Thread: Another convert to the dark side...

Today, I had some free time, so I had crack at cleaning one of the saws (Third saw from the bottom in the photo from my original post).

I found a faint etch "Made by new process" with, I think, "No.95" below.
IMG_1274.jpg

There were a couple of markings underneath the handle too..
IMG_1275.jpg. IMG_1276.jpg

I have a question about the saw plate; what is going on with those holes? Someone's dodgy attempt to re-drill or was it made like this?

IMG_1277.jpg

When I enlarge the pic I too can see the "Made By New Process." Quite what that would have been I don't know. I can't make out the No.95 you reference. Pix are strange things. Sometimes it is the devil of a job to get anything visible and at other times you realise the camera has caught a feature you had not even seen: More often than not a defect you had not previously noticed!

The marks on the plate would have been identification marks for different models as they passed through the works: Probably for the handle makers. However it is not normally known what these marks represented. The exception to that is Disston's iconic No.12 saw which always has an "X" stamped under the handle. On your saw I see "XI" and a "P". I regret to tell you I don't know their significance.

I believe the handle is not original. It is not uncommon for the holes to have been punched so one just clips the edge of the plate, which was a manufacturers defect that seems was allowed through. Multiple holes however are the result of somebody fitting a new handle at later date and . The lack of a medallion does not quite fit, to my eyes, to the style of saw plate and those marks under the handle. The handle is a late type as the saw screws are not recessed into the timber.

Regards
Paul

One number we can tell you the meaning of, which Paul forgot to mention - the "7" just above the tooth-line at the heel is the number of "points", which is the way the American manufacturers chose to represent tooth pitch. In case you haven't already discovered this, "points per inch" or PPI is actually one more than the number of teeth per inch or TPI because they count the number of tooth tips or "points" from one inch mark to the next, including the point on the second inch mark. A logical system ignores the second point because it's the start of the next inch's worth, but logic doesn't always prevail in the world, as anyone who lives in it soon discovers.....

I'd say your handle is a replacement for double sure - as Paul said, swapping a handle from another saw almost always involves making new holes or at very least extending existing holes in the plate. Even two saws that are ostensibly the same model can differ slightly because the screw holes were apparently made individually, not done all at once with a multi-head drill. The other clue is the square holes for the screw shanks, which don't match the type of saw screw typically used in the era of that style of handle, which were cast with six little ribs to prevent the screw from turning when the nut is tightened.

None of which matters in practical terms, as long as the handle fits well & the screws can be adequately tightened, all should be well & only someone who knows their saw history far better than most of us will know it's a ring-in without pulling it apart....

Cheers,

And meanwhile, I'm patiently waiting for you to start the restoration of your braces and bits.................oh hang on.......

Originally Posted by Boringgeoff

And meanwhile, I'm patiently waiting for you to start the restoration of your braces and bits.................oh hang on.......

Who what where when?

Sorry Johknee, my feeble attempt at humour, I can see there are no braces in your original photo.

Cheers,
Geoff.

Originally Posted by Boringgeoff

Sorry Johknee, my feeble attempt at humour, I can see there are no braces in your original photo.

Cheers,
Geoff.

Ah, I'm a little slow, Geoff!

I did have a brace and some bits, but I sold them......

Every darksider should have at least one brace and a selection of bits.

Originally Posted by IanW

That darned museum cataloger falling down on the job again, eh?

Ian

Ahem! Falling down..very likely, but not forgotten (completely).

Johknee

I went hunting for the elusive saw sets today and came up with the one I had in mind. It appears to be a Morrill No.1B

P1080240 (Medium).JPGP1080241 (Medium).JPGP1080243 (Medium).JPGP1080248 (Medium).JPG

In the third pic I experimented cleaning up on the fibre wheel. It worked as I thought it would and I cleaned another set which you can see providing support in pic 2 and will be featured in Mountain Ash's crosscut thread. The last pic shows two patent dates of Feb 24 and Dec 14 '80 (my apostrophe). There was clearly a lack of foresight here. How could they not realise that in 2022, a mere 142 years hence, there could be confusion as to which century their device might belong. Clearly 19th century .

I am normally quick to point out that this is the patent date and not by any means when it was manufactured. I don't know much more than this other than these sets appear for sale. Your set is slightly different, in the stamping of the maker at the least.

Regards
Paul

Thank you, Paul. The age of these tools blows my mind!
I passed the Morrill saw set on to Lyle. I hope Lyle finds them useful and I note that he has been adding to his collection.