Check out this human powered table/mitre saw.

[amerikat]

Looks like a fine machine. A little pricey but it
has has some great qualities. Not the tool for
ripping sheets of plywood but it could be very useful
for lots of things. Watch the video and tell me what you
think.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ruwZdaPjbs&feature=player_embedded#at=180

edit for spelling as usual.

[Warpy]

1. Neat little saw for the home woodworker

who does small cabinetmaking projects. Great for a hobbyist in an apartment, more accurate than the set of Japanese saws my ex had for his apartment woodworking projects.

However, all I can think of is the hours involved in setting and sharpening the saw blade, something you don't worry about with power saws. Once the blade gets dull enough to burn through wood instead of cutting it, you just pop on a new blade and recycle the old one.

FWIW, the most precise wooden modeling work I've ever seen was done at an exhibition of Chinese arts. The "saw" was a bow saw and piece of copper wire that looked like it had dings put into it between a couple of rocks. The equipment was beyond primitive, but what that guy was doing with it...

[amerikat]

2. Looks like replacement blades are about $30 each.

Sold in 5 packs. I can see the blades lasting a long time.
No chance of heat build up which kills power tool blades.
Maybe a de-gumming once in a while to remove pitch build up.

Check out the fine work in these Japanese puzzle boxes.
The joints are so fine that you can't see the sliding joints at all.
The only way to start to open them is to randomly try to slide
a portion of the box. My seafaring uncle brought some back from
Japan in the 60's.

http://stores.brilliantpuzzles.com/-strse-110/4Sun14Steps-Japanese-Puzzle-Box/Detail.bok

Ever think about how they built the first Lathe without a Lathe?

[Warpy]

3. I know how they did that one

They used a bench, bent sapling and rope, a foot pedal to pull the sapling down so the work would spin one way and let the sapling pull up to spin it the other. The rope was wrapped around the stock to be lathed.

You learn all this weird stuff in Mass. if you pay attention.

However, that blade replacement price looks excellent. Again, I wish my ex and I had one of those when we were building our furniture in an apartment. It would have made things much easier.