Jonathan McCullough
03-08-2011, 1:04 PM
One Saw a Week (more or less (mostly less)): 26-inch Simonds No. 5 Rip – 6 TPI
http://i575.photobucket.com/albums/ss199/Jonathryn/Simonds%20No%205%20Rrrrrip/DSC03110.jpg
It has been a long and brutal winter in New England, but I’ve been trying to chip away at the legendary pile-o-saws. Submitted for your possible interest is this nice rip saw. The saw plate is full, feels heavy, and has what I suspect to be quite a bit of tensioning. Despite its 26-inch length and relatively high tooth-per-inch count, it cuts with authority through a variety of woods. It could be just me, but I associate longer rip saws of 28 or 30 inches and coarser (4–5˝ TPI) tooth counts with rougher carpentry type work in pine. This saw is more what I would call a hardwood cabinetmaker’s rip saw for benchtop use, though like many tools it would be suitable for a variety of purposes.
This is not one of Simond’s premium “Blue Ribbon” saws, but I’ve not run across enough of them to be able to discern much of a difference. The steel is very good quality, tough on the file, and I believe the etching is stamped/embossed as well as chemically etched.
http://i575.photobucket.com/albums/ss199/Jonathryn/Simonds%20No%205%20Rrrrrip/DSC03111.jpg
Despite my preference for handles of the older Disston No. 7 type, I found the handle on this saw to be quite comfortable. I repaired the bottom horn on the handle with some apple wood donated by a fellow Creeker. As you can see, I have not yet mastered the art of blending such patches (anyone notice that’s harder than learning how to sharpen a saw?!). I’d humbly submit that any suggestions or pointers here about how to do that would be most appreciated. It’s just that some woods react differently to the same tung oil.
http://i575.photobucket.com/albums/ss199/Jonathryn/Simonds%20No%205%20Rrrrrip/DSC03116.jpg
At any rate, I consider these working tools. Very fancy and old working tools, but working tools nonetheless. Maybe in a few decades the new apple wood will have oxidized enough for no one to notice. Better yet--for the saw to have been so well used and loved that the grime of honest work obscures a well-maintained tool.
Other One-Saw-a-Week Projects
Diamond in the Rough (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?137471-Diamond-in-the-Rough&highlight=)
Resistance is Futile (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?137489-Resistance-is-futile&highlight=)
Pinkie (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?137251-Pinkie&highlight=)
22-inch Riverside Tool Company No. 6 Panel Saw 12 TPI (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?148134-One-Saw-a-Week-22-inch-Riverside-Tool-Company-No.-6-panel-saw-(Disston-No.-7)-12-TP&highlight=)
22-inch D-8 Panel Saw 10 TPI (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?148696-One-Saw-a-Week-22-inch-D-8-Panel-Saw-10-TPI-1896-1917&highlight=)
26-inch Atkins 200 rip saw (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?149700-One-Saw-a-Week-26-inch-Atkins-200-rip-saw-%96-5-%BD-TPI&highlight=)
18-inch Simonds No. 10 (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?150091-One-Saw-a-Week-18-inch-Simonds-No.-10%BD-Panel-Saw-10-TPI&highlight=)
18-inch Russell-Erwin 9 TPI Panel Saw (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?152471-One-Saw-a-Week-(More-or-Less)-Russell-amp-Erwin-%93Russwin%94-18-inch-panel-saw-9-TPI&highlight=)
26-inch Disston No. 16 Crosscut 8 TPI (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?156562-One-Saw-a-Week-(More-or-Less)-26-quot-Disston-No.-16-Crosscut-8-TPI&highlight=)
26-inch Atkins No. 53 Rip 5˝ TPI (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?150524-One-Saw-a-Week-26-inch-Atkins-No-53-rip-saw-%96-5-%BD-TPI&highlight=)
http://i575.photobucket.com/albums/ss199/Jonathryn/Simonds%20No%205%20Rrrrrip/DSC03110.jpg
It has been a long and brutal winter in New England, but I’ve been trying to chip away at the legendary pile-o-saws. Submitted for your possible interest is this nice rip saw. The saw plate is full, feels heavy, and has what I suspect to be quite a bit of tensioning. Despite its 26-inch length and relatively high tooth-per-inch count, it cuts with authority through a variety of woods. It could be just me, but I associate longer rip saws of 28 or 30 inches and coarser (4–5˝ TPI) tooth counts with rougher carpentry type work in pine. This saw is more what I would call a hardwood cabinetmaker’s rip saw for benchtop use, though like many tools it would be suitable for a variety of purposes.
This is not one of Simond’s premium “Blue Ribbon” saws, but I’ve not run across enough of them to be able to discern much of a difference. The steel is very good quality, tough on the file, and I believe the etching is stamped/embossed as well as chemically etched.
http://i575.photobucket.com/albums/ss199/Jonathryn/Simonds%20No%205%20Rrrrrip/DSC03111.jpg
Despite my preference for handles of the older Disston No. 7 type, I found the handle on this saw to be quite comfortable. I repaired the bottom horn on the handle with some apple wood donated by a fellow Creeker. As you can see, I have not yet mastered the art of blending such patches (anyone notice that’s harder than learning how to sharpen a saw?!). I’d humbly submit that any suggestions or pointers here about how to do that would be most appreciated. It’s just that some woods react differently to the same tung oil.
http://i575.photobucket.com/albums/ss199/Jonathryn/Simonds%20No%205%20Rrrrrip/DSC03116.jpg
At any rate, I consider these working tools. Very fancy and old working tools, but working tools nonetheless. Maybe in a few decades the new apple wood will have oxidized enough for no one to notice. Better yet--for the saw to have been so well used and loved that the grime of honest work obscures a well-maintained tool.
Other One-Saw-a-Week Projects
Diamond in the Rough (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?137471-Diamond-in-the-Rough&highlight=)
Resistance is Futile (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?137489-Resistance-is-futile&highlight=)
Pinkie (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?137251-Pinkie&highlight=)
22-inch Riverside Tool Company No. 6 Panel Saw 12 TPI (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?148134-One-Saw-a-Week-22-inch-Riverside-Tool-Company-No.-6-panel-saw-(Disston-No.-7)-12-TP&highlight=)
22-inch D-8 Panel Saw 10 TPI (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?148696-One-Saw-a-Week-22-inch-D-8-Panel-Saw-10-TPI-1896-1917&highlight=)
26-inch Atkins 200 rip saw (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?149700-One-Saw-a-Week-26-inch-Atkins-200-rip-saw-%96-5-%BD-TPI&highlight=)
18-inch Simonds No. 10 (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?150091-One-Saw-a-Week-18-inch-Simonds-No.-10%BD-Panel-Saw-10-TPI&highlight=)
18-inch Russell-Erwin 9 TPI Panel Saw (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?152471-One-Saw-a-Week-(More-or-Less)-Russell-amp-Erwin-%93Russwin%94-18-inch-panel-saw-9-TPI&highlight=)
26-inch Disston No. 16 Crosscut 8 TPI (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?156562-One-Saw-a-Week-(More-or-Less)-26-quot-Disston-No.-16-Crosscut-8-TPI&highlight=)
26-inch Atkins No. 53 Rip 5˝ TPI (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?150524-One-Saw-a-Week-26-inch-Atkins-No-53-rip-saw-%96-5-%BD-TPI&highlight=)