New Tote for a D-23

[Jack Frederick]

I picked up a Disston D-23 that was hiding under an astounding amount of crud last week and have been cleaning it up. The plate is straight and the handle is a 5-screw held together by an detailed application of electrical tape. The tote is in about 5 pieces. I have some apple from an old tree that went down and have cut some blanks. The cut out for the blade is very thin. It is the same thickness as my fine pull saw, but the back of the blade is rounded (approx 3" radius) as is the blade cut in the tote. Any ideas on how to cut that rounded portion?

[lowell holmes]

I put new handles on several of my Disston saws. I did not worry about a radius in the tote slot. I made it a strait cut.
You can't see it.

[Pete Taran]

Disston did it with a .040" thick circular saw. I'm guessing you don't have one laying around. As an alternative, you could just slot it on the bandsaw and not worry about the gap at the top, or fill in the gap with a piece of home made veneer you made from the same block.

[Andrew Fleck]

You might want to look into cut off wheels for grinders if you could rig up a way to make the cut. You can get some really thin wheels for those.

[lowell holmes]

Why all the fuss over a slot you cannot see? If you cut the slot with a handsaw, it will be exactly right.
I have made new handles for three saws and they all work fine.

[steven c newman]

I need to check...but I think I may have a spare D-23 handle down in the shop.....next time I'm down there, I'll check for it....

[Jack Frederick]

Thank you for the suggestions. Steven, it is kind of you to offer, but I'm going to try my hand at forming a new handle and follow Lowell's suggestion about not worrying about the cut. I'll keep you posted.

[lowell holmes]

You may have to make more than one before you are through. Don't ask how I know.:)

[Jack Frederick]

Do you think Pear would make a good handle? I have some of that as well.

[lowell holmes]

I favor curly maple. :)

[Jack Frederick]

So, Apple and Pear

[Stew Denton]

Jack,

I am not speaking from experience with making saw handles, so please keep that in mind.

That said, I have read more than once that one of the desirable properties of apple is very good split resistance. There is an article on Lost Art Press that was written in 1912 that lists some of the properties of apple. The properties, for saw handles, were such that apple was considered the premium wood for saw handles, and all other choices were considered secondary.

Some of the characteristics were: fine grain, when steamed it gained a very uniform color, excellent hardness and density, the excellent split resistance, the ability to take a high polish, etc., and there were other traits as well I think.

Back then, apple was a high priced wood, and almost all of it that was large enough, went into saw handles.

From looking at the wood database, it looks like a number of the properties of pear are similar to those of apple.

Beech was used in lower priced saws, and was a good choice, in some respects better than apple, but it just did not look as good and considering all of its properties was probably not quite as good as apple overall.

Stew

[steven c newman]

I checked my 2 Disston D-23s last night.....both look like they have Walnut for the handles....

The spare handles I have left? Are 4 hole, non-carved ones....maybe for panel saws?
404788
404787
Was at a garage sale...fellow running it, said this was Free!! Brought it home, cleaned it up...8ppi with readable etch...
Very good saw, BTW

[lowell holmes]

I love my saws with the maple handles, unless you want to sell it as original, use any wood that you have available.

[Jerry Olexa]

Free is a good price.

[lowell holmes]

404891
Like I say, I like curly maple. :)

[Stew Denton]

Steven, beautiful job on restoring the 23! The price was great, and the saw looks great, not too many of us end up with a saw like that for sweat equity only.

Lowell, beautiful handle, and great workmanship! I like your curly maple handle too.

Stew