Finally done! A restored 1917 Disston backsaw

[Julian Nicks]

Let me just start this thread out by saying that I am very excited to have this old Disston backsaw back and in better shape than it probably has ever been in. I filed off the old teeth, then cut and set new ones. It's now a 15ppi rip blade that it dead straight. It now tracks perfectly, and starts the cut nicely thanks to the 8 degree teeth. I had a blast restoring this saw, and making the new handle. I'm hooked on old tools now, and will be looking for another saw to restore very soon.


Here's a picture of the saw when I bought it.
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f247/pdmfpres/1-5.jpg


Here is is with the new curly bubinga handle, and correct sawnuts.

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f247/pdmfpres/6-1-1.jpg
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f247/pdmfpres/7-1-1.jpg

[Brian Kent]

Wow. Beautiful saw and that handle is just stunning. I'll bet it feels as nice as it looks. Best of all, the saw works. What a bonus!

[Louis Reed]

Julien,

What a nice job ! How long have you been doing tool restorations ?

Louis

[Jim Koepke]

Nice work, it is great to have a good working saw.

That lever on the first picture looks similar to the one on my Bishop #10. I wonder if it came from a similar type of saw.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=110566

jim

[Phillip Pattee]

Julian,
I agree with the others -- what a mighty fine looking handle. Wow!

[John Keeton]

Nice job, Julian! Looks like you bought the saw at auction - did the bubinga cost as much as the saw?? That wood is beautiful - and really adds to the overall character of the saw.

Personally, I am not much into tool restoration, but I certainly appreciate the effort others go to in saving and putting back into useful service some of these old saws. That is in stark contrast to the otherwise "disposable" mentality that permeates our society.

[George Sanders]

Beautiful workmanship.

[Julian Nicks]

Louis, this was my first attempt at restoring/sharpening a saw. I have had the bubinga laying around the shop for years now, and I finally decided to put it to good use. I have so far made a new tote, and handle for my stanley #7 with it, and this handle. I didn't pay much for the piece because it had quite a few inclusions in it. That said, I feel there is nothing wrong with using some nice wood on a tool that you will use everyday.


John, I bought the saw from an antiques dealer for $30, and yes, I also paid $30 for the wood. The bubinga was 8/4x8x48.

[Terry Beadle]

I'm so green! What a beautiful piece!

It's gotta be like having a nice quiet friend in the shop. Classic!

[James Carmichael]

Very nice, Julian.

What size file did you use for 15 TPI? Did you have a guide of some sort for filing the new teeth?

[Julian Nicks]

I used a 4" 2x slim file that I ordered from www.toolsforworkingwood.com (http://www.toolsforworkingwood.com) . I printed out the tooth layout and glued it to a piece of wood to use as a template for getting the teeth cut evenly. I also made a small jig to hold the file, so all I had to do was set the height of the blade in the vise, hold a small shopmade t square over the glued on template, and just hold the file holder against the t square and push it back and forth till it stopped cutting. It was tedious, but worked quite well. I should have taken pictures of the process, because it really helped in making an accurate tooth pattern.

If I try this again, I will try making a jig using threaded rod to accurately set the spacing. It would basically be the same idea, but would have a 16x3/8 threaded rod. With the 16 tpi rod, I'd essentially get a 16ppi blade. Each revolution of the rod would be one tooth. If I get some extra cash, I'd love to try my hand at making a brass backed saw from scratch.

[Hank Knight]

Julian,

That's a beautiful restoration. It's hard to believe you've never done a saw before. That makes the end result that much nicer. Congratualtions on a very nice job.

Hank

[Jim Koepke]

Julian,

That's a beautiful restoration. It's hard to believe you've never done a saw before. That makes the end result that much nicer. Congratualtions on a very nice job.

Hank

If your going to do it, there has to be a first one.

jim

[Chris Padilla]

I'm not sure this is an appropriate word to use but that saw just looks delicious to hold! I love the handle...bet it fits like a glove!

[george wilson]

Excellent work.I think you have done an extremely accurate job on that handle.

[Peter Evans]

Great job on the handle! And if your first saw sharpening was a 15ppi re-toothing - well you have a great sawmaking career ahead.

A question - what is wrong with the old handle? One nitpick, I don't think that is a correct saw screw for the period, looks to be flush with the handle rather than domed. The saw screw on the saw as bought looks like one from a pad saw, worth keeping because they are often missing.

Cheers
Peter

welcome to the club for saw tragics

[george wilson]

It is more of a customized saw than a restoration. I think it looks fine.