Thread: Saw Logo

Thanks Paul for all that info.
I was thinking I might need to make a new one but was going to make that decision after I removed it. I have a perfectly good panel saw (a Sandvik I bought around 1972) so I'm in no hurry. The other reason I'm in no hurry is that I've only ever made one saw handle and I must say I'm not proud of the result. If I work up enough courage I might take a pic of it later and you'll see why I'm scarred.

Ha, you posted while I was rambling on and that lovely red retro handle looks very familiar.
So now you’re saying I’ve got two handles to make.
I must say your replacement does look much better, nice work!

Picko

I should have asked more questions. Such as whether it is a straight back or a skewback, etch present (Atkins etches are notoriously faint and short lived) nasty hang hole in the saw plate etc.?

This pic is taken from a 1959 catalogue under the Borg Warner ownership and seems a little like your saw:

Atkins No.65 Borg Warner 1959.jpg

Note the style of wheat carving. If it is the same saw or similar you could use this depiction to gauge how the horns would have looked. Another thing that I should have mentioned is that as the length of the saw reduces (to become a panel saw) it was quite normal for a smaller handle to be attached. They were normally the same style : Just scaled down and smaller and as I mentioned with one less saw screw.


Regards
Paul

Edit: Your saw was at the top end with only the No.400 being more expensive (and maybe the No.500 too, which was made in SS, but I don't know much about that) . The nickel plated saw screws are another giveaway of quality.

Thanks again Paul. I just sneaked down to the shed and took the handle off (one of the advantages of working from home). Under the dark stain the handle looks like apple.
The saw has a curved back and I can't find an etch but I haven't tried to clean the plate yet. It has 22" of teeth at 10 ppi and no hang hole.
Cheers

Hi Picko. I have had a bit of success replacing horns. My approach is to use a plane to create a flat suitable for a good glue bond. Repeat with the replacement part, trying to keep grain aligned through the repair. Same species is perfect but apple can be hard to find (I ended up "milling" my own from a trunk section). Patina is hard to match, I don't try to anymore.

Thanks MA, yeah I replaced the top one on the rip saw but I think the panel saw handle is just too far gone. The pic shows the one I did (arrowed) and below that was a crack that I glued up. Not close to perfect but fine for a user.
210837.jpg

Matching the Apple handles can be a challenge. A while back I bought a bag of Apple "chunks" from Bunnings. Their intended use is to make your BBQ smell nice, but I very much doubt that happens. My use was for replacement material such as saw handle horns. However, I have not used them yet and really I prefer to make a new handle, particularly if the saw is not a collector piece.

Similar to this:

Matador 3kg Apple BBQ Smoking Chunks - Bunnings Australia

Regards
Paul

The pieces look plenty big enough for horn repairs Paul - a useful tip. They're not stocked at my closest Bunnies but they are available in aisle 42 at Rocklea....

I too prefer to remake a badly-damaged handle, but there are plenty of good reasons for preserving originals, of course. For example if it is a rare or very elaborate handle and the saw is not for regular use, or as in the case of my dad's saw, the original has nostalgic value. The old pot made an attempt to 'fix' the broken horn on the saw I got from him, but it was done in his latter years when he was far less fussy about such things, & he'd just built it up a bit with builders' bog, enough to cover the splinters & protect his hand. I debated leaving it as a memento, but it was not an example of his best work, & (horrors!) some future owner might think I did it.


Cheers

Originally Posted by Picko

...... Not close to perfect but fine for a user. 210837.jpg

Well it doesn't stick out like the one I did, Picko. It looked pretty good & I thought I had a close match until I oiled it: handle etch side.jpg



It has toned down a lot in the years since, fortunately. As Paul said, it can be hard to get a real match...
Cheers,

Yeah but yours is hornier looking than mine. I should have done more research into what it should look like rather than just copy the one on an even older saw that's obviosly been broken too!

Yeah well - the Disstonian site is a very useful resource, it's got pics of mint & near-mint handles which are very useful when trying to figure out what a handle might've looked like on the day it left the factory. Handles were more hand-finished back then, so they varied enough that you can be a little bit free with your interpretation...

Cheers

Originally Posted by Picko

Yeah but yours is hornier looking than mine. I should have done more research into what it should look like rather than just copy the one on an even older saw that's obviosly been broken too!

Also don’t forget too check regularly, that the Hook”Horn” is more important on a hand saw, then first meets the eye, it helps keep the hang angle an helps too some part in guiding your stroke.

Cheers Matt.

Well, whatever the technicalities are, I just used it to rip a piece to make the new handle for the panel saw and it was a pleasure to use with freshly sharpened pointy bits and a horn that doesn't dig into my hand.

Originally Posted by Picko

Well, whatever the technicalities are, I just used it to rip a piece to make the new handle for the panel saw and it was a pleasure to use with freshly sharpened pointy bits and a horn that doesn't dig into my hand.

Job Done [emoji736].

Cheers Matt.