Repair or replace?

[Eric Rathhaus]

before beginning a rehab on a CL saw, I wanted to ask for opinions on whether I can repair this handle with wood glue or should replace it.

401732401732

[brian zawatsky]

I think that's repairable. It's a long grain to long grain glue joint, which is what you want for the glue to work best. Remove the handle, clean the crack (compressed air works well), glue it, clamp it.

I have repaired top horns on several saw handles using wood glue and they have all held very well. The trick there is to cut a step in the saw handle to expose some long grain to glue your block to, since a horn repair is an end grain joint situation which is not optimal. With the handle in an orientation 90 degrees clockwise to the picture you posted, make a vertical (perpendicular to the saw teeth) cut into the top horn, and connect it to a longer horizontal cut (parallel to the saw teeth, in other words) to remove the damaged horn and expose a long grain "shelf" to serve as the glue surface for your repair block to bond to. I'll see if I can find some old pics I have of the process I used, maybe they will help you.

[Jim Koepke]

Repairing is something you can likely do with what you may already have on hand. It is usually my first choice to repair if possible. In this case it looks possible.

jtk

[Rob Luter]

Repair. No brainer.

[Eric Rathhaus]

Rob, I guess that was my problem ;). Seriously glad y'all agree with what I had planned.

[Stew Denton]

Eric,

One more for repair.

Stew

[Eric Rathhaus]

Thanks, everyone. My problem now is that one of the screws spins in the saw with the nut. Anyone have a method to cure this or does it mean I'm going to lose this handle? I think this saw is a Disston No 12 so I don't want to screw it up.

[Joe Bailey]

Easier than explaining

http://www.badaxetoolworks.com/unlocking-a-frozen-sawnut.php (http://www.badaxetoolworks.com/unlocking-a-frozen-sawnut.php)

[Stew Denton]

Eric,

Assuming that you can get the sawnut loose, as per Joe's post above, I would do exactly what Brian suggested, and that would have been my approach as well. I have fixed smaller places in broken saw handles with a similar approach.

I have used Titebond II for this kind of fix, and have used Gorilla Glue to glue up hand plane totes. What I would do is use masking tape to cover most of the handle so you don't have to fight getting extra glue out of saw nut holes and the carving on the handle. I would then use a very thin putty knife, maybe even a vinyl one, to work the glue into the slot, after cleaning the slot like Brian suggests. Be sure to wipe the inside surface of the saw slot to clean out any free glue. I would use something like a Manila file folder or the backing for a writing pad, running it though the slot and wiping off any glue after each wiping. Make sure you get virtually all of it out, you may have to dampen the Manila folder some from time to time.

Be sure to do a test clamping to make sure that your clamp easily pulls the crack together. If you have crud in the crack that you don't get out you risk breaking the handle, or getting a very poor glue job.

Stew

[Eric Rathhaus]

Awesome. Thanks.

[Tate Harmann]

I just did a very similar repair on the saw here: https://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?271326-Crosscut-Hand-Saw-Rehab

Shouldn't be too hard at all - go for it :)

[Pete Taran]

I'd be more concerned if it's worth it. I see heavy rust and pits on the blade that is visible. I agree the repair is easily completed.

[Eric Rathhaus]

Hi Pete - there is some heavy pitting but not close to the teeth. And it's still quite sharp and mostly straight. Would pitting on the plate a couple inches up from the teeth affect functionality? Actually I was thinking of contacting you to see if you offer the service of taking out the small kink in it. It's a No 12 and still cuts well.

[Eric Rathhaus]

Very nice, Tate. I like your saw vise!

[Eric Rathhaus]

here' s a picture of the whole saw. 402047

[Eric Rathhaus]

Actually that's the other No 12 I got. Here's the one with the broken handle.402051

The streak is just some of the rust loosened by a test cut.