Disston Saw worth fixing up?

[Peter Pedisich]

Hi,

I was given this saw a couple of years back, and used it to decorate my shop.
I've been slowly switching over to hand tools for a year now, and I'm wondering if this saw would be a good user?
It feels solid in the hand, but the sawplate is in bad shape.

The plate measures 24".

Thanks for any advice.

Pete

EDIT: I just looked on the Disstonian Institute, and it appears to be a No. 7 from between 1917-1928. It has the 1917-1940 medallion, but it has the nib, which I think is pre-1928.

[Robert Culver]

Looks like a disston #7 to me but im just a amatue if it is a # 7 its in my humble oppion well worth any effort. If you dont want it send it to me I will fix it up and add it to my til.

[Peter Pedisich]

Robert, I think you are correct, but I'm an amatuer as well so I'm hoping an experienced hand saw person may stop by.

[Josh Bowman]

Peter,
It does look like a Disston. I use a razor blade and scrape the rust off of my old ones. It works great and does not remove the etching, if any still exists. Looking at the shape of the handles carving and the nub on the blade, it's may be a good user. You can also use some mineral spirits and steel wool (not around the etching) and get the places the scraping didn't smooth out. Other here will have more suggestions, but I've "restored" several and have had good results and little damage doing the above. Good luck, post the rusults.

[Jim Koepke]

If nothing else, it can get you started in learning how to sharpen saws.

jtk

[Rick Lapp]

Peter, It looks like a nice saw but a lot depends on how straight the sawplate is. If it's "pin straight" and there isn't much pitting (doesn't look like it) then you have a saw that's as good as it gets. 'Course you can even send a kinked blade to someone like Mark Harrell http://www.badaxetoolworks.com/index.html who, for a pittance, will make any saw a real rock star. Rick

[Jonathan McCullough]

Yeah, the handle looks like a Disston No. 7 from the golden age of hand saws, but the saw plate kinda looks like it might even be a No. 12. If some of those saw nuts are nickel-plated steel, they're not original to the saw. It's hard to tell from the photo (and sometimes it's even hard to tell in person) but you may either have some pitting or you may have some rust/resin on the plate there. I'd suggest soaking it in mineral spirits outside the house for an hour, then scraping it with a razor, then sanding with mineral spirits with sand paper on a block or similar holder so you don't sand the etch away.

[lowell holmes]

I just ran across this old thread. Having put new handles on three Disston saws, I'm curious how it turned out.

I find restoring old saws is fun and rewarding.