Introduction

[Jerry Palmer]

Well, I just signed on here the other day and posted a "Howdy" on one of the threads. Thought maybe a more formal introduction might be in order.

I am a long time woodworking hobbiest but now being an empty nester with a pension, a job, and a wife with a job, I have, in the last few years, been able to afford to spread my wings, so to speak.

I've got a shop full of tailed tools, and have been in and out of the Neandering ways several times. Early on it was handplanes, the usual Bench planes, some blocks and specialty planes along with a #45 built in pieces. That one probably cost me half again as much total than if I'd just bought a complete one right off.

Here and there picked up a few more things, and then came across an old Disston D-8 rip with the thumb hole for a song at an Antique Mall. So I started researching and was hooked.

Then, of course, had to get the gear for sharpening saws and then I found myself looking at layout tools and got some of those. I think a Brace and some bits were next and a couple more planes I stumbled across in my searching, another bench, a scraper or two, and a router plane. Then a shave and a couple egg beater drills and . . .

Oh and more saws. Initially it was back saws as I was attempting to fool myself into believeing that these were simply an adjunct to my tailed tool work. But I kept coming across orphaned hand saws of all sorts of configurations that had to be rescued from the budding artists who would paint a picture of a barn on them or something.

Made a couple of new handles for a couple saws whose totes were beyond repair, and a stairsaw that I made from the blade of a saw that was beyond repair.

And then I decided that I wanted a mortice chisel or three and my searching led me to all sorts of socket chisels and others which I, of course, scarfed up.

And I now find myself spending less and less time burning electrons and more time burning calories. While I still burn a few electrons, the time spent at the bench developing and polishing hand skills is much more relaxing and fun.

[Tyler Howell]

Welcome Jerry,
Glad to have you in the Creek. Geat folks here;)
Electrons or not we love the new age tech. of digital pictures!

[Roy Wall]

Welcome Jerry!!

I feel I'm in the infant stages of your story....Need a good bench, need good saws, planes, chisels, marking, measuring, clamps,......where will it end:)

Tyler is right about the photos........this forum loves em!!!

Good to have you here!!

[Dick Parr]

Welcome Jerry.

[Richard Gillespie]

Welcome Jerry! The people here are wonderful about sharing information. I've learned much by just asking.

If I keep buying hand tools, I'm going to have to sell some of my power equipment to make room. I'm also hooked on saws, as well as planes, braces, and scrappers.

[Jerry Palmer]

Guess I can take a hint, though the LOML would probably not agree, but her hints are way too subtle for me.

Anyway, here's a pic of some of my saws:

http://home.austin.rr.com/sawduster/Handsaws/Collection.jpg

And here's an old Disston 112 I got from e-bay. The tote, as can be seen, was not in real good shape, so I made one from some cherry scrap I had.

http://home.austin.rr.com/sawduster/Handsaws/112%20Cherry%2001.jpg

And here's the D-8 that started it all off. The stuff stacked behind the saw are the rails and stiles for the doors of some cabinets I'm making for our home office. (Mostly done with electron burners, but some hand planing and scraping, too.)

http://home.austin.rr.com/sawduster/Handsaws/D%208%20Rip%201.JPG

And here's a pic of my home made stair saw
http://home.austin.rr.com/sawduster/Handsaws/My%20Stairsaw%202.JPG

Guess that's enough for now. :D

[Wendell Wilkerson]

Howdy Jerry,

I checked your homepage. I really liked the stuff on inlaid boxes. I am planning an inlaid box project using mesquite and pecan right now so it was nice to see the pictures of your box made with these woods. Any tips on planing your inlay stock? One of my biggest concerns is milling the inlay material to a consistent thickness.

Wendell

[Jerry Palmer]

Since I use a scrollsaw for the inlays with the cut being at a slight angle I find that milling the inlay stock a little thicker than the field stock works well. For starters, it makes getting an exact angle for cutting less important since you've got some leeway. Then, once the inlay is glued, I take it to the belt sander and sand it down flush. Both mesquite and pecan cut crisply with good sharp blades, and with the Flying Dutchman blades I never have a sanding to do on the cuts. Of course, sanding the cuts is not an option for the inlay stuff anyway.

BTW, where is Murphy, TX. I'm in the Austin area.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Welcome Jerry! The 'Creek is a wonderful place to learn and share information! :D

[Wendell Wilkerson]

BTW, where is Murphy, TX. I'm in the Austin area.


Murphy is up on the North East side of Dallas.

Wendell

[James Carmichael]

Here and there picked up a few more things, and then came across an old Disston D-8 rip with the thumb hole for a song at an Antique Mall. So I started researching and was hooked.



Aha, you must be the same "JerryPalmer" I see so often on Ebay, usually bidding against me on Disston saws! That's exactly how I got hooked on em, too.

Welcome to the Creek.

[Jerry Palmer]

Aha, you must be the same "JerryPalmer" I see so often on Ebay, usually bidding against me on Disston saws! That's exactly how I got hooked on em, too.

Welcome to the Creek.
Sorry 'bout that. Did I ussually win, or just drive your bid up? :D

Rust is rather scarce around these parts, so e-bay and side trips to antique stores etc when traveling for work are my main options for procureing the fixes for my addiction. Lately I've been traveling with other folks from the office more than on my own, so rust hunting has suffered.:cool:

[James Carmichael]

Sorry 'bout that. Did I ussually win, or just drive your bid up? :D

Rust is rather scarce around these parts, so e-bay and side trips to antique stores etc when traveling for work are my main options for procureing the fixes for my addiction. Lately I've been traveling with other folks from the office more than on my own, so rust hunting has suffered.:cool:


No need to apologize, Jerry, alls fair in love, war, and the pursuit of rust, we just seem to share the same taste in saws:-)

I have to rely on Ebay as well, I'm in rust purgatory, at least so far as the WW variety. There's plenty around here if you're into farm & ranch or oilfield tools.

