Needed a Bigger Coping Saw

I started to build my cello mould. I like to spell it with a 'u' because to me mold is what grows on something that is damp and rotting. I will have a center pattern that will be glued together as one piece, and a top and bottom pattern that will be pinned and screwed to it with one by twos. The one by twos will also serve as a gluing surface for the blocks. Each layer is a different size and I will file it all on an angle when I get it assembled. The blocks will also be angled, so setting them up will be more work, but it shouldn't be that hard.

I took my drawing up to Staples, and had them make a copy of the top half at 200%, 201%, 202%, 203%, and 204%. Then they did the same for the bottom half. It is much cheaper to copy them out as 12" X 18" halves and then tape them together, than to copy them out as 24" X 36". The patterns are just halves, so I glue the copy right on the board with spray adhesive. I cut my top and bottom patterns out of 1/4" hardboard, and smoothed them out.

I thought that I could only get on side of the pattern on each length of shelving. The shelving is about 11.5" wide, and by putting one half on one side, and the other flipped on the other side, the tops conveniently sit in the c bout area of the other. I can save 3 full boards. That could be another cello mould. So I drilled my locating holes that will go through the mould and line up the patterns for marking out the corners on the blocks, and I located the holes using a flashlight to line them up with the copy, and then marked them out.

Then I realized it. I don't have a saw that can cut it out!

My coping saw is only 4," and it has a broken tang, so it is hard to change blades. So I picked one up at the hardware store. It seemed all right. It had a nice thick handle on it, but when you use it you have to constantly watch that the tang where the handle is stays put. It doesn't want to. I have a really nice deep throat fret saw, but the blade can't turn, so it won't work. The only option I've seen is one made by Knew Concepts. It is a pricy option. An 8" fretsaw that will only rotate 45 degrees each way for $103, or a coping saw that looks like about 6" for $149. I'll live with what I have.

I still have the top and bottom to cut out. I also need to pick up some screws, and 1/2" and 1/4" dowels. I always think that I have screws in one of the two boxes of drawers hanging on the wall. They have a lot of screws, bolts, nuts, washers, and other things; but never what I want.

This is it so far.