Hand Saw Restoration ?

[David Turner]

Purchased two handsaws today at an antique store. One is a H. Disston & Sons (rip) and the other is a Diamond Edge (crosscut). Both need a lot of care especially the blades as both are brown with rust. What is the acceptable way to remove the rust? Are the Brass handle to blade attachment "bolts" available?

[Don Henthorn Smithville, TX]

Not an expert but I would suspect that electrolysis would be the best way to remove the rust. Yes the handle bolts are available; you just need to look.

[Vince Sandy]

Hi David,

Congratulations on your new saws. I've rehabbed a dozen or so saws with great results. I've not done any sharpening yet but plan to try my hand at it. For removal of rust and general restoration of the finishes, I've followed the methods described by the Disstonian Institute. Take a look at the site, its chock full of good info. on the care of old hand saws. Here is the web address of the site - http://www.disstonianinstitute.com

I just picked up an old Disston No. 4 back saw and I'll post some pics and do a brief description of what I did to bring it back to life.

For brass saw nuts/bolts, I buy old beater saws whenever I find them real cheap ($1 - $3). So far I've found that most bolts are inter changeable.

Have fun with the saws!

Vince in NC