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  1. #1
    Join Date
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    Default A Tale of Two Dissys

    I recently acquired and have been restoring a couple of Disstons and I thought they might be of interest. I have to state from the beginning that i have restored these two for resale. I have an addiction which requires constant feeding!

    The funny thing is that as I came to start this thread i saw PMcGee's BMT thread and I see an interesting parallel although not quite the same as the D17. However the first saw is Disston's 1940 Special.

    It was produced in, I just know you've guessed it, 1940 to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the company. It was basically a D-8 with an appropriate etch and a wheat carved handle. The unfortunate aspect was that Disston experienced an industrial dispute at about the same time and this seriously marred the celebrations. Consequently there was little of the hoop-la that might have been expected and the saw faded unceremoniously into the sawdust. Consequently very few of them abound.

    DISSTON 1940 special etch.jpgDISSTON 1940 special handle.jpgDISSTON 1940 special.jpg

    The second saw is, I think, probably rarer, and was I suspect aimed at the commercial market: Possibly the timber yards. It was the Disston D17. The first teeth at the toe were crosscut at 8ppi and then there was a pattern of two rip teeth and five crosscut teeth for the remainder of the toothline. The first rip tooth was the same rake as the crosscut teeth (20deg), but the second rip tooth was conventional at about 4degs.

    Disston D17 handle.jpgDisston D17.jpgDisston D17 tooth line.jpgDisston D17 teeth at toe.jpg

    I have to say that I thought that at best this configuration was a gimmick or a marketing (failed) exercise. Disston claimed that it was equally good at cross cutting, ripping and diagonal cuts. I was surprised: Very surprised in fact to find that it cuts beautifully and, while it does not rip as well as it crosscuts, it is is a very good saw. diagonal cutting is excellent too. Seeing as how there are many more crosscutting teeth than rip teeth it is hardly surprising. I only tried the saw in dry hardwood. It would be interesting to see how it performs in some green or softwood.

    The teeth were filed with two sizes of triangular file and the deep gullets with the edge of a small warding file. These two pictures are from the Disstonian website:

    Disston D17 drawing.gifDisston D17.jpg

    The teeth on my saw had been bastardised quite a bit so the rip teeth appear larger than the original. However, it is normal for rip teeth to be bigger so I have to live with that and I was certainly not going to joint all the teeth off to re-profile. There would have been no saw left!

    The D17 was iintroduced at the end of WW1 and along with other Disston models received a makeover about 1928. My saw is an early one as it has five sawnuts to compared to the post 1928 models, which had four sawnuts. Also the "17" appears inside the "D," which is a feature of all Disston's earlier saws. It it fair to say that it makes them more coverted. The handle is beech.

    Regards
    Paul
    Last edited by Bushmiller; 20th May 2015 at 01:18 AM. Reason: Typos
    Bushmiller;

    "Power tends to corrupt. Absolute power corrupts, absolutely!"

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  3. #2
    Join Date
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    Default

    A small correction is necessary here. The 1940 Special celebrated, if you can call it that bearing in mind the strike, the 100th anniversary of the Disston Company.

    The reason I made the error (making excuses here) is that I do have the saw they introduced for their 75th anniversary, which was the D115 Jubilee saw. To my mind this was a very iconic model in that it became their flagship saw along with it's straight back brother, the D15, for at least 40 years.

    This is the condition in which I acquired the saw.

    Disston D115 Jubilee saw pre resto.JPGDisston D115 Jubilee original Keystone etch.jpgDisston D115 Jubilee saw pre resto.etch.jpg

    Not crash hot and the all important Jubilee etch only barely visible. This is how it cleaned up:

    Disston D115 Jubliee 001.jpgDisston D115 Jubliee 002.jpgDisston D115 Jubliee 003.jpgDisston D115 Jubliee 004.jpgDisston D115 Jubliee 005.jpg

    The finish on the saw plate is not mirror, but close. I found it difficult to photograph the level of shine. In 1915 the saw would have shone: For me it still does with just a little staining. The handle has not been restored yet and neither has it been sharpened, something to which I am really looking forward.

    The D115 Jubilee spawned a number of variations and after being sold for only a couple of years became the "Victory" saw from 1917 onwards.That story is for another time. I have a few more restorations to do there first .

    Regards
    Paul
    Bushmiller;

    "Power tends to corrupt. Absolute power corrupts, absolutely!"

  4. #3
    Join Date
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    Katoomba NSW
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    Default

    Quite a collection you have now Paul. Lots of very nice saws in there. Did you go looking for the anniversary saws or were they a bonus in a job lot?
    Just looking for an insight into a sick mind.
    Those were the droids I was looking for.
    https://autoblastgates.com.au

  5. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by NCArcher View Post
    Just looking for an insight into a sick mind.
    Yeah, ya weirdo.

  6. #5
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    Tony

    The Jubilee saw was played for (as was the 1940 Special). In fact I have been looking for the Jubilee saw for quite a while and I hoped that because of the condition in which it was presented for sale I might get it at some sort of reasonable price. I did in that it cost US$50.

    However, add in $12 for freight to California, about $15 for it's pro rata share of Shipito freight and consolidation costs and a conversion rate to Aussie dollars and we are up to A$97. Add the cost of a file, W & D paper, sandpaper all for restoration and the cost is approaching A$115. So you are quite right about the sickness, but I am going to make a big effort to start taking the meds .



    Regards
    Paul
    Bushmiller;

    "Power tends to corrupt. Absolute power corrupts, absolutely!"

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