Thread: Pair of Disstons refurbishment WIP

Those saws are in pretty good shape for something found at the tip!

Peter, I'd just persevere with the wet & dry. You don't have to get the entire blade back to bare metal (it would be near impossible, anyway), the saw will work very well as long as you polish it a bit, say to around 400 grit, or so. I used to think the blade had to be perfect, but a couple of years back I patched up an old panel saw to use as a small rip. The blade was quite badly pitted on one side, & not too hot on the other, but to my surprise, it sharpened up well & works a treat. By comparison, your saws look to be in much better condition, so I expect you should get them into a good usable state without expending too much elbow-grease...

Perhaps you mis-measured the teeth on your saw a bit? My old Disston thumbhole progressive pitch goes from 5 to just a tad over 3 tpi, but in any case, you won't be able to get it sharpened commercially, unless you know a place where someone can still file a saw & not just plonk it on a machine. Fortunately, rip pattern is pretty easy to sharpen, and big teeth are easier to see, so I suggest you start with that beauty and hone your sharpening skills on it. You'll need a pretty hefty file, about an 8" standard taper, from memory, or the file disappears below the toothline on those back fangs.

I'm assuming the 8tpi is a crosscut, but if it isn't you could soon make it so, and then you will have an excellent pair of handsaws. A couple of good handsaws can do everything a powered saw does, and you get the bonus of keeping fitter...

Cheers,

Thanks Ian,

I will persevere with the wet and dry. I think my dad still has a few old standard taper files in his shed (still in wax paper too). I'll grab them and see what they are.
Cheers,
Peter

Peter

Just to add to what Ian has said, I think you may have come up trumps. (I may have have to revise how I use that expression in the future having regard to the tumultuous changes in world politics and the inevitable change in connotation!)

I think the "8" features inside the "D" on both saws if I am interpreting the pix correctly. That automatically dates the saws pre 1928 so you are either in or close to the so-called golden era of saw manufacturing. If the medallions both show "Philada" this further narrows their production to 1896 - 1917. Assuming I have got the pix correct I think you have a marvellous matched pair and have struck gold. It is likely how they were deliberately bought to my mind.

Regards
Paul

I have been through exactly the same process (with Ian W's advice a few years ago), and concur that the amount of mirror-ness on a handsaw makes no difference. Just rust free is enough to shift the constraint back to my own skills rather than the tool.

To get to rust free however, I much preferred to used diluted phosphoric acid rather than W&D. I purchase the Phosphoric Acid from our local pool shop in Nambour for $17/L. You mix it at 20% acid to 80% water (so 1L makes 4L), place the saw blade only (handle removed) in a tray/cardboard box lined with builder's plastic and let it soak overnight. It is quite interesting to watch the phosphoric acid get to work on the rust with bubbles and fizzing. The rustier the better, as it really gets active. I have done A LOT of tools this way now (living on the Sunshine Coast has its drawbacks with old steel tools).

It certainly won't polish the surface, but the converted rust (from Iron oxide to iron phosphate) is the best rust proofing you can get. You can sand with wet & dry if you want, but I prefer to go straight to buffing with a rag to get the loose iron phosphate off (which has changed colour from rust red to gunmetal grey) and then wax the blade, reassemble, sharpen and get sawing.

Saws are now my passion and they have been the biggest bug-bite of all my hand tool journey so far.

Those saws will be worth the effort!

Dave