Foley Belsaw Tools?

[Steve Mathews]

I acquired a Foley Belsaw saw filer, retoother and setter some time ago. The machines are well made. Has anyone used these?

[Robert Hayward]

Years ago there used to be a saw sharpening shop near me that used Foley machines. Back when carbide was an expensive option for 7 1/4 circular blades I had him do all of my steel toothed blades. He could sharpen a hand saw to perfection. All the teeth in the same set and dead even across the points. I do not even know where to take my old hand saws since he passed away.

[Steve Mathews]

The sharpener does both circular and hand saw blades. After playing around with it a bit I can't imagine hand sharpening being as accurate. I may do more with it, possible build a back saw from scratch. Might be a fun project.

[Richard Coers]

There is a Facebook group of owners and collectors.

[Maurice Mcmurry]

No experience with the sharpener (other than admiration). We had a vintage Foley Belsaw planer. It was a fantastic machine. It had sat in a leaky barn for 40 years. Dads very clever farm hand did an amazing restoration and powered it with 10 H.P. grain drier motor. It handled the extra 5 H.P. just fine. Twice in Dads 50 years of cabinet making he sold his business, tools, clients, and all to young business men. The gentleman who bought his 2nd shop has retired. It would be fun to get that planer and some other machines back.

[Tom M King]

Do you have all the bars for the sharpener?

[Steve Mathews]

Do you have all the bars for the sharpener?
I don't know about all of the bars but there are quite a few of them including a good assortment of accessories and manuals. An inventory of them is probably in order. I have to say I'm impressed with the build quality of these machines and all USA made.

[Tom M King]

Can you show pictures of the bars? It's rare to find one of these setups with all the parts in working order. I quit looking long ago. I hope Pete Taran sees this thread.

[Steve Mathews]

Can you show pictures of the bars? It's rare to find one of these setups with all the parts in working order. I quit looking long ago. I hope Pete Taran sees this thread.

Sure, I'll take some photos during my inventory and post them here later today.

[Steve Mathews]

Here are photos of some of the bars.
499594499595

[Tom M King]

You hit the Jackpot.

[Steve Mathews]

You hit the Jackpot.
You might think if they were used. Unfortunately I'm drawn in by quality old machines. By absolute pure coincidence I went to a swap meet this morning, the first in a long time, to look for some saws and came across another lot of Foley Belsaw machines. I couldn't pass most of them up so came home with a carbide saw filer, a machine I have yet to identify its use and about twice the number of bars as previously shown. It's a complete sickness.

[Steve Mathews]

The Foley machine I wasn't able to immediately identify is a Foley Model 330, Circular Saw Blade Setter.

[Robert Hayward]

How about posting a couple pictures of the machines?

[Steve Mathews]

How about posting a couple pictures of the machines?

Will do. I'm going out of town tomorrow but will post some photos afterwards.

[Bill Dufour]

Would a 3d printed bar hold up long enough to be useful for a oddball tooth pitch? Probably have to be grafted onto a iron blank for stiffness.
Bill D.

[Steve Mathews]

Here are photos of some of the Foley Belsaw tools. The last one is a beautiful moth/butterfly(?) hanging on the shop door this morning.
499704499705499706499707499708499710

[Robert Hayward]

Nice looking machines! That is a Cecropia moth (https://www.google.com/search?q=cecropia+moth&oq=ce&aqs=chrome.0.69i59j69i57j69i59j46i199i340i465i512j 46i131i433i512j69i60j69i61j69i60.1112j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8) by the way.

[Richard Coers]

You might think if they were used. Unfortunately I'm drawn in by quality old machines. By absolute pure coincidence I went to a swap meet this morning, the first in a long time, to look for some saws and came across another lot of Foley Belsaw machines. I couldn't pass most of them up so came home with a carbide saw filer, a machine I have yet to identify its use and about twice the number of bars as previously shown. It's a complete sickness.
A carbide saw filer? What is the model number, never heard of such a thing. It uses diamond files?

[Steve Mathews]

A carbide saw filer? What is the model number, never heard of such a thing. It uses diamond files?
Foley Belsaw Model 310 - Carbide Saw Filer
Yes, it uses a diamond wheel.