Hand Saw

[SteveF]

I bought an old disston canada handsaw years ago from a boot sale
not sure why tbh but think it was 99p
the blade is rusty and the handle is "chipped"

time to think about putting to use

the teeth are all there and appears to have zero kerf

if i clean it up ...is it worth taking to a saw doctor and have sharpened or does that cost oodles ?
I always thought I could just make a new handle if i draw around the old one...how difficult can it be?

Steve

 

[MMUK]

how difficult can it be?

Whenever they say that on Top Gear......... :lol:

 

[Richard T]

In my experience there is no such thing as a saw doctor any more.

You will get a much better experience all round if you learn to do it yourself. There are plenty of tutorials here.

 

[MIGNAL]

How bad is the handle? You might be able to graft on new wood. What's the TPI? Anything under say 11 TPI and sharpening and setting isn't that difficult, so you could try yourself. It's a long time since I used a saw sharpening service. I'll take a guess at a minimum of £10 if the teeth are in very good condition i.e no reshaping. There are saw doctors still around. It's finding a good one that might be a problem - especially after my last experience.

 

[blackrodd]

I bought an old disston canada handsaw years ago from a boot sale
not sure why tbh but think it was 99p
the blade is rusty and the handle is "chipped"

time to think about putting to use

the teeth are all there and appears to have zero kerf

if i clean it up ...is it worth taking to a saw doctor and have sharpened or does that cost oodles ?
I always thought I could just make a new handle if i draw around the old one...how difficult can it be?

Steve

If it's a Disston Philadelphia, they were collectible 40 years ago. Should be stamped in the brass round plate/badge in the handle. I'm afraid sharpening saws is much like loads of other skills, It's easy when you know how. It doesn't hurt to Get the right size 3 corner file and have a go! brass saw sets are still about from time to time. be very careful, as you sharpen the saw, you can get gashed a few times! Regards rodders

 

[TobyC]

Disston Canada was in Toronto.

Label screw probably says "Disston Canada".

Read this. http://www.vintagesaws.com/cgi-bin/frameset.cgi?left=sawcare&right=/library/primer/sharp.html

 

[bugbear]

I bought an old disston canada handsaw years ago from a boot sale
not sure why tbh but think it was 99p
the blade is rusty and the handle is "chipped"

time to think about putting to use

the teeth are all there and appears to have zero kerf

if i clean it up ...is it worth taking to a saw doctor and have sharpened or does that cost oodles ?
I always thought I could just make a new handle if i draw around the old one...how difficult can it be?

Steve

Photos would help us advise you - best would be one "overall", one closeup of the teeth, one of the handle.

BugBear

 

[Corneel]

Sawdoctors can still be usefull to let them stamping new teeth in your sawplate. I haven't found one overhere who can also file the teeth so they will be sharp. So I learned it myself.

Making a handle isn't too difficult. Most difficult is cutting the slot for the sawplate. I use another saw, clamped horizontally to the workbench at half the height of the handle thickness. Then sliding the new handle on the workbench surface, along the teeth, I make a decent kerf all the way around. Then I take everything out of the clamps again, clamp the new handle in the vise, and finish the cut "freehand".

You can find some usefull instructions here: http://www.toolsforworkingwood.com/prodimg/gt/pdf/GT-CKITXX_INST.pdf

 

[MIGNAL]

Going back 6 or 7 years ago I once sent a saw to Thomas Flynn for sharpening. I was advised that if the teeth were in poor condition they would just swap the blade. Not even re-tooth it.
I've done a couple of conversions of saws. One was my Pax dovetail. Turning it from 21 TPI into 16 TPI. It's a lot of work doing it with a hand saw file. Not sure I would repeat those experiences again. Then again filing back to nothing, recutting and setting all the teeth really does 'sharpen' your skill with saws.

 

[SteveF]

i will try get some pics

i looked closer at button and is usa not canada
the tag someone attached said canada....oh well

i have not found etching yet

it is 8ppi or 7tpi in old money

will take a while to strip rust

never sharpened a saw so looking forward to trying

 

[Paul Chapman]

I always thought I could just make a new handle if i draw around the old one...how difficult can it be?

An excellent tutorial on making a saw handle on Mike Wenzloff's site http://www.wenzloffandsons.com/images/s ... index.html

Cheers :wink:

Paul

 

[AndyT]

will take a while to strip rust

It could be quicker than you think!

https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/forums/cleaning-rusty-saws-with-autosol-t73647.html

 

[SteveF]

I will try the foil

for the handle i have scrap options of

Western red cedar
beech
oak
sheesham
walnut

what would be best option or do i need to go buy something

Steve

 

[TobyC]

Beech or Walnut are good choices, I don't know anything about sheesham.

 

[woodbrains]

Hello,

Sheesh am is Indian Rosewood, might be nice if the saw plate is up to it.

Mike.

 

[SteveF]

i have quite a bit of the rosewood

i am hoping i can get someone to turn me some chisel handles at some time and a chisel hammer

may be nice to match the saw handles

 

[bugbear]

I will try the foil

for the handle i have scrap options of

Western red cedar
beech
oak
sheesham
walnut

what would be best option or do i need to go buy something

Steve

I wouldn't use (ring-porous) Oak. All the others would be fine. I'd also practise on beech, even if I intended to use the rosewood for the "real thing"

BugBear

 

[SteveF]

i was going to play with a bit of cheap pine

 

[MIGNAL]

Western red cedar is very soft. Dents easily. The rest are fine. Beech looks plain but makes a perfectly good choice. Close grained as well.