> Ed wrote:

> I have a vintage saw in beech with 1/4” brass pins and a 1/4” blade.  The pins
are not tapered and are not tight int heir holes - not sloppy oose, but loose.
It does a pretty good job of following a curvy line if I crank it down a bit -
no spinning around of the blade.
> 
> Ed Minch
> 

That pretty much describes my saw, once I learned where to hold it.

So first, thanks for all of the responses.  It appears my biggest issue was user
error.  It looks like a giant coping saw, so I tried to hold it like a coping
saw.  Once I took the advise to hold the frame, the rest fell into place pretty
well.

Someone asked where I got the blade.  I bought a set of 3 from Tools For Working
Wood.  Basically, it is a 12” long coping saw blade.
https://toolsforworkingwood.com/store/item/GT-BOW12.XX

There were some good comments on adding some friction to the handle turning.
The taper idea is interesting.  I may try that on the next saw.  This saw is a
gift for my daughter, so I don’t want to try something that may screw it up.  I
may try some leather or rubber washers on this one, but it doesn’t really appear
to be necessary.

Thanks much again,

David Sobel