Disston D-100 (or Not another refurbished saw!)

**Mountain Ash** · 2nd June 2021, 06:07 PM

Hi all. Recently I had to cut the rafter tails off flush with the wall frame and realised how hard this was going to be to achieve with power tools. Only one (the reciprocating saw) would be able to cut all the way through the 140 x 45's but not with enough accuracy that would lead to straight fascias. However I did have my refurbished crosscut saw which could do it. And it did but I quickly realised that the TPI was higher than I needed, creating more work (with a cleaner finish!) but it would all be covered up. I needed to have another look in my collection of saws waiting to be restored. Below is the result

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A Disston D-100 with a handle repair from some apple wood I milled last lockdown. Although not "enough" time had passed, moisture content was around 18% and I had been itching to use some. Colour match still not great but the handle was scraped and sanded through to 180 grit and still a lot of the dark finish remained. Let's call it patina.

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Medallion and handle make it no younger than 1920's (Paul can you confirm??). Interestingly, to me anyway, was that the Apple tree I "milled" has dark heart wood and light sapwood. The rounds I was given were 200 to 250mm in diameter but only have at most 125mm of dark heartwood. But the original Disston handles are all heart and have no centre grain so must have come from some decent sized apple tree trunks. My guess would be 400 to 500mm heart so 600 to 700mm rounds. Maybe they grow differently in the USA.

This saw has 6 TPI, I kept the 15° rake and filed in 20° fleam. It has been swapped with my previous saw and ready to go to work.

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Sorry this was so long, lockdown gives me more time than usual

**Simplicity** · 2nd June 2021, 06:12 PM

We’re does the battery go [emoji6].

Looks fantastic MA.

There’s no helping you now, you are well an truly logged deep in the Rabbit hole.

Cheers Mat.

**Mountain Ash** · 2nd June 2021, 06:57 PM

Hey Mat. Gotta keep busy somehow! Although I was just reading the updated list of authorised work and I am back in business.

And yes well and truly down the rabbit hole

(and you only partly to blame for encouraging me!)

**Simplicity** · 2nd June 2021, 08:01 PM

Originally Posted by Mountain Ash

Hey Mat. Gotta keep busy somehow! Although I was just reading the updated list of authorised work and I am back in business.

And yes well and truly down the rabbit hole

(and you only partly to blame for encouraging me!)

Yep,
Was just doing the same(Still in business)

Cheers Matt

**Bushmiller** · 2nd June 2021, 11:00 PM

MA

Good job and 6ppi is fast cutting crosscut excellent for trimming rafters where accuracy is important but finish less so.

The D100 was made between 1903 and 1921. "Philada" appeared on the medallions between 1896 and 1917. That makes your saw between 1903 and 1917.The interesting thing I find about the D100 is that it is a D8 with wheat carving on the handle and as such is far less common than it's stablemate. However it commands lesser prices on the sale market: I have never understood this anomaly. Perhaps people don't appreciate what it is. Is there any trace of the etch left?

Regards
Paul

**Mountain Ash** · 2nd June 2021, 11:33 PM

Hi Paul. Glad you saw it. No etch at all, unfortunately. Covered in a lot of black "rust". Still some traces at the teeth. I ended up not trying to disguise the repair, keeping things honest

**IanW** · 3rd June 2021, 08:55 AM

Nice old saw, MA, and I think it's great to see a "young fella" (well, you're probably a generation after me

) putting these old treasures back to the work they were perfected for. As you say, there are situations where a hand saw is just so much safer and/or more convenient & sometimes even quicker than the electron burners.

It strikes me that not only are you becoming more versatile & adding to your skills-set, I get the impression you are thoroughly enjoying this blossoming love affair with potato-powered tools. It's hard to beat enjoying what we do to put bread on the table!

Cheers,

**Mountain Ash** · 3rd June 2021, 09:26 AM

Thanks Ian. I remember years ago when a van turned up on site and the guy driving it ran a business sharpening tools. I couldnt believe how much some guys were willing to pay to get their chisels sharpened. Maybe I had too much Scottish heritage in me (these were also the same guys who spent a fortune at the food truck twice a day) but I couldn't see the sense in paying someone else to do something I could easily do myself. As I have got older (I will turn 49 in September) I have begun to appreciate the role hand tools can play professionally and the subsequent need to maintain them. And I have realised how much I have to learn, and how much knowledge is being lost. I enjoy the tangibility of my trade and that extends to restoring and/or making tools. And I still get a kick out of realising how old some tools I have are but how useful they remain. Maybe this is what I am hoping people will think about me in the not so distant future.

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