Salvaged D8

[Joe A Faulkner]

Most of my spare time has gone into remodeling the shop for the past several months. I have a thread over in the workshop forum on that little all-consuming project. This summer I became interested in handtools. I've restored several planes, bought some bench chisels as well as few mortise chisels. A few weeks ago, I picked up a couple of old backsaws from a fellow creeker. Shortly after they arrived, I noticed this old rusty saw in one of the outbuildings on the property. It looked beyond repair, but I thought, other than a few hours of time, what do I have to lose? I cleaned the handle and gave it a few coats of paste wax. The blade was treated to various scrapers, and grits of wet/dry sandpaper. While its far from perfect, the price was right. Once I get the shop back in order, I hope to build a workbench. This saw might see some action on that project.

[harry strasil]

Good find, You will love it I am sure. nice job

[george wilson]

Yes,a good find. Certainly better than Marv's finds.

[Jonathan McCullough]

Nice! Looks like it's got plenty of life left in it too, and with a finer finish tooth count (9 - 10 TPI?). I've found those are less common in a full hand saw size.

[Marv Werner]

Hi Joe,

Good job on reconditioning that old guy. It's quite surprising sometimes what's beneath all that rust and grime. Will you be filing it?

[Tony Shea]

Will you be filing it?

I think you'll be surprised at how useful this saw will be especially after undertaking the filing proccess. It looks like a great saw and believe it would really benefit from a good sharpening.

[Marv Werner]

Joe,

In contrast to your find, here is one of mine. I have to say, the ergonomics is a bit lacking. George is right, yours is certainly better.

Custom handle 2PPI.jpg
The only thing I can think of to do with this is to make it my Avatar.

[george wilson]

Another amazing chicken house saw find,Marv!!! Or,is it a rotting rain barrel full of water saw find???

[David Weaver]

When you find old saws like that, I would take the ones that have pitting on them like that one and turn them into rip saws. Pitting is a real downer on a crosscut saw. Not that they won't work, but it affects a rip saw a lot less (i am making my comments based on the assumption that it is about an 8 pt crosscut).

Sometimes, though, the rusty ones are so cheap it is hard to resist, because they are worth more as possible stock for a frame saw with free spare nuts than they are to let them keep rotting away.

Well done on the save.

[george wilson]

Sometimes they get so rusty,when you scrub the rust off of them,you find that you have scrubbed a hole right through them!!

[Chris Fournier]

Joe,

In contrast to your find, here is one of mine. I have to say, the ergonomics is a bit lacking. George is right, yours is certainly better.

Custom handle 2PPI.jpg
The only thing I can think of to do with this is to make it my Avatar.

Nothing wrong with that handle! In the fireams world we refer to that as a "bull pup" grip. Perhaps you should have a restrcited hand tool license though...

[george wilson]

Chris,you are only half right, it's a bull-something grip!!

NOT referring to Joe's saw.

[Paul Incognito]

That's a nice looking saw Joe!
Using old tools that I've rescued from the brink is much more satisfying to me than using new tools.
Enjoy It!
Paul

[David Weaver]

you find that you have scrubbed a hole right through them!!

in that case, I'd file the hole cleanly around the edges, and put it on ebay and say "SUPER RARE Disston Saw with Hole!!!!" on the auction.

[Marv Werner]

Hi Joe,

Looking at your saw a little more closely, there is something puzzling about it. The top isn't shaped like a D8. It's more like a No.7, but it doesn't have a lamb's tongue like a No.7 or D-7. The blade just below the handle is curved inward like a D8, where as a No.7 is curved outward. Is it a cover top? In other words can you see the edge of the blade showing through on the top? It appears to be a "let-in" handle as all D8,s are. The grip hole looks to be smaller than a D8. It has 5 screws, but a No.7 has 4 screws. It's the shape of the top that is the most puzzling.