Steel vs Oak - tool storage.

[DuncanA]

In an attempt to protect my dovetail saw's blade I've just finished building a wooden blade guard, copying the design from another saw that was passed down to me (pictured with the new one below). However, no sooner had I finished the wooden guard, and was admiring it in the dim light of the workshop, a worry struck me - I'd built it in Oak.

Now I know not to use steel screws in Oak because discolouration can occur, but I'm not sure about what the reaction going on actually is. Are the tannins in the Oak damaging the steel, or is the steel just causing discolouration to the wood; will an Oak sleeve for a saw damage the saw plate at all?




Have I passed my morning making a usable blade guard, or some firewood (firewood that was good practice mind you!)?

 

[Cheshirechappie]

For iron to stain oak, moisture has to be present to some degree. If your workshop is dry, and the oak well seasoned, you should be fine. If your workshop is on the damp side (during the winter months particularly), you may have some discolouration of the saw blade, though this won't affect it's performance.

 

[Corneel]

Hi Dincan,

How did you make the guard? Does it pinch the blade somehow so it doesn't fall of?

 

[DuncanA]

Hi Corneel,

The guard is simply a length of wood, about 3/4" thick, with a saw kerf (in this case made using the saw the guard is intended for) cut down it. I then shaped it to fit the saw's back and handle and rounded the edges with a rasp and block plane. It doesn't pinch the blade but there's enough friction to hold it. The original stays on fairly tightly, but I don't think that's due to any fancy design rather more to do with a kink in the blade (which is why I'm forced to use what I think is the rather ugly and plasticy Veritas - ultimately I'd like to get the old one repaired and it will replace the Veritas saw). The guard I made will fall off if you shake the saw by the handle but holds tight enough to lift the saw out of the tool chest and back.

The main benefit for me is that it allows the saws to sit upright in my tool chest without having to rest on the teeth, and it protects the blade from any other tools being shifted roundabout. The traditional alternative is probably some form of till but I wanted to maintain some flexibility whist I decide what and where thing go in the chest.

Cheshirechappie, thanks for the info. My workshop can be damp but I tend to keep most of my tools in the house for that very reason. I occasionally leave things down there overnight when I'm in the middle of something but I'll take the risk and use the Oak guard for the time-being. As long as the tool remains functional I'm happy.

 

[Corneel]

Thanks for the answer. It's a nice design.

 

[woodbrains]

Hello,

To be on the safe side, I would avoid the oak. I have almost never taken a steel screw from an antique oak piece of furniture that was not rusted. In fact I once read in an old woodwork book, that steel screws were to be avoided in oak furniture, except for use in drop leaf table hinges, were the shallow screw holding in the thin tabletop was improved by the eventual rusting of the screws, which swelled them into the wood. Besides, wood is hygroscopic and the moisture content will vary according to the season. There is never a point where there is no moisture in the wood. Moisture, tannin and steel does not mix well.

Mike.

 

[bugbear]

I have almost never taken a steel screw from an antique oak piece of furniture that was not rusted.

I've experienced several steel screws in old oak furniture shear off (just below the parallel shank) rather than come out, because they were both "rusted in" and partially "rusted through".

BugBear

 

[DuncanA]

In that case I think I'll try and find some other steel-friendly scraps and have another go at making a guard. Thanks for the input chaps.