🚀 go-pugleaf

>Do you mean a "back saw"  when you say carpenters saw... Does the tape on
>the teeth cause an abnormal damping (it did when i tried it this
>weekend)  The back saw i have has a rolled steel edge clamped along the
>back side of the saw  ... doesn't sound at all.  I have some japanese
>woodworking saws that i will try next.
                                                    bruce esser

Hello Bruce;
By carpenter's saw I mean "handsaw", not "backsaw". My saw is 28 inches long,
including the handle. The width of the blade is about 1.5 inches at the tip
and nearly 6 inches near the handle. All slow oscillation demos worked
very well with it. Audible oscillations were OK for showing that the pitch
changes but sounds are not as "pure" as from a tuning fork. That is why the
above paragraph was added. The tape was removed to reduce damping. By
hitting the blade strongly you are likely to excite higher modes (the f of
these modes are not multiples of the fundamental f, as in a sting).

Firm mounting between smooth metallic blocks seems to improve sounds. A blade
removed from my hacksaw produced better sounds, probably because it has a
uniform width and was easier to clamp rigidly. But the sounds were weak.
I will be happy to learn about better alternatives. I heard somewhere that
saws can be used as musical instruments. Is it true?
                                                             Ludwik K.