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Thread: Henry Disston Saw Set
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13th May 2024, 08:00 PM #1
Henry Disston Saw Set
I was looking for a toolbox handle today and turned up this Disston Saw Set which I have to confess I didn't know I had.
P1090690.jpg
H.Disston & Sons on the left and pat. date on the right:
P1090691.jpgP1090692.jpg
A bit easier to see once the casting was cleaned up, but only a date for the patent with no number:
P1090696.jpg
The disc revolves to reveal different gauge slots
P1090694.jpg
and there are indents to lock the disc in place with the screw:
P1090693.jpg
I went looking on the internet with no luck among the catalogues and patents. Then I remembered an 1876 catalogue I had, which the sharp ones among you will realise was only a single year after the patent date. Sure enough, it was there. Now I will know how it works:
Disston Revolving Saw Set.JPG
Nope. It is not clear to me even with my eyes open! For a start, it refers to a bevel on the disc. My set does not have a bevel. I had thought that this set was intended for circular saws and crosscut saws, but from the blurb, it is for handsaws as coarse as 4ppi and back saws as fine as 13ppi. Having said that, the catalogue quotes two sizes and I don't know which one I have. The overall length is 10" (250mm for the metricated among you ).
So, any ideas how it is supposed to work?
Regards
PaulBushmiller;
"Power tends to corrupt. Absolute power corrupts, absolutely!"
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13th May 2024 08:00 PM # ADSGoogle Adsense Advertisement
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13th May 2024, 08:33 PM #2
Paul,
It would seem(I’m not 100 percent, just covering my self here),you just put a slot over the top of the tooth an bend it down, on one side or the other, using the screws as a stop??.
An that would be fun on a 13 PPI Saw.
But you’re disk is lacking any bevel from what I can see, do we have any members from 1876 here, I know a few you are getting on in age [emoji6].
Cheers Matt.
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14th May 2024, 09:23 AM #3
Matt
Originally I had thought the set would be used in the vertical position and rocked up and down to set the teeth. However, the picture in the catalogue seems to indicate the tool is held horizontally or close to horizontal. I really don't see how that would work and as to the bevel, which is not there, I can't imagine the function if it were there. The slots in the disc are quite large. Even the smallest is larger than the thickest handsaw, which is why I originally surmised this gauge to be for logging saws and mainly large circular saw blades.
I think it may be significant that this particular set did not appear in any other catalogue that I can see. Perhaps it was a dud. I may try the set out on some teeth. I have a few old saw plates lying around that are waiting (hoping) to be repurposed.
Regards
PaulBushmiller;
"Power tends to corrupt. Absolute power corrupts, absolutely!"
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14th May 2024, 10:44 AM #4Try not to be late, but never be early.
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Paul, I found the patent: https://patentimages.storage.googlea...f/US163162.pdf
From the drawing in the patent it appears to be for setting the original unset blade but you and Matt (and everyone else) know more about setting saws than me, so I'll leave it with you.
Cheers,
Geoff.
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14th May 2024, 12:11 PM #5
Well that’s interesting, the Patent description is pretty clear, you lay the tool flat then rock it either side,
But I reckon now like Paul said, it was Friday afternoon great idea, but just didn’t “Work”
We’re talking about a time when saws were being “Set” by probably literally 100,000s world wide every day, so there was a HUGE market too make a boring job easier an quicker.
Cheers Matt.
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14th May 2024, 01:05 PM #6
Bevel
Reading the Patent, I don't see the Bevel mentioned, I think the important part is picking a width with the right depth of slot to match the saw teeth so that when you move the saw set from side to side it is bending the steel in the right place. I can see the critical part of this design being set-screws adjustment and making sure they are equal and don't move while working your way along the saw blade, if that can be achieved then this saw set would be quicker to use than working only from one side with the spring loaded type where you have to miss every other tooth, then start again from the opposite side of the saw blade.
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15th May 2024, 11:29 PM #7Senior Member
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I think it's a bad drawing as far as how you'd actually use it. I'd expect the tooth line on the saw to be horizontal, facing up, and the set held with the disc vertical.
It looks to be basically a saw wrest with limiting screws, held in a metal-spokeshave-type frame. Another brilliant idea that didn't make it on the market.
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*Saw wrest | Europeana
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