Thread: Handsaw Refurbish Info

Originally Posted by SuperB15

Several years ago I found a saw at a garage sale and picked it up for just a few dollars. It seemed somewhat old but well looked after. In the time I have had it, I have only used it a couple of times and it is still in much the same condition as when I got it. There is about 1mm movement in the handle. I decided recently to clean up and treat. However I don't have any clue how to go about it. Research on net suggests a vinegar bath to treat rust.

Do not put saw into acid (the active ingredient in vinegar for derusting), it is spring steel, which becomes brittle when dipped into acid.

Originally Posted by SuperB15

Handle came off good so then I got the other saw out only to find I could not really see how to take the handle off. To me it seems to have pins rather than screws. Can anyone suggest how it may come apart?

The screws are split nut screws used on English (which this probably is) saws until the early 20th century. You need a split nut driver to remove the split nuts. Looks like this https://www.toolsforworkingwood.com/store/item/GT-SNSD. These screws are pretty fragile, do take care and remember to number the screws so they go back in the same holes they came out of. However you may be better off leaving the handle on, easy to b*gg*er the screws whan removing.

Originally Posted by SuperB15

Also does anyone know about the brand and likely age. It has a brand on blade of 'STEVENS' and what I assume to be the original owner (A.Cash) on the handle. I would prefer to keep in original condition so I prefer not to remake the handle.

The saw is probably English, made at end of the 19th century, looks like a 2nd or 3rd line saw. 'Stevens' was a brand of Jonathan Beardshaw & Son Ltd (Sheffield makers often had many brands).

You will find much info on here on saw refurbishment, search in google.

Cheers
Peter

Vinegar is also an acid (acetic acid), Peter, just a weak and dilute one. I don't know how real the risk of embrittlement is, but in any case, I don't see the need for liquid de-rusting of an old saw. I would just clean it up with abrasive paper on a flat block of wood. No need to go for a super polish, 320 grit is plenty fine enough to stop at. As long as the blade is clean & smooth, it'll work just fine. A bit of residual oxide is more protective than damaging.

If the nuts turn easily & show no signs of stripping (brass is usually ok & doesn't 'weld' itself together with oxides the way steel does), it does make the job easier if the handle is removed. It's easy enough to make a split-nut driver out of a cheap screwdriver of appropriate width - just make sure you file it to a good fit in the slot. If the split nuts don't want to budge with reasonable force, just leave it be. It will be a bit more awkward to do a neat job of cleaning the saw, but you can get there. And you can clean up the handle while you're at it - a bit of boiled linseed and some 0000 steel wool should give it a nice lift, without scrubbing away all the history. Opinions vary on how far you should go on the woodwork. On a user, I would polish it up quite a bit - smooth, clean handles are far nicer to work with.

Cheers,

Thanks for info Peter & Ian.

I will have a go at the nuts as the movement in the handle really pushes me that way. If they don't want to move I will clean up and leave it at that.

I did buy some Super Glide a few weeks ago before researching anything, I got it on basis that if putting on cast bases and it does effect timber then it should be ok on a saw.

It seens that there are many different thoughts on what to apply to keep rust to a minimum. I had also planned on using Super Glide on the shafts of the sliding mitre saw and roller stand.

Harry