My Handsaws


Here's a picture of some of my collection as it was some time back. There are a few others that won't fit on the rack. Most are in "as found" condition, and I'm slowly cleaning them up, sharpening them, and getting them into condition for use.
The handle on this Disston 112 was in pretty bad shape, so I used it and the handle of a #12 to trace out onto some cherry. I then cut it out on the scroll saw and went to work with my rasp. Some Boiled Linseed Oil, then some shellac and I have a nice new handle.

This is the saw that started it all. It is a Disston D-8 with the thumb hole handle. Picked this one up at an antique place for less than eight bucks. Did some research on the the internet and found a couple of great sites with lots of info, and I was hooked.

This was listed as a "D-12 ?" on e-bay. A bit of research and I determined it was an older Disston 12, not a D-12. The handle gave it away. I'll be working on this one soon after I've had a few more saw sharpenings under my belt.

This one is a pre 1927 Disston D-23. Just got it sharpened up and cleaned up the tote with a light sanding, some denatured alcohol wiped on to remove some more of the gunk, and then some Boiled Linseed Oil and shellac.

Below are some pics of a saw I just got finished refurbishing.
Blade Length: 26.25 " 8 PPI, Sharpened with a 15 degree rake, and 20 degree fleam angle.

Disston #16
London Spring Steel Blade
Chip Carved Apple Wood Handle

Medallion: 1896 - 1917
Etch: You can almost tell where it was.
Nib is intact
The #16 was made from 1880 to 1928. I identified this as a #16 by the location of the Medallion on the bottom of the handle.
I cleaned the blade on this one and sharpened it. The handle had to be stripped of red paint applied by some former owner There are still some small remnants of the paint in the medallion. Light sanding was done to remove the last of the paint and a good dose of Boiled Linseed Oil was worked into the handle, then a coat of shellac for protection. The saw nuts and medallion were cleaned and polished.




Here's a nice little 8 PPI D-8 from the late 19th early 20th Century.



Here's a Stair Saw I made using a not old enough D-8 blade Along with my 71 1/2 Router Plane. Together these make an excellent dado set.





I stumbled across this one at a local antique mall. The blade was black from rust, and the teeth were all but gone. The tote has a crack in it, but was solid. I recut 16 TPI teeth into this one after cleaning thoroughly and jointing the blade edge flat. A cleanup of the tote with mineral spirits, the denatured alcohol was followed by some linseed oil. Then the shellac finish was applied.



And, of course, can't be a real enthusiast without having a place to store your saws and supplies for them, so:





I'll be adding more saws as I get them sharpened and cleaned up, so stay tuned.