Acid etching saw blades.... Check this one out.....

[toolsntat]

I thought you might like to see this un-drilled and ornately etched plate for a MARSHES & SHEPHERD saw.
Could this have been a reject for an exhibition grade saw due to the poor etching in the area where Britannia is depicted?
Do any other saws bear this engraving?
Need to try and take some better pictures.
Cheers
Andy

 

[richarnold]

Thats a stunning sawblade Andy, but when are you going to make a handle for it?. Go on you know you want to!!!

 

[jimi43]

Stunning Andy....but I think that is one for a frame...hey! A framed saw! :wink:

I'll get me coat of arms!

Jim

 

[bugbear]

Wow. Just wow.

BugBear

 

[Racers]

Cracking Andy.

Where did you find it?

Pete

 

[marcus]

A little bit of rust there, but nothing a good hard sanding can't sort out ;-)

 

[AndyT]

Fascinating! I think your theory of a rejected exhibition piece makes a lot of sense. I bet there was some colourful language from the maker - I wonder if he got paid for the work he'd put in?

Is it definitely acid etched - my first thought was that it looks like engraving in the picture - can you tell for sure?

Also, it looks from your picture as if the teeth are cut but not sharpened - is that so?

 

[toolsntat]

Thats a stunning sawblade Andy, but when are you going to make a handle for it?. Go on you know you want to!!!

Not before making some sample planes with that group of old "mothers" Richard :lol:

Stunning Andy....but I think that is one for a frame...hey! A framed saw! :wink:

I'll get me coat of arms!

Jim

Funny you should mention that Jim, it came with a "frame" bow saw in the auction :wink:

Wow. Just wow.

BugBear

That's what I thought. Had to have it =P~ :wink:

Cracking Andy.

Where did you find it?

Pete

Not telling Pete as you live too close to Stanley's #-o :lol:

A little bit of rust there, but nothing a good hard sanding can't sort out ;-)

Yes Marcus, and someone has had a crack at it already :shock: :twisted:

Fascinating! I think your theory of a rejected exhibition piece makes a lot of sense. I bet there was some colourful language from the maker - I wonder if he got paid for the work he'd put in?

Is it definitely acid etched - my first thought was that it looks like engraving in the picture - can you tell for sure?

Also, it looks from your picture as if the teeth are cut but not sharpened - is that so?

Yes Andy 100% etched as you can see the outline of the mask on the blade with most of the detailing standing proud of the blade surface and if engraved I think Britannia would have turned up for the show :wink:
The teeth are sharpened, set and ready to go after all this time 8)

So do any of you have any saws by M&S ?

Thanks all
Andy

 

[Cheshirechappie]

This is not just a hand saw, this is an M&S hand saw...

Pure speculation this, but I seem to recall that acid etching was introduced sometime around 1860 (ish), and the style of the etch fits that sort of period. I wonder if it was a sort of experiment, trying out the new technique; or maybe a sales sample? I've never come across the firm before, so maybe the sales drive wasn't too successful. "Nah listen 'ere, young feller, tha'll not be sellin' many o' them. They's far too fancy and they's not got 'andles!"

It's a super thing in it's own right, though.

 

[toolsntat]

This is not just a hand saw, this is an M&S hand saw...

Pure speculation this, but I seem to recall that acid etching was introduced sometime around 1860 (ish), and the style of the etch fits that sort of period. I wonder if it was a sort of experiment, trying out the new technique; or maybe a sales sample? I've never come across the firm before, so maybe the sales drive wasn't too successful. "Nah listen 'ere, young feller, tha'll not be sellin' many o' them. They's far too fancy and they's not got 'andles!"

It's a super thing in it's own right, though.

After looking here http://www.wkfinetools.com/hUK/z-UKRead ... Simon1.asp I think it may have been a Bagshaws etching plate and wouldn't it be nice if it was the one from May 23 1849 8)

Thanks, for the life of me when I wrote M&S I could not remember that strap line from the commercials #-o :lol:

Andy

 

[bugbear]

A little bit of rust there, but nothing a good hard sanding can't sort out ;-)

Yes Marcus, and someone has had a crack at it already :shock: :twisted:

Cleaning to retain or clarify an etch needs to be done very carefully. Any use of a "soft" abrasive, like wire wool, coarse polish (e.g. autosol), or hand held sheet abrasive should be avoided like the plague.

I would recommend very slow and carefully observed use of around 400 grit SiC on a hard, flat block (I use aluminium). You're trying to avoid softening the corners at the supper surface of the etched lines, and you're particularly trying to avoid working below the main surface of the saw.

In this way, the contrast between the saw and the etch is enhanced.

Having abraded and cleaned the plate as well as you can, a devious trick is to cover the saw in (e.g.) black marker, and then use the block again to remove the marker from the main surface.

This should (again) emphasise the etch.

Photographing the etch on a clean saw is another challenge.

BugBear

 

[Dangermouse]

If this was for exhibiton and was rejected. so no handle was fitted. Why go to the bother of setting and sharpening it ???????

 

[Racers]

Hi,

I guess that clamping it in a vice and filling it might cause some damage to the etch so it was done first.
The handle holes would have been drilled through the handle so that would be done last.

Pete