Figuring out how to best hang the saws

At this point of the build, this is perhaps the most critical design considerations.
Get it wrong, the saws will hang funny and probably not securely.
Get it right, and it will look right, and the saws will be well protected, securely.

It is quickly becoming obvious that one common distance for the whole length of the saw handle board, will not work. Remember that I am stuffing 21 saws in there...

Handle board spaced 1 in from the front.

The hand saws and Mitre boxes saw are not too bad.

But the backsaws are all over the map angle wise.

Some are too far in, they would hit the back boards.

The handsaws are not engaging the bottom saw kerf block.

Could be easily arranged by simply making that board taller.

Next I tried moving back the handle board to 2-1/2 in

The handsaws now engaged both saw kerf boards, 

but the big mitre box saws are not happy...

Because of their handle hang, they are sitting back, 

not engaging nothing. Not good!

The back saws are more straight up/down.

But the longest tenon saw is a tad floppy, could use another kerf block.

The larger tenon saw is a bit too vertical for my liking.

So that board would be somewhere between 1 and 2-1/2 away from the front.

Here's what I learned from this experiment:
- The longest saws need to engage two kerf blocks to be secured, or they are too floppy.
- The saw hangs (determined by their handle placement) are all over the map (I knew that) and required different distance from the front to "hang" right.
- I don't like the small saws to be at too much of a vertical angle, does not inspired me confidence.
- All this to show that if you are planing to build your own saw till, DO NOT follow my dimensions blindly (or anyone else for that matter). Rather make it to suit YOUR SAWS!

Something else I may try is using a large dowel I picked up instead of using a board. If I keep the board idea, I will round over the top.

Better to divided my saw handle board into the three types of saws:
- The hand saws (12), 6 each for hardwood and softwood in both rip and crosscut configurations,
- The mitre boxes saws (3),
- The back saws, from large tenon to small dovetail (6).

That will give me the maximum flexibility, to get it right, and be efficient.
I should also varies the saw kerf depth to better accommodate some of the saws.

Exploring possibilities for the top part above the back saws section.
Which saws are left out? And do I have room for them?
Fret saws (2)
Coping saws (3)
Jeweller saw (2)
Flush cut saw (2)
Compass saws (3)
Pad saws (2)

Hummm, I'm running out of room! Perhaps another smaller till ? :-)
Reality check. Some of these small saws would easily fit in one of my three drawers.

As I was prepping the saw till for its paint job, I decided that the big knot on top of the middle rail was annoying me. So i decided to cut it out and do a similar patch I did on the large plane till.

That knot hole would be against the back board

and it is too big for a filler job.

Cut around the offending area

Chisel out a square opening

Glue in a block of wood.

Would be trimmed flush once dried.

Meanwhile the saw till got its coat of primer on. Minus the area under repair.

Glued patch dried, cut and planed flush, then primed.

There it was...gone.

First coat of paint.

Only things left are to cut my beads, paint my back boards.
Cut my saw handle boards and make different kerf boards.
Oh, and I still have 3 drawers to make, almost there :-)

Bob, musing about some of the required choices, while the paint dry.