Help with handsaw rack options appreciated…

[ondablade]

Hi all - some input would be great. I've ended up with a selection of handsaws that mixes full size Western rip and cross cut, tenon and dovetail types - plus some Japanese dozuki, ryoba and kataba in various sizes - and need to sort out a storage solution that's convenient to use and takes up minimal wall space.

These ball and cylinder types look interesting in terms of their ability to handle a very wide range of types and sizes:
http://www.woodworkingtips.com/etips/2007/02/09/ws/
http://www.timberframe-tools.com/tools/ ... ith-balls/

Wonder if they are reliable though? Also where it's possible to buy polyurethane (?) balls at a reasonable price?

Wonder too if there is some sort of properietary one way grip using the same sort of principle as a feather board used for anything that could be adapted?

Conventional saw tills seem to require rather more customisation to suit the saw type: http://www.pinterest.com/pin/68398488064059265/

ian

[tusses]

would they all stick to a magnet ?

as for the balls .. aren't they just kids toy bouncy balls ? toy shop ? ebay etc ?

1st one that came up on ebay ...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/High-Powered- ... 5d2e066bb2" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/50-x-Bouncey- ... 19e5e9bd69

[ondablade]

Ta very much for that T - I quickly tried Ebay last night but didn't find anybody selling balls as your links - wrong search I guess. Those are spot on, the only ones I'd found on the web were from industrial suppliers of precision items for ball valves and the like - likely to slow and expensive. I've ordered some and will run a test.

One downside of the ball rack is possibly that if the saw teeth are pointed inwards into the slots they will probably chew up the balls fairly quickly. If pointing outwards then there's a risk of getting a finger nicked when you reach for a saw - especially a short one between two longer ones.

Magnets would probably do the job, but I thought might be hard to remove the saws from - to the point where I thought the thinner ones might be at risk of getting bent…..

[tusses]

the balls would probably do the job even when pretty well chewed up !

The magnet ... /// would need two hands, but pressure by the magnet with one hand would mean no bending force if you were worried about that

[tusses]

ok ... 1st quick search for magnet ...


http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/100-strong-C8 ... 2a354fcacd

[tusses]

ebay IS a decent too ... but to get the best out of it, you have to learn how to use it

[ondablade]

Thanks again T. I've saved the source for the magnets in case plan B is needed. I'm relatively speaking an Ebay amateur - but using it more and more. It's often good for stuff exactly like the balls, or for when you need to buy small quantities of specialist industrial stuff.

The risk with the balls is maybe that if they get chewed up they might not jam/roll - but they will likely be fine. I got a bag of 50 balls, so I can afford to wear out a few

On saw storage arrangements - it's no problem if you have lots of free wall space (some of the US shops you see pictures of are enormous - I've no idea how people afford/manage to heat them), but that's not my situation. The value of these fancier racks that store saws vertically/side by side is that they take up so much less space…

ian

[tusses]

US is much cheaper than UK in general ! (thick petrol) !

I'd love to live there !!!!!

How about magnet and ball ? if you are worried .. make the magnet angled so when you lift the blade, it separates . (hmmm ... I'll think more about that one ! )

[ondablade]

Just to say that the balls arrived from the link above - thanks T. (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/50-x-Bouncey- ... 19e5e9bd69)

They (subject to testing) look perfect for the job - the super bouncy ones, and around 1in dia, and quite firm. Cheap too - plus the web shop is run by a dead nice lady. Cats think they are great fun too.....

[tusses]

[Clive100]

How about magnets from old computer hard disks? They are very strong and obsolete hard disks just get tipped.

[jfc]

If I had bouncy balls in my workshop I would spend all day twating them around the place

[tusses]