My Journey Into Hand Saw Restoration (lots of pictures)

[Rick Whitehead]

Cory,
Great job on the saw restoration!
Aside from the fact that it was your grandfather's, it's also a collectable and usable saw in its own right!
Rick

[george wilson]

The saw handle looks very neat indeed. I might only suggest that from the picture of the final handle(again,the picture) It might could be made more rounded on the rear edge of the saw,where the palm bears. The inside curves look fine. Very crisp work,though.

You have made the saw handle's sculpture like I like to: The rounded areas terminate in a well defined,crisp line rather than just being fully blended over.

Back in the 60's,I thought cherry was the prettiest wood of all. I made several flamenco guitars with cherry backs and sides. It worked well acoustically,being similar in hardness to Mediterranean cypress(much different from the American cypress).

[Joe Bailey]

Joe,

That saw is in fantastic condition. What did you end up doing with it? Although they are small, they are certainly quality enough to be used as seriously as any other saw. Man I wish I had a tool kit as quality as the Buddy L tool kits when I was a kid. I just had one of those crappy plastic B&D fake "workshops"

Thanks Cory -- it's just hanging on a peg -- I'd sharpen it, but then I'd probably want to use it and then the etch wouldn't look quite so nice anymore.
When I bought it years ago for $4.00 it was a uniform dark brown. This is one of the first saws on which I painstakingly brought up the etch.
Your "B&D" line reminds me that, as a child, I had a Sears pegboard workshop for kids with some pretty good tools on it. Everything on it was functional and halfway sharp -- modernly, I don't suppose the legal department would let them offer such a thing.

[Cory Waldrop]

George,

thanks for the kind words. I was inspired by the works of all the talented handle makers on here. I was always amazed by the crispness of their lines and how the handles almost looked fake because they were so smooth. I didn't quite get there but I think I ended up somewhere in the neighborhood.

I think cherry is one of the prettiest woods. It is easy to work with both power and hand tools and has a lot of character.

the back of the handle is very comfortable against the hand. The angle of the picture makes it look like less of a curve than it really is I think.

[Cory Waldrop]

Here is the saw finished after several light coats of tru oil followed by wax. It was my first time using tru oil and I like it. It is easy to apply, dries fast, and seems durable.

Overall I would say that I am pleased with what I made. It was a new and learning experience and I feel more knowledgeable for it.

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[Mike Allen1010]

Nice job Corey, particularly for your first time! Your saw turned out beautifully, most importantly cuts well – congratulations!

Thanks for taking the time to share your pictures and experience. Fair warning, this is a particularly slick portion of the "slippery slope" that leads to "pathological handsaw addiction syndrome".

All the best, Mike