FrankenSaw possibility?

[Dan Sheehan]

Well, not knowing too much about saws, I bought an old 14" Diston backsaw that turns out to have some issues with the sawplate. The price seemed good... So I wonder if I could just replace it with a shiny new sawplate from Mike Wenzloff or someone else who sells kits/parts.

I need some info on how to remove the handle. Is a special tool required? It has straight-slot nuts but it looks too fine for any screwdriver I might have and I'm afraid of damaging them further. I could grind a screwdriver down, but it might be too narrow.

I have no idea regarding the back. Could I reuse it with a new sawplate, and if so, how do I go about disassembling and assembling? Or is it best to buy a new back too? If so, will it fit the old handle? Can I reuse the nuts?

To be blunt, it's the handle I love at this point. Ideally, I'd like to reuse as much as possible. But that sawplate has a future as card scrapers. Any advice would be welcomed.

Thanks for your help. I love this forum. Dan

[george wilson]

Just clamp the saw plate in a vise and knock the back up off it with a mallet. Tap the new blade into the back.

Put the handle in place with the new blade in the saw. Scribe through the holes in the handle. Drill in the centers of the scribe lines with a cheap 3/16" masonry bit with a carbide spade tip. Run it fast in the drill press. Put a block of wood under it. The fast spinning bit will take the temper out of the spring steel and drill right through it.

That's how we drilled our saws when we made batches of them in Williamsburg.

[Dan Sheehan]

George, Thanks for your advice. I am amazed at having your experience at my fingertips.

I am not familiar with a masonry spade tip bit, however. I asked at the HD, for what it's worth, and they were also perplexed, recommending a cobalt masonry bit with nothing spade about it. Also I do not have access to a drill press and fear that bit of any sort in my cordless drill will wander. But I am willing to try.

Any further advice for sources of methods? Again, thanks for your help. Dan

[Johnny Kleso]

Removing Screws can some times be a chore...

In a pinch use a blade from a razor knife.. Dull the blade on the ground of grinder.. Use vise grips to hold blade and use that as a screwdrive..

The Chore Part comes if the screw has been tighten for 30-100 years over and over...

What happens is the head with the square gets stripped and is in a round hole and the nut is jammed against the nut and it just spins and spins..

Either plies or two tiny holes to stop head from spinning either way it never turns out well if stripped..

You maybe lucky and it just comes right apart......

[David Keller NC]

Dan - This isn't the cheapest option, but if you intend to sharpen/maintain your own saws, then you may want have it:

http://www.lie-nielsen.com/catalog.php?grp=1271[/URL] (see "split nut screwdriver")

Another option was discussed by Chris Schwarz in his blog:

http://blog.woodworking-magazine.com/blog/The+Season+Of+Loose+Nuts.aspx (http://www.lie-nielsen.com/catalog.php?grp=1271)

Finally, you can buy one from Tools for Working Wood:

[URL]http://www.toolsforworkingwood.com/Merchant/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=toolshop&Product_Code=GT-SNSD&Category_Code=

Note that a lot of these old sawnuts are mangled pretty badly from an amateur tradesman's attempts at "tightening" a loose tote. You can re-file the slot pretty easily with a Needle file:

http://www.thebestthings.com/newtools/nicholson_swiss_pattern.htm

One of the straight, 0-cut 4" needle files is an exact match for the Lie-Nielsen split-nut driver. I'd say that it doesn't make much sense to spend $109 on a set of these for just one saw - but it might if you intend to accumulate a set of old Disstons and/or British antiques. It may also be possible to buy just the needle file you need instead of a set from Sears.