Please help me on an Atkins saw

[Klaus Kretschmar]

Hi Creekers,

I've a vintage Atkins saw that needs to be refurbished. This will go to be a challenge since the handle has some serious break outs

I'm not familiar with Atkins saws at all, therefore my question how old this saw is. Every information is highly welcome and truly appreciated.

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kH2EV3nP_pQ/TptHAryMnZI/AAAAAAAABm4/AhnwMjZo0PI/s1600/P1030215.jpg

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tsJwMO8uHUU/TptHA9OsAuI/AAAAAAAABnE/k2cc-QFnQXM/s1600/P1030216.jpg

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lzHAryH93kU/TptHBUVMXWI/AAAAAAAABnQ/kD5nVRDOSCo/s1600/P1030221.jpg

Thanks in advance.
Klaus

[Mark Baldwin III]

Do you have a close up of the medallion? Jim K just suggested in the thread about my Atkins that it's likely to have been made within 15 years of the patent date on the medallion. That is, of course, if there's a date on it. That's a very nice saw by the way.

[Klaus Kretschmar]

Hi Mark,

here's a close up of the medallion. I really can't read the date except of Dec. ...

210343

Klaus

[Mark Baldwin III]

It looks like Dec 27. I'd be willing to bet that a clean up would reveal 1887. I wonder if they ran the date on the medallion for a longer period of time. Both of my Atkins have that same date and I seriously doubt that I was lucky enough to find two saws that are over 108 years old!

[Jonathan McCullough]

Does that say "No. 55"? If so, I've never seen one of those, and it doesn't show up in any of my catalogs or documentation. I just finished cleaning up a No. 54, which had the same handle style, but in beech instead of apple, and there is no nib. I didn't have much hope for it since it was in ugly shape, but it turned out to be a really nice user, very comfortable handle and a smooth runner. Maybe the 55 is a 54 with an apple handle and a nib? The patent (http://www.google.com/patents?id=2cEoAAAAEBAJ&pg=PA1&dq=D25763&source=gbs_selected_pages&cad=1#v=onepage&q&f=false) is just for the "Damaskeened" finish. Hard to advise on the top nuts. Maybe on the left one you could carefully score it with a gouge, and make a similar-fitting puzzle piece with the same gouge in a different piece of wood, glue it in airtight, sand it down, and artfully conceal the scalpel work. At some point, there's no mistaking she's an old lady.

Edited to add: photo of Atkins 54 26-inch hand saw with Atkins 53 24" panel saw. So clean you can eat off 'em. The lighting isn't the best but you can see the similarities. Potatoes optional.

http://i575.photobucket.com/albums/ss199/Jonathryn/Atkins 53 and 54/DSC03956.jpg

[Klaus Kretschmar]

Thank you, Mark and Jonathan.

The bottom line of the etching tells N°55 and the handlewood seems to be apple.
Thanks for the pic, Jonathan. It's highly welcome since on my saw the top horn has to be repaired. Your pic will help to get it in the right shape.

Klaus

[Jim Matthews]

What are the potatoes for?

I thought I was up on refinishing saws. In Taxachussetts, we use turnips to polish the brightwork.
Must be a Yale thing.

[Jonathan McCullough]

Klaus, if you take another photograph from a more direct angle, I could overlay a photo from my handle and give you a pretty accurate tracing.

http://i575.photobucket.com/albums/ss199/Jonathryn/Atkins 53 and 54/scan2.jpghttp://i575.photobucket.com/albums/ss199/Jonathryn/Atkins 53 and 54/Composite2.jpghttp://i575.photobucket.com/albums/ss199/Jonathryn/Atkins 53 and 54/sketchupsnapshot.jpg

Jim,
I find that if you use Bartender's Friend on that turnip, and omit the turnip, it cleans up most gunk from saw screws very quickly, a little too quickly . . .

[Klaus Kretschmar]

Klaus, if you take another photograph from a more direct angle, I could overlay a photo from my handle and give you a pretty accurate tracing.



That's more than kind of you, Jonathan, many thanks! This evening after getting home I'll be happy to forward a pic to you. I'm truly grateful!

Cheers
Klaus

[Jim Koepke]

It looks like Dec 27. I'd be willing to bet that a clean up would reveal 1887. I wonder if they ran the date on the medallion for a longer period of time.

I am not sure if the patent information on the medallion stayed for the full period. It was not a patent owned by any of the saw makers. Most of the saw makers did include this patent date on their medallions when they were using screws made within the description of Grover's patent.

When the patent expired, some saw makers may have had dated screws left in stock. These were likely used up until new stock was needed.

More information and an interesting read:

http://www.wkfinetools.com/contrib/pBaker/medallions-castStamp/medallions-castStamp-1.asp

jtk

[Klaus Kretschmar]

Great read, Jim. Many thanks!

Klaus

[Jim Koepke]

Here is another more involved read for Atkins Saws:

http://www.archive.org/details/sawssawtools00atki

jtk

[Jonathan McCullough]

My 54 handle

http://i575.photobucket.com/albums/ss199/Jonathryn/Atkins 53 and 54/No54.jpg

Klaus's 55 handle

http://i575.photobucket.com/albums/ss199/Jonathryn/Atkins 53 and 54/No55initial.jpg

Combine the images . . .

http://i575.photobucket.com/albums/ss199/Jonathryn/Atkins 53 and 54/No55forsketch.jpg

Use Sketchup to trace . . .

http://i575.photobucket.com/albums/ss199/Jonathryn/Atkins 53 and 54/No55inprocess.jpg

Final sketchup

http://i575.photobucket.com/albums/ss199/Jonathryn/Atkins 53 and 54/No55final.jpg

[Klaus Kretschmar]

Hey Jay,

that's incredible! Thanks a lot for that, I'm truly happy to have such a good pattern now to reshape the top horn. I'd really like to be able to do such things with sketch up, but there's no chance. I'm truly grateful!

Best
Klaus

[Jonathan McCullough]

Thanks bud. If it doesn't work out you could make a new handle. I think this technique gets you most of the way there, but I made a handle once exactly to the specs I drew out and it wasn't comfortable until I took a little more off here and there. Subtle rasp work can make a pretty drastic difference in how a handle feels and looks, but you know that. Enjoy that saw--it's unusual and will doubtless be a pleasure to use. Show us pics when you're done!

[Jim Koepke]

I made a handle once exactly to the specs I drew out and it wasn't comfortable until I took a little more off here and there. Subtle rasp work can make a pretty drastic difference in how a handle feels and looks, but you know that.

That is something my plane and saw totes have needed to make them comfortable.

jtk

[Klaus Kretschmar]

Thanks bud. If it doesn't work out you could make a new handle. I think this technique gets you most of the way there, but I made a handle once exactly to the specs I drew out and it wasn't comfortable until I took a little more off here and there. Subtle rasp work can make a pretty drastic difference in how a handle feels and looks, but you know that. Enjoy that saw--it's unusual and will doubtless be a pleasure to use. Show us pics when you're done!

I will do ... at least if it works how I hope it will.

Klaus