I had been using Japanese-style saws for dovetails and rough crosscuts and rips. They never felt right to me though. I bought a Cosman dovetail saw last year and really like it. I decided to get a couple more Western-style saws for rough crosscuts and rips. I ended up first getting a Disston D8 from Pete Taran. It was one of his "saw filing kits" where he cuts new teeth and sends the appropriate file to sharpen it. I had him do 7 PPI and filed it for rip.
Here is when I got it, after removing the screws, but before doing anything to the handle or plate:
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I used naval jelly and wet/dry sandpaper on a block to clean the plate up. I sanded the handle down with 120 and up through 220. The plate got a coat of wax on it. The handle got BLO, then shellac, then a few coats of General Finishes High Performance. I cleaned the screws with brass brushes and polishing wheels on a Dremel. It came out really nice:
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The medallion and etch seem to be from around 1920 as best I can tell. I have never sharpened a saw at all, but following Pete's articles along with a few videos got me on my way. The sharpening wasn't bad, but I had trouble with my saw set. I think I set the teeth too wide, but it still does a good job:
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Since crosscut sharpening is more difficult, I decided to buy a saw that was already sharpened from Mike Allen for that. He sent me several pics of saws he had and I picked another D8 that was panel sized. He sharpened it at 8 PPI and did a great job. It goes through wood like crazy. He also found patent dates stamped into the handle that date it pretty early, around 1880 from what I've read.
Here's a pic of the handle showing the stamps and the medallion:
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Crosscutting some poplar:
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The pair of saws:
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The handles look nearly identical until you place them on top of each other. The panel saw handle is noticeably smaller. It also feels more comfortable in the hand to me than the full size saw. I don't know if that's the difference between a panel size versus full size or the 40 years difference in when they were made.
I'm very pleased with both saws. You all got me into buying several planes, then chisels, now some saws, what's next? It's great to have members on SMC that are willing to help those of us learning more about traditional tools and what to look for. I got both these saws for way less than a premium saw from one of the current makers. I can definitely recommend either Pete or Mike if you're looking for a good vintage saw!
Thanks, Jason