Rusty find, what is it?

[Dale Murray]

Found this at the local thrift shop. A dollar later it was mine.


Looks like a saw set to me but one I've never seen like this one before.

Anybody know more?

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I had to edit this post because it initially seemed like I had NEVER seen a saw set before, I have but not like this one.

[george wilson]

It is a saw set.

[Jim Koepke]

It is a saw set.

Not for a small saw I would bet.

jtk

[george wilson]

Yes,I omitted hat as I was turning the computer off for the night. Looks like a lumber mill saw set.

[Don McConnell]

Hi Dale,

I've been attempting to find out if your saw-set is patented, and I've not found an exact match. The closest I've found is U.S. patent number 39,323 issued July 21, 1863 to Oliver Newton of Watertown, NY. In turn, the patent was assigned to William Nash, of the same town. The saw-set of that patent is characterized by Oliver Newton as follows: "The object of this invention is to obtain a saw-set of simple construction which may be adapted for setting the teeth of either large or small saws, and at the same time have a powerful purchase, so as to be capable of being readily operated, and enable even unskillful hands to set a saw in a perfect manner."

Here is the drawing for that patent:
357479
As can be seen, there are a couple of key differences between the drawing and your saw-set. The most important one, for the functioning of the tool, being the lack of a set screw, marked F, through the oblique portion of the "frame." It and the set-screw marked E, on the handle, are used in conjunction with each other to limit the amount of set being imparted to the teeth of the saw. Is there any evidence of a set-screw F having once been a part of your saw-set?

The bent metal piece attached with the third set-screw, marked K in the drawing, can be adjusted per the size/depth of the teeth being set. It seems to be partially modified and/or missing on your saw-set.

The September 12, 1863 issue of The Scientific American had a brief article about this Oliver Newton's patent, with an artist's rendering of the tool:
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Incidentally, William Nash, the assignee of Newton's patent, advertised the patent for sale in the same issue of the magazine. So, if your saw-set is, in fact, patterned on Newton's patent, we can't necessarily assume that it was manufactured by William Nash.

Hope this has been of some interest/help.

Don McConnell
Eureka Springs, AR

[Jerry Olexa]

Saw set...

[Dale Murray]

Don,
That was quite the response and much more than I had ever anticipated. No sign of set screw F.

I doubt I would ever use it but I couldn't leave it behind for $1.