Hand saws from estate sale

[dennyom]

I stopped at an estate sale last weekend and purchased several old saws. The blades were nice and straight but with some rust. The handles looked sound but cruddy and paint spotted. I took one without an etched logo to try to clean up. It is a 26" 10 ppi, no medallion but nickel nuts. I cleaned the blade and now am working on the handle. I removed the paint spots and the old cracked finish, then put on a coat of boiled linseed oil. It looks good now. One web site said "A light coat of shellac afterwards can help" What cut of shellac would be in order here? Also is it easier to sharpen before replacing the handle?

The other saws are:

22" 13? or 12? ppi rip. The medallion has a keystone figure and reads warranted superior.
22" Atkins 9 ppi rip.
All the rest are crosscut
26" 8 ppi Diston D115 with a crack in the handle.
26" 7ppi Diston D8 good handle but two broken teeth
26" 8 ppi Diston D8 This one needs no work and cuts great. Perhaps could be sharpened.
24 1/2" 9 ppi Diston D8
26" Diston D23 10 ppi also in very good condition and needs little work other than perhaps sharpening.

All eight saws set me back $21.00.

Would like to post pix of them but not sure I can yet.

Dennis

 

[pedder]

Also is it easier to sharpen before replacing the handle?

Hi Denyon,

welcome to the forum!

The answer to your question depends on the saw vise you're using. On a cast steel vise the handle won't disturb sharpening.

All eight saws set me back $21.00.

I'm not sure if gloating is allowed before post # 5

Cheers Pedder

 

[Woodmagnet]

Welcome aboard Dennis, you got a good deal there,
oh and

:lol:

 

[bugbear]

Also is it easier to sharpen before replacing the handle?

Hi Denyon,

welcome to the forum!

The answer to your question depends on the saw vise you're using. On a cast steel vise the handle won't disturb sharpening.

It does on my Woden :-(

BugBear

 

[pedder]

On a cast steel vise the handle won't disturb sharpening.

It does on my Woden

Hi Bugbear,

what does "Woden" mean? A manufacturer of vises? Picture would help.

To rectify my statement: At the 3 vises i owned the handles of hand saws didn't interfere the vises. They do at dovetail saws but not at hand saws:

Cheers
Pedder

 

[bugbear]

On a cast steel vise the handle won't disturb sharpening.

It does on my Woden

Hi Bugbear,

what does "Woden" mean?
Pedder

http://www.woodenboat.com/forum//showthread.php?t=53350

(added later)


I have a Woden (not a typo for "wooden",
but a brand name of Steel Nut and Hampton)
saw vise, with 8 1/2" jaws:

As far as I am aware this is a fairly typical design.

I mentioned in a thread that I had a problem
with saw handles fouling, and someone expressed bemusement
that this was the case. However if I fit a "ghost saw":

(thank you, Gimp! www.gimp.org/ )

it can be seen that the handle fouls, not on the front jaw,
but on the rear framing of the vise. I cannot get the saw heel nearer
the vise jaws (my solution to this is to clamp a large
toolmakers vise over the saw heel, and use inertia to allow
filing to proceded, albeit in a non-ideal fashion).

The reason for the fouling is lack of clearance in the depth of the vise:

The gap is easily big enough to clear a saw plate, and even
the spine of a backsaw, but not a handle.

I don't know if other vises show this problem, or wether
this post will merely act as a caveat for those of you considering
purchasing a saw vise.

BugBear

 

[bugbear]

(did an edit, but thread doesn't get new date)

"bump"

BugBear

 

[pedder]

Hi Bugbear,

I stand corrected :roll:

I sharpened a hand saw today and yes, the handle disturbs the vise. It doesn't work much better without the handle, because the vise is not high enough.

Kind regards
Pedder

 

[bugbear]

Hi Bugbear,

I stand corrected :roll:

I sharpened a hand saw today and yes, the handle disturbs the vise. It doesn't work much better without the handle, because the vise is not high enough.

Kind regards
Pedder

What is the brand of your vice? It looks remarkably similar in design to mine, albeit a different colour.

BugBear

 

[pedder]

Hi Bugbear,

the vise in the picture was sold in spring. No brand.

Now I own a new green vise from Urbo Werkzeuge. Links and pics on my blog:

http://pedder-altedamenauskiel.blogspot ... luppe.html

(sorry, before-subtitles-era)

These aren't that bad. But the goal is a Ulmia, wich I will get as a birthday present from my Wife. Blue and heavy. It closes perfect.

At a S&J 26" Hand saw I couldn't sharpen the last 1,5". (I had to test file one saw when the vise arrives. Than back to the box. ))

Pics will follow, when it is mine.

Cheers

 

[bugbear]

Hi Bugbear,

the vise in the picture was sold in spring. No brand.

Now I own a new green vise from Urbo Werkzeuge. Links and pics on my blog:

http://pedder-altedamenauskiel.blogspot ... luppe.html

(sorry, before-subtitles-era)

Hmm. Be careful. My vise looks like that when it is open.

But note that the pivot is very close to the jaws, and that when the jaws pivots, it also lowers. How bad is the height mismatch of the jaws when the vise is closed?

Mine is also like this; in the end I closed the vise on a steel ruler, recessed below the jaw tops, and then simply filed the jaws.

But the jaws on my vise are not the same height when the vise is open, due to the very close pivot.

BugBear

 

[pedder]

How bad is the height mismatch of the jaws when the vise is closed?

The mismatch in height isn't a problem at all its less than 0,5mm. The problem at the green vise is (and the reason to buy the blue :wink: ): it doesn't close on the fare left 4cm. It closes good on the rest 20cm, though.

Cheers Pedder

 

[bugbear]

How bad is the height mismatch of the jaws when the vise is closed?

The mismatch in height isn't a problem at all its less than 0,5mm. The problem at the green vise is (and the reason to buy the blue :wink: ): it doesn't close on the fare left 4cm. It closes good on the rest 20cm, though.

Cheers Pedder

Mine had similar issues when bought. Careful work with a file made them close all the way across

BugBear

 

[pedder]

Careful work with a file made them close all the way across.

I tried this on the black vise, doesn't work for me.

Cheers Pedder

 

[dennyom]

Thanks for the discussion pedder and bugbear. It looks like one vice might not be good for all saws. I have searched the web and think one could be made to use on most of my saws. As long as the handels are off anyway that might be the way to go.
Dennis