What is the best tool for manually cutting out a fish tail? I once saw a picture of Steve Lis using what looked like a drywall tool or jab saw. Thoughts?
What is the best tool for manually cutting out a fish tail? I once saw a picture of Steve Lis using what looked like a drywall tool or jab saw. Thoughts?
Bread knife…just don’t let the wife catch you!
I keep a japanese pull saw in my bay,if I have to cut through a board that has tough skins then I bust out a makita skill saw,why #### around eh?
That drywall tool is called a keyhole saw. You can use a hacksaw blade with duct tape wrapped on one end to cushion your hand. Or, a sawzall blade with tape on it. Or, if you are comfortable with power tools, a jigsaw.
keyhole saw:
keyhole saw or saber saw work well to cut the outline then rounded microplanes come in real handy when shaping the narrow parts of the swallow tail. if you dont have a surf shop that has microplanes i have seen them in cooking stores. keyhole and saber saws are at hardware stores, but you need the blades to be super sharp because as soon as the swallow tail gets narrow and you have to cut through the stringer it can get a little tricky if the blades are dull
Thanks for the insights friends! I was also checking out pull saws but think I will stick with the keyhole saw. Happy fishin’!
Pull saws way sharper with a cleaner cut,it’s actually made for cutting wood.Keyhole saws are made for cutting drywall,they tend to bind up when they hit wood.
Coping saw… you don’t need those big teeth on the keyhole saw. Fine teeth make a cleaner cut, and go through stringer wood like butta… Then it’s the round surform, then the round file to tighten it up. The foam is shaped down with a small block.
I use a coping saw. They have very thin blades and reach way in. Cut the stringer first then use a sanding block to roll the deck to the bottom.
The big teeth were a concern. If I can find a small Japanese pull saw around Oceanside I will be stoked! I have a coping saw lying around but would prefer the simplicity of a more knifey tool like the above mentioned. I appreciate all your responses!
Home depot has several.Here’s a link.
We have a winner!
I’m a big fan of the coping saw. I’ve tried the keyhole saw, that was miserable. Not great for clean cuts and stringers.
Not sure how well it will work but my new idea is to use like a 1/4" drill bit and go straight down through the stringer right at the butt of the crack, then use a coping saw to cut the foam up to the hole. That way you have a clean rounded stringer. And then use a round file to work down the stringer on the deck. A surform and a block to clean up the foam. I’ve got a fish tail that needs to be cut out soon so I might give it a try in the next week. We’ll see if it works.
I use my handsaw. I make two cuts on each side of the stringer from different angles, then cut through the stringer. True it up with a surform then shape the rest of it. Mike
is this a keyhole saw?
i thought it was a “hack” saw
spend 1k on a skill 100 and use that peice of sh!t saw to cut outlines?
here is an example of a more useful tool. they will V knotch a 5mm stringer perfectly
Holy Tiffany cufflinks Batman - those are BEAUTIFUL! Where can I find the two on the very left in the picture?
japanese nick nack shops or mail order. i get 3 a year sent to me. use em for wood boards fish tails and outline. they are flexible so will follow a round tail and you can cut on the line with no cleanup
when i do stringers in wood skins i do everything on the flat table and tape it all together with masking tape and the stringer material sticks up higher then the planks . i rip down it with the japanese flushcut saw in a few minutes tape it all up, flip it and laminate
Nice setup, brother…
I’m such a hack…
It is a keyhole saw. Hacksaws are used to cut metal.
I think you’ll find that the drill bit will ‘run’ off the spot where you intend to drill the hole. It will most likely make contact with the wood and immediately slip to one side, poking a hole in the foam. Unless, you use a drill press and have a way to secure the blank on the press.