence

www.rhinoknives.com
 
rhinoknives said:
Calvin,
it looks functional, But I would give the bow some more eye candy with a fancier wood or two tone wood maybe?

You knives have so much more appeal to them. What could you do to liven it up?

Laurence

www.rhinoknives.com
Click to expand...

Lawrence,
I've been thinking the same thing,how can I dress them up?,and I have some ideas. Keep watching as these progress and I think you will be surprised.
I made the first two out of cypress that I had on hand,I made one yesterday out if some black walnut that I had and its much nicer looking.
Do you know where I can find some pretty,figured,stabilized wood at least 1"x2"x18" ?
 
Calvin,

There will be customers for your plain Jane model, so to speak, but I think some prettier ones are in order also.
The least expensive & best way I've found to get other than the standard 5-7" x 2" x 1" blocks is to cut my own woods and send them out for stabilizing.

That way I get the woods,Dye colors & sizes I want. I have used several services and am happiest with Mike at WSSI www.stabilizedwood.com/wssi.shtml

I have a batch of wood at Faron Moore's in Texas that has a thread on here currently.
I've used some of his and am happy here also. Some Bocote wood Fiddle bows would look great and I've found your sizes or close to on ebay.

Laurence

www.rhinoknives.com
 
SIXFOOTER said:
How did you get the profile on the cutting side?
Click to expand...

I have a horizontal belt grinder that I built,it uses a 2"x72" belt. I have it set up with a 3/4" wheel and a 2" wheel. I mark the serrations at 1/2" on center intervals. Using a 60 grit belt and the 3/4" wheel I grind the serrations, the points are 1/2" apart and the serrations are .093" deep then I mount the blade on an angle jigg I built and use the 2" wheel and a 220 grit belt to grind the bevels on one side then I turn the blade around in the jigg and grind the bevels on the other side of the blade. I use fresh belts and grind slow so as to not over heat the steel and ruin the spring temper (45Rc) of the blades.
One of these days I'll get someone to do the photography and do a work in progress on one of these. My horizontal belt grinder (I call it HEG for horizontal edge grinder) is what makes it very easy to make one of these blades.
 
Very cool Calvin! :)... very similar to some horse hair bows I've made for my spike fiddles.
 
Yeah, they are basically a wooden spike usually driven through a gourd or coconut shell resonator. The spike comes out the other end and is held in stand that goes over the knee or leg.

There are many different types of spike fiddles. I believe they predated violins. The "sound board" is usually from rawhide, but sometimes of wood.

Hammerjaminpix009.jpg


The bows are held under-handed rather than over-handed as with a violin. The middle finger is used to put tension on the horse hair. Your bread slicer looks like it is styled after a spike fiddle type bow.

Spike fiddle bow:

http://www.accentmusic.com/Spike-Fiddle-Bow-18-p/spkb-a.htm
 
Last edited:
Calvin Robinson said:
I have a horizontal belt grinder that I built,it uses a 2"x72" belt. I have it set up with a 3/4" wheel and a 2" wheel. I mark the serrations at 1/2" on center intervals. Using a 60 grit belt and the 3/4" wheel I grind the serrations, the points are 1/2" apart and the serrations are .093" deep then I mount the blade on an angle jigg I built and use the 2" wheel and a 220 grit belt to grind the bevels on one side then I turn the blade around in the jigg and grind the bevels on the other side of the blade. I use fresh belts and grind slow so as to not over heat the steel and ruin the spring temper (45Rc) of the blades.
One of these days I'll get someone to do the photography and do a work in progress on one of these. My horizontal belt grinder (I call it HEG for horizontal edge grinder) is what makes it very easy to make one of these blades.
Click to expand...

Thank You very much!
 
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