restoring handsaw

[Ed Hardin]

I need some help guys. My mother in law died two weeks ago and I have received a very old saw that belonged to my wife's grandfather. It is thin, brested and is indeed a very good old saw. However, it is rusted and the handle, while fitting the hand extremely good, needs to be replaced. What is the best way to remove the rust prior to revamping the handle. I'll probably clean it up and use glue to take care of the cracks in the handle. The handle has also been bolted to the saw blade when the rivits apparently broke off. I do want to get it back to the way it was and do not have a clue. Thanks.

[Dave Anderson NH]

Hi Ed- First of all you should check out the saw handle carefully. It is likely that what you think are rivets are actually split nuts and the slot in them for the screwdriver is worn almost away. After removing the handle you might want to trace out a pattern of it and make a new one. A scrollsaw, coping saw, jig saw, or something similar can be used to rouch cut out the shape. After that it's just a matter of shaping with a rasp, files, and some sandpaper to clean it up.


To refurbish the blade you can remove most of the really gross amounts of rust with a single edge razor blade. After that there are several alternatives. The simplest one is wet sanding with mineral spirits and a 320 or 400 grit silicone carbide paper. An alternative is to use citric acid which is available at canning suppliers and at some supermarkets. Mix the powder with water in a large plastic container and leave it in over nite and the rust will magically disappear. You might have heard about electrolysis for cleaning and derusting old tools, this is probably not a good idea for saws. Electrolysis produces hydrogen embrittlement in the steel and you can easily break off teeth when sawing. For further and more detailed information you might want to check the archives on the old tools list.

[Charles McKinley]

Hi Ed,

I would check http://www.vintagesaws.com/ before I did anything. After you are sure it is a user there is a tutorial on cleaning and sharpening.

[Ed Hardin]

Thank You Guys! My problem now is that the original nuts, bolts or brass rivits that held the handle on the saw are long gone with replacements of square nuts and bolts by my father in law. I'm thinking of connector bolts like those used to put scales on knives. I did look at all the sites. I also appreciate the idea of citrus acid. Have a great day.