Thread: Disston crosscut saw

Originally Posted by Mountain Ash

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Thanks for the pic, MA. The white oak & redgum provides a nice contrast.

Cheers,
Andy

Thanks AB. Now that others have said nice things I am looking at it with a new perspective. It does look good in the photo

Originally Posted by Mountain Ash

...... It does look good in the photo....

Sometimes a photo can make something look better than in the flesh (never worked on my mug though ), but unfortunately, they can also highlight glaring faults. I've several times looked at the picture of a plane I've made & decided I'd made some pretty bad blunders with the profile of the sides, particularly the front end. At least 3 times now, I've done a "nose job" after a critical look at its picture. Pictures seem to amplify "faults", especially in the way a profile "flows".

Your bowsaw passes the "picture test" quite comfortably, imo......
Cheers,
Ian

Thanks Ian. Very kind.

Hi all. Finally got saw sharpened and set. Took a while, in part, because I had to restore the Stanley #43 saw set prior to using it on this saw. Unfortunately I snapped a tooth - at least it was a starting one and not a main cutter but......to have survived for so long and me be the heavy handed one. First tooth I have ever broken.

20220530_141828.jpg

20220527_152619.jpg

Saw set has one patent date on body (1916) and 3 on the blade rest screw (1921 latest).

Originally Posted by Mountain Ash

..... First tooth I have ever broken......

Don't beat yourself up too much over a single broken tooth MA. It happens to any of us occasionally, for reasons not necessarily of our own making. Someone before you may have re-worked that tooth & started a crack, or it could have been a fault in the metal. A single tooth breaking once in a while is annoying but not too alarming, however, if 3 or 4 break, it's a pretty clear message that something ain't right....

Cheers,

MA

You have the right saw set there as the No.43 was for the large loggings saws (and probably circular saws too). Your saw has come up very well. I am starting to get an itch for one myself.

Regards
Paul

Hi MA,

it is a bit hard to see in your photo but, when you sharpened the teeth did you also increase the depth of the gullets?

What sort of files did you use?

Graham.

You stand proud now son, an wear that badge with honour.
Your now part of the secret fold.[emoji41]

Cheers Matt.

Nice job MA!

I have a couple of 42" 1-2 person crosscut saws.

I use one of them very often for cutting up firewood (for exercise) and always use the helper handle on the handle end when working by myself. I occasionally put the helper handle at the other end if I'm doing some sawing with one of the grandchildren.

MA, how well is the helper handle you made working on yours?

One of mine has the original helper handle with a different attachment design to the ones Paul posted. Here are some pics if you or anyone else is thinking of making another one...

Helper handle - side 1.jpg Helper handle - side 2.jpg
Front. Back

Helper handle - side 2 close up.jpg Handle loosened.jpg
Detail. Loosened

Helper handle - assembly detached.jpg
Mechanism detached

The extra wing stops the stud from falling out. The contact ring is cast and slotted to give a firm seating against the back of the saw.

I made a helper handle for another of my log cutting saws that came without that. It's not as removable as the original, but does the job well enough if you are not needing to move it about and are not wanting an 'original' authentic look...

IMG_2711.jpg

My tooth pattern is 'Great American' that I have modified by turning the outer two teeth on every second set into rakers like on the 'Champion' tooth pattern... as used by College saw racing teams.

Chapion tooth pattern.jpg
Champion tooth pattern

Tooth set on 1-2 person saw - 2.jpg
My modified GA tooth pattern
with 'Champion-like' rakers

I hammer set the teeth on these larger saws... besides, it's the only way to get the raker teeth set that way!

I do use the unmodified blade tooth pattern that comes on the larger blades for my bandsaw (1-1/4" x 2tpi - left/right/raker) on my frame saw that I use for cutting smaller limbs. It can be a bit grabby to begin with, but with a frame saw you can readily adjust the downward pressure to compensate for that. And, I probably ease back the rake angle a bit with repeated sharpenings. On some fresh blades I have at times put a neutral rake on the first few sets of teeth to help start the cut, otherwise it can jump about a bit before the cut is established.

Anyway, as long as it is cutting quickly enough then a bit of resistance just provides more exercise.

Originally Posted by NeilS

My tooth pattern is 'Great American' that I have modified by turning the outer two teeth on every second set into rakers like on the 'Champion' tooth pattern... as used by College saw racing teams.

Chapion tooth pattern.jpg

Champion indeed! None of my saws have ever come with their own operator and cheer leader/coolant lady .

Regards
Paul

Thanks Ian, Paul, Graham, Matt and Neil. I know what your saying Ian but I probably didn't even need to set the starter teeth.
The photo of the saw set is before I cleaned it up and it was a bit of a fiddle setting the blade resting screw. Nice tool. Just to make things worse I dinged the main handle this afternoon (but it was after I took it to work with me and dropped into the workshop of the guy who gave it to me- he was impressed .
I didn't do anything with the gullets this time, after jointing the tips of the teeth, there wasn't too much metal to remove (blade is also heavily breasted which helps). File was an old Wiltshire "3 square??" Could have been bigger, at least 75% of the teeth were cutting.
More fold and less snap would have been better Matt
Wow Neil, I haven't tried mine yet but I still think it could come in handy for "branches" across the road (my local Mountain Ash's can drop some big limbs). I have a threaded section to my shaft and put the nut on too but I like the look of your auxiliary handle. Clever to modify the teeth.

Originally Posted by Bushmiller

Champion indeed! None of my saws have ever come with their own operator and cheer leader/coolant lady .

Yeah, you wouldn't get any change out of A$2k for one of those racing crosscuts, so they include a cheer leader/coolant person (select your gender preference) with each one of those...