Buying and restoring old cross cut hand saws and two man saws (for firewood)

[Krome10]

Hi

I have a lot of firewood to process (felled ash trees due to dieback), and with wood stoves in the house processing firewood will be ongoing. I've decided to try and do it all with hand tools. I'm reading a lot about Silkys and will likely end up with one or two of those. But I'm also keen to try and get an old fashioned cross cut saw or two. I've no idea what to look out for though, and whether most available locally will be nothing more that "above-the-fire-place" ornaments. Here's some links to some I have my eye on:

Saw 1:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1hDOsITWZAr6Ai_M61qPGmlDoMnsl4A26?usp=sharing
Saw 2:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1NesLU_jnH90u73sep4OFTVZd6wXi1dZy?usp=sharing
Saw 3:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1pcpnOCNP-GLoPFy3MTenBCDF-qdjdoCf?usp=sharing

Is it impossible to tell from photos/videos what they are like?

Any pointers for what I should be looking out for as a novice?

I also want to learn how to sharpen my own saws - including my Silkys when I have a lot more experience - so would saws like these be a good place to start practising?

Many thanks

 

[kwigly]

You can't tell from pictures of used saws if the saw teeth are correctly sharpened and set (although a video of it cutting through a log might help). luckily sharpening/setting is not difficult for a beginner to achieve acceptable performance (and you'll get better with practice).
You'll need a saw blade over 600mm to cut through logs, and Silky saws are too short to effectively do this (they're great for cutting branches though)

 

[Keith 66]

I have a big 6ft two man crosscut saw that my dad was given about 40 years ago It was old then. Its one of those things that just hangs on the wall in the way. But last year we had cause to use it building a boat jetty & sawing telegraph poles on the side of the creek. I cleaned half a century of hardened grease off it & gave it a sharpen. What a wicked fast thing to use it is. Top tip get a piece of plastic pipe with a slot in it to tie over the teeth as they are just as lethal when you are not using it!

 

[thick_mike]

Where are you? I have a couple that I have never and will never use. You are welcome to them for free, but they would need some repair I think (wobbly handle, surface rust). I’ll dig them out and see if they’re still ok if you’re anywhere in the beds/herts/bucks area (I’m near Leighton Buzzard, but travel over to Ware frequently and work near Luton)

 

[Jacob]

Basic 30" bow saw would be best for when you are on your tod. Roughneck 5tpi Wood Professional Bow Saw 30
Silky pruning saws are for pruning - poking into a tree to cut selected branches without cutting the others, not practical for firewood.

 

[DrDarren]

There's a really good 'Woodwright's Shop' just posted on Youtube covering the types and restoration of these saws.

 

[D_W]

Just make sure you match the tooth type to what you want to cut.

 

[Bod]

https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environmen...lications/fs_publications/04232822/page01.cfm
For all you need to know, and much more!

Bod

 

[Krome10]

Just a quick one to say thanks for all the helpful replies, and especially to @thick_mike for the kind offer. I was born in Luton, but I'm in Wales now so a bit of a trek away! Thanks all the same though. I do have an uncle in Dunstable however, and at some point I'll hopefully visit him so perhaps I can drop a line if/when that happens to see if you still have them? I'm thinking it will be quite a learning curve so the more I have to practice on the better.

Anyhow, I've got lots of questions buzzing in my head but have been away at work for the week and go away again tomorrow morning for the weekend. I just didn't want to leave it any longer before saying thanks to y'all, and will return with a fuller response when time allows.

Cheers

 

[bourbon]

An 'I didn't know that' thing. Mate of mine has a two-man saw. Someone asked him if he could hire it for a wedding ceremony. Don't ask, I dunno.