The Gyokucho 311 Sun Child dozuki has slightly finer teeth than the 303 Tatebiki, giving a smoother cutting experience on timber from as thin as 3mm up to around 12mm and so excellent for smaller drawers, jewellery boxes etc. The thin (0.3mm) blade removes very little material and leaves a clean surface for maximum joint strength.
The blades of Gyokucho saws are treated using a process called electroless nickel plating, this has three functions. Firstly, it protects the blade against corrosion, secondly it provides a nice shiny mirror surface, and thirdly its low friction properties inhibit resins and sap from building up on the blade - anything that does manage to get stuck to them can easily be washed off with warm soapy water.
The teeth are differentially impulse hardened, one by one, bringing the outer surfaces to RC68 or more whilst still leaving the root of the tooth soft and therefore much less prone to fracture - not unlike tiny Japanese sword blades. They are equally happy working in softwoods or temperate hard woods and can, with care and a light touch, be used on exotic timbers too.
- Range: 3 - 12mm / optimum 7.5mm
- Blade length: 240mm
- Overall length: 535mm
- Blade thickness: 0.3mm
- Pitch: 1.3mm
- Set: 0.1mm per side
- Maximum practical cutting depth: 45mm
- Handle: Traditional rattan wrapped paulownia wood
- Replacement blade: Part No S311 (S303 and S306 blades will also fit this saw)
Top tips for sawing successful dovetails:
- When cutting tails, angle the timber so that the saw remains vertical.
- Always let the weight of the saw do the work; the saw is designed so that it wants to be vertical, all you have to do is supply the back and forth motion and let it fall through the cut.
- Have the courage to saw to the line, there is no benefit in buying an accurate saw and then continuing to compensate for an inaccurate one, you should be aiming to split the layout line with the edge of the saw blade.
- Don't forget to stop at the bottom, by placing a mirror on the far side of the bench it is possible to monitor the progress of both sides of the cut without adjusting your position.