I would think you would have a little bit better pickings being near the German Hill Country.

[Vince Sandy]

Hi Jerry, and welcome to the Creek.

Like many "creekers" I too am drawn to old saws. Maybe you read my threads on cleaning backsaws? I use the same method on handsaws.

And speaking of handsaws, can you expand on how you make a handsaw handle? Specifically, how to make the slot/groove in the wooden handle to accept the blade. I visited your web page and noticed that you made at least one "cover top" saw handle that covers the top of the steel. How did you cut that groove? I've considered making the handle in halves and relieving each halve to proper shape and depth to accept the steel but I don't think I'd be happy with resulting seam in the handle after glueing the pieces back together.

Thanks, Vince

[Danny Jennings]

I joined the Creek not too long ago myself. Glad to have another Texan on board. I was born in Austin and raised in Round Rock but have been in SE Texas since 1960. Mom and Dad lived in Cedar Park and Georgetown for 10 years or so in the 70-80's. That area is still my favorite part of Texas. Not much but rice farms, swamps, and chemical plants/refineries where I live now.
I too love old saws. I picked up a couple from my uncles. They built homes in the Round Rock area for many years. One of them was the contractor, the other his crew foreman and cabinet man. I am trying to learn to put them to good use( the saws, that is). :)
Welcome again.
Danny

[Jerry Palmer]

Thanks for all the welcomes and so far I've found this to be a great place.

Vince,
Actually the one covertop I rehandled I cheated and made an open topped handle. I trace the handle out onto the stock I gonna use and mark where the end of the blade slot needs to be. I then set the fence on my bandsaw so the blade cuts in the center of the edge of the stock, and set the stock as though I'm resawing with the front of what will be the handle closest to the blade. I then cut through the center of the edge till the blade is even with one end of the line and tilt the stock forward till the other end of the line is even with the top of the blade. Then just withdraw the stock from the blade. I do the rest of the cutting on a scrollsaw, then it time to break out the rasps for the final shaping. A good drenching with BLO and then I finish off with a French Polish using Blonde Shellac.

Danny,
From your description, sounds like you're maybe around Beaumont, huh? I was out in Nacogdoches for work a while back, and we drove down to Beaumont. Beautiful drive and seemed to be several 'tique stores along the highway. Didn't get a chance to stop, but they looked like they may have some rust. Have you checked them out? I really like that area out there. I only moved to the Austin area about six years ago from way out west in El Paso. Thought we had trees here till I got out to East Texas. I head out there every chance I get.

[Jerry Palmer]

Forgot about this when doing the other post. A fella at another forum uses an old handheld circular saw blade with a thin kerf mounted in the table saw for the closed top totes for the D-8 family of saws. Disston apparently used some sort of circular blade to cut the slot for the rounded heel end of the blades. The problem might be finding a blade with a thin enough kerf that would allow the tote to hold the blade firmly. Some thin veneer etc could also be put to use.

[Danny Jennings]

Yeah Jerry, I am in the Beaumont area, Bridge City to be exact. It is a small town about 30 miles from Beaumont. Your are right about East Texas...lots of trees, big tall pine trees mostly. I have been to Nacogdoches several times and elsewhere in East Texas also. Earlier in life I didn't have the inclination to stop at an antique store or flea market for anything. Now that I have the "want to " I can't find the time to go. Oh well..when I locate my lost "round tuit" I'll do some rust hunting in that direction. :)

Nice work on the saw handles and we're looking forward to pics of more of your work.
Danny

[Jerry Palmer]

Yeah, I know about those misplaced round tuits. I'm down in San Antonio for a couple days and the fella I came down with lives out at Lake Travis, and he showed me a back road route to get down here. We went by a sawmill on the way down, but it was ealy in the morning so the place wasn't open yet. Might stop off there on the way back tomorrow. No new rust places spotted, though.

[James Carmichael]

And here's an old Disston 112 I got from e-bay. The tote, as can be seen, was not in real good shape, so I made one from some cherry scrap I had.

http://home.austin.rr.com/sawduster/Handsaws/112%20Cherry%2001.jpg

:D


Ahh, a Disston 112, YOU SUCK! That's the saw of my dreams. I have a nice #12 but prefer the feel of the early D8s (pre-1929), so I figure the 112 with it's skew back and same steel as the 12 should be Western hand saw perfection.

Unfortunately, I am a cheapo and won't usually bid enough (it's a wonder I got the #12), my batting average on Ebay saws is probably below .150. I've also been targeting Atkins 400s and 68s lately, but there's not very many of them and I apparently and not prepared to pay enough. I generally have my most success on "roadkill" D8s that are straight and rusty (but not flaking) with beatup handles.

Have yet to do a handle restoration, so far just cleaning up the rust, polishing the nuts & medallions in a tumbler, and sharpening (which I am still learning).

[Jerry Palmer]

If I recall correctly, the 112 was one of a pair of saws on e-bay. I recognized it for what it was and with the broken tote horn, the bid didn't go too high. Apparently the tote chased away the c*llect*rs, and I was looking for a mate to the #12 I had gotten previously. The fella selling the #12 listed it as a D-12 and apparently nobody did their homework to realize it was the older version so again I got it fairly cheap. I've missed several good saws out of cheapness myself, but have paid too much for a few also.