Keystone saw work

[Lloyd Robins]

I got a 26 inch saw from a fellow creakier several years ago as a learner. I thought that it is a rite of passage to at least attempt to restore a saw to a useable state. This saw was a deep dark brown on both sides. So after doing some reading here and on blog sites, I finally decided to give it a try. I removed the handle and set to work. I think that the rust was thicker than the blade. After quite sometime I have gotten it down to what the pictures show. It is a Keystone saw and it says that it is made by Disston USA. The problem is that the brown is gone, but the metal is not really coming through. It almost seems that it might have been blued at one point. I realize that this is not a collector and will probably be the last one that I work on, but after all this work, I would like to be able to give it a sharpening (also a learning exercise) and use it. Do I keep sanding it down (600 grit) or should I put the handle back on and sharpen it?

[Jim Koepke]

Someone recently posted about using metal polish and wadded up aluminum foil to restore the metallic sheen to saw plates.

You might give that a try.

Why should this be the last one you work on?

It is nice to have a few saws for different situations.

jtk

[David Paulsen]

If it was mine, and this is what I have done before, I would sand with some 100 grit paper and progress to the shine you like and end with a wipe down with oil/mineral spirits. I also have saws that look like that though, and like them equally for their character. Depending on your saw vise setup, I would probably wait with putting on the handle until you have sharpened... It just makes it easier that the handle doesn't get in the way.

My two cents.

[peter gagliardi]

The patina in its present state is fine for using now. However, the sides of the teeth appear to have been hit with the sandpaper, effectively nullifying the set that is or was there, so that will have to be addressed along with the sharpening.
Be careful, those teeth may be brittle and break when setting! I only have a couple of saws that are much cleaner than that, most are at that state, they work well.
Peter

[Lloyd Robins]

Jim,

Thank you for the information on the metal polish and aluminum foil. I have some Flitz on the way. I guess that if I can get the to work, it won't be the last. However, I am not an avid sander (one reason I like planes) and this has required quite a bit of sanding after using the razor blade. I am used to getting new stuff and trying to not goof it up. I agree about the saws. I need a couple more.

David,

I started with 220 grit after the razor blade and have been using 400 grit trying to keep what there is of the etching and to not scratch the blade too much. I will wait to put the handle on until after sharpening. Thank you for the tip.

Peter,

I guess that I need a saw set then, because yes, I did hit the teeth some with the sandpaper. They were as rusty as the blade. You say to be careful when setting the teeth, how do you do that? Thanks.

I appreciate the help.

Just for information I have use a paste wax on the handle and while it has the blunt horns, it is in pretty good shape.

Lloyd

[Mike Holbrook]

You have apparently come a long way from your description of the condition the saw was in when you started. I don't see large quantities of pitting so the rust & discoloration may not have been too deep into the metal. Lots of people use saws with that much and more discoloration. I don't think the color of the blade is actually abnormal for a saw that was neglected for a long time. The color of the blade should not diminish the ability of the saw to cut wood. I have a Disston D9 that is a solid blue/black color on its blade that is a great user. Some of the darker color near the teeth will fade with use too.

If I may move off topic for a moment, is that a Noden Adjust A Bench Leg Set on your bench? I was studying a pair at Highland Woodworking the other day. I have been considering using a set on a table/bench to use as a work support & project surface in my shop. My main concern, other than the price, is my fear that the base would just not be very sturdy? One of those sets with casters gets pricey and I am trying to figure out if the investment would actually net me a sturdy adjustable surface? I am not thinking about using them on a bench I would do planing, dovetailing....on, more an outfeed and cabinet construction, glue ups, surface for building a bench, supporting larger pieces for the band saw....all those projects that may be easier to accomplish if the work is at different levels. Rather than hijacking this thread I will move this question to a different thread but leaves this here to link the OP to the question.

[george wilson]

The advantage of having a reflective surface on the blade is,of course,you can look at the reflection of the edge of the wood you're sawing,and adjust the saw cut until you see a straight line to make the cut square. Other than than that,a polished surface tends to slow down further degradation through rusting. It's always good to arrest rusting asap.

[Jim Koepke]

The saw setting may not be anything to worry about for now.

Most old saws have been over set in the past.

When it comes to setting a saw the teeth should be set in their original orientation. This is usually pretty obvious due to over setting in the past. Teeth often snap off if an attempt is made to set them opposite to what they were.

As far as saw sets go, many folks have their favorites, I like my Stanley 42X. Maybe we should have a new thread on saw sets if there isn't already a few old ones floating around.

Have you looked at sites like vintagesaws.com or the norsewoodsmith.com and read their write ups on saw sharpening? There is a lot of good stuff there that will likely answer a lot of your questions.

jtk

[David Paulsen]

Hey Lloyd, again, I would recommend you to jump straight into setting the teeth yourself. It's really no big deal. And here I mean, that it's one of those skills you quickly learn by doing, and it will always remain with you. No real bad consequences either. Even if one of the teeth would pop off (which I highly doubt if you do it lightly) then you can always learn to re-file a saw... Would be a drag though. I'm not saying that setting the teeth requirers no sensitivity, but I found that it isn't harder than most of the other skills you learn as a woodworker.

And personally, I don't care about etching on my saws, I just like how they perform. And if you find it necessary for your work to have a shiny polish on your saw go to town with a coarser grit until you are free of the black rust (or whatever it is) and progress through the grits. I only use a mirror polish on back saws, as I use my bigger saws to cut to a rough pencil line.

[Lloyd Robins]

Thank you all again for the help. When I get it finished, I will add a post to show what happened.

[David Paulsen]

That will be sweet Lloyd, always a pleasure to see. Will you try the tinfoil and autosol method? Would be great to see more examples of how it works

[Lloyd Robins]

Yes, I am definitely going to try the tinfoil method, but I will be using Flix instead of Autosol. It was just easier to get and was also a recommended polish. We already have the before, so now we will get the after pic (hopefully next week).

[Lloyd Robins]

I promised to report back on the Flitz (metal polish) and aluminum foil for polishing. I tried to follow the instructions in Christian's How to Polish a Saw Plate thread. I used the Flitz 3 times and each time when it dried up, I wiped it off. I then used my oil (mineral oil, beeswax, and a little camellia oil) to wipe it off. I had to oil it down three times before the rag came away clean. I could probably get it a bit more shiny if I continued the process, but for now I think that it will do. Oh, the tip of the saw in the second picture is has more shine than the picture shows. It does have some pitting near the toe, but where it is a rip saw, is the pitting far enough above the teeth that it is useable? Thanks again for the help.
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