Need Advise, Disston Handsaw Restoration

[Stew Denton]

Hi All,

I fell to temptation and bought a couple more old Disston handsaws.

However, the price was right, they are beauties, they have 16 inch blades, and I bought them for when my grandchildren are visiting us. When young I used a saw of that size that belonged to my older brother, and found it was drastically better for a kid than the large saws I use now, so wanted them for the kids to use.

I bought them on Ebay, and they arrived today. The totes and saw nuts have been beautifully refinished, and the blades look like they have been VERY LIGHTLY cleaned up, possibly with extremely fine sandpaper, but more likely with fine steel wool, and then oiled. They have lambs tongue type totes.

They are in nice shape, and I am guessing 1930s at the newest, and likely older.

The problem is that although you can see the trademark stuff, if you look closely, you can not make out the model number.

I am wanting to spruce up the blades a bit, although they are pretty good, but don't want to obliterate the remaining trademarks, and if possible would like to make them more readable, as I would love to know what models they are. The blades both have some patina, and small amounts of light pitting, and have been oiled making the steel a appear a little darker than it might be if I cleaned off the oil. The saw without the nib has more pitting, especially on the back, but someone cleaned it off, probably with Naval Jelly.

Is there anything I can do to help preserve the trademarks, and hopefully make them more readable, while still cleaning up the blades and restoring them more than they currently are?

(I used sandpaper and Naval Jelly when restoring the saws I now use a lot, but that was 30 to 40 years ago, and am much more careful now. The ones I restored back then are great users, but now I care more for things like tool history and trademarks than I did as a younger fellow.)

Any advise gained from long experience would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks and regards,

Stew

[Dave Parkis]

I think pictures would greatly help with identification. There are folks here who can look at a saw and tell you the model. You can also go to disstonianinstitute.com and get a more precise "vintage" by examining the medallion (largest saw nut). One method for cleaning them up is to take some Autosol (polishing compound) and some aluminum foil to polish the plate/blade.

[Jim Koepke]

Stew,

One of the best things to do with a question like this is to post some photos.

My knowledge on these things is just about enough to get a saw to working again. That is my first concern. In the case of small saws, they could be from some of the tool kits marketed towards young woodworkers. In that case there could be some collector value. Something that is usually not of my concern.

Here is an old post from Bob Smalser about restoring an old handsaw including how to refresh the etch:

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthre...nd-Restoration

jtk

[Robert Hazelwood]

I'll second the polishing compound with aluminum foil method. I used Flitz polish. I've heard Autosol is better for this, but I can't find it locally and haven't bothered to order it online. The method is very simple- just make a wad of foil and squirt some polish compound on the saw plate and start rubbing it in. Work the excess off with more rubbing, then take a dry foil wad and rub hard to dry the last bit of polish off- that's when the shine starts to come in.

This method is very unlikely to damage any etchings, and it brought out a faint etch on one of my Disston handsaws. It doesn't make the plate bright and new looking, but it does give it a sheen and enough reflectivity to use the workpiece's reflection as a reference for square when sawing. It comes out almost like gunmetal grey color. Basically, the saw still looks old, but not junky.

I've also done saws with sandpaper. While you can sand it down to bright, clean metal this way, there are always low spots that still hold onto the darker color and make it look splotchy. It would be a *lot* of work to bring the whole plate down to get rid of these. Plus, it is much harder to preserve the etching this way, especially if it is faint as is usually the case.

I would at least try the foil/polish method first since it is fast and easy. Maybe get ahold of some Autosol since it probably works a little better. If that doesn't get it clean enough for you, you're pretty much left with sanding.

Good luck.

[Stew Denton]

Dave and Jim,

I am not sure how to attach a photo, and maybe my wife can help on that sometime, but this is the link to the Ebay auction, and it has several photos of the saws:

http://offer.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.d...p2047675.l2565

I hope someone will be able to identify the saws. I was planning to go to one of the old Disston saw sites, and still will, but any help will be appreciated.

Thank you all for the advise that is already given.

Thanks and regards,

Stew

[David Weaver]

Beech handles with a tongue ... looks like two #7s.

[Stew Denton]

I'm underway!

I picked up a couple of Scotch Bright pads, Ultra Fine and Very Fine, from an auto parts dealer yesterday, as well as some "Blue Magic Metal Polish Cream," and gave it a go. I could not find Autosol, Flitz, or other grits of pads in town, although I looked several places including an industrial supply place. I didn't look in every possible location, but made a good effort. At any rate, I finally gave up and went with what I could find.

The stuff appears to be working great! I fiddled with the pads last night and tried the polish today, working on a section of the saw blade after removing the blade. Now I need to go after the entire blade on the first saw.

Dave and Robert, the metal polish and aluminum foil technique is the best thing since sliced bread, although I am not sure if it is digging out all of the rust from the deepest pin hole pitted spots, but they look pretty good, and it looks like it has dug the rust out pretty good. I have some planes to try it on also. I may try using an old tooth brush on the pitted spots, but the pits may be good as is.

Jim, thanks for the link, I read it carefully, and also some of the other SMC posts by Mr. Smalser that I found by doing a search on line. That link is much appreciated. Now some cold blue is needed, and there is an outdoor place in Amarillo, an hour drive from here that probably carries it, I will have to give them a call. If not, a friends son is a gunsmith, and he can probably get it, or in fact may already carry it, so I need to call him first.

David, I did look at the on line Disston site link Dave listed, and I am thinking you are right....#7s. One of the saws has mixed characteristics, as the blade looks to be possibly slightly later but the tote is definitely older vintage like the #7s. It seems like that is not uncommon for old tools that I have looked at, and for some that I own, so it may have been one of the ones made in transitions when Disston was starting to make the D-7s, but still using up remaining parts from the #7s. Either way, both saws are near or right at 1928 vintage or older. The nice thing is that it looks like the #7 was a better saw than the later # D-7, but I am not completely certain on that.

Thanks and regards,

Stew

[Stew Denton]

Hi all,

After the saw was cleaned up to the point where it looked a lot better, I decided to try to take the kink out and straighten the small curves as much as possible.

After less radical fixes failed to help, it was time to try some constructive beating on the saw. I didn't do a perfect job, and left a few very small dings, but did get most of the kink out and made the small curves straighter. At that point I called much better to be good enough, rather than to press my luck, so decided to try it before any more beating.

I finished most of the work on that first saw a few days ago. Time to give it a go, so today I used a combination square to draw a line across a fir 1X6, and took the saw outside to a set of horses. I like a big heavy saw with a wide long blade, so didn't know what to expect from the little saw.

The saw cut extremely easily, and had no tendency to wander. It stayed right on the line, and I left about 1/2 the line the whole cross cut. I couldn't detect the small kink at all. It was a relatively soft piece of lumber, not oak, and not a 2X6, but still, it did well. Nice saw!

It should be great for when the grandkids get bigger, if they are interested in woodworking. I am doing what I can to help them be interested, but you never know. I am thinking about converting the other saw to a rip saw.

Thanks for all the advise, and for the advise on detensioning a saw.

One happy grandpa!

Thanks and regard,

Stew

[David Weaver]

The nice thing is that it looks like the #7 was a better saw than the later # D-7, but I am not completely certain on that.

I'm not sure about what's better, but I agree - I like the #7 pattern better than the d-7, the #12 better than the d-12, and so on. I have never used a no-8, but they also look like really nice saws with an attractive pattern.

Some of the later D# saws were pretty ugly in terms of looks, but I've only ever had one defective disston saw, and it was one that was for some reason overhardened, I don't know who was at fault. When I got it, it had a repaired handle and was a light straw color - hard as a chisel.