Saw Vise / Stitching Pony
The hand saw is a staple in any woodworking shop, and along with it, the ability to sharpen said hand saw. Typically, the saw is held in a special vise, often made of wood or metal which clamps the saw just underneath it's teeth. This allows the saw teeth to be individually sharpened with a triangular file while giving rigidity to the flexible metal. My saw vise was cast iron, and must have been made ca. early 1900s, and broke while clamping it prior to sharpening a saw. While the casting could be repaired by welding or brazing, I decided to move on to a larger and more robust vise of my own make. This vise also doubles as my stitching pony (a device used to clamp leather for hand stitching) for leather work.
I made the jaws of the chuck from a maple tree which was removed from a friend’s family property in Michigan, the base is made from an oak pylon from the Chicago river. The screw and ball handle are modified from spare metal lathe parts.
