D-23 handle replacement

[Jim Davis]

I came into a user quality Disston D-23 that had a broken, weathered handle. Decided to make my third saw handle to replace it. I used the only large enough slab of apple I had.

D-23 plates have a rounded top back that fits in a radiused slot. I made a hand saw especially to make that radiused cut.

All I've got.

JimD23 handle slot tool.JPGDisston D23 handle finished jcd (1).JPG

[Jim Koepke]

Wow Jim, looks great. Thanks for posting your solution to the problem of cutting the saw handle to fit the curve.

jtk

[Ron Bontz]

+1 Looks good.

[Stewie Simpson]

Very nicely done Jim.

Stewie;

[Pat Barry]

Very nicely done. I take it the old handle was still in good enough condition to use as a template for the profile and hole locations, right? If not, how did you match the hole pattern to the saw blade? Make a paper template from the blade? Just curious how to best do that

[Jim Davis]

I used a handle from a different D-23 for the outline and just used the saw plate for the hole pattern, since those were the holes I needed to hit.

[Andrew Pitonyak]

How did you cut the leaf pattern on the handle? Did you use a gouge, or chip carving?

[Matt Bainton]

Do you know why Disston and so many use apple for handles? I started a handle for my D23 in a block of maple before I was exposed to historic info or other people's saw builds. Is there something inferior about maple for this type of handle, other than historical accuracy?

Your completed project looks awesome, especially the wheat detail.

[Jim Davis]

Matt, I don't know why Disston and others used apple for handles. The Forest Products Laboratories says apple is difficult to split, which would be an advantage in strength of the horns. Disston also used beech through out the company's history. This is the first time I have used apple, and it was the only piece I had that was big enough.

Andrew, I made a gouge to cut the wheat kernels. The curve of the edge cuts the sides of the kernels. The lip of the edge is also curved a little like a round point shovel, so it cuts deeper in the middle than at the edges. I made it from a scrap of another hand saw plate. It is concave, has no handle. It's about 3 inches long and 1/2 inch wide. With the gouge tilted away from the kernal, one rap with a hammer cuts all or most of one side. (The cut is across the kernel, not lengthwise.) Sometimes a little cleanup is needed.

Jim

[Jerry Olexa]

Very nice work....good job.

[George Sanders]

Outstanding job.

[Jim Koepke]

Andrew, I made a gouge to cut the wheat kernels. The curve of the edge cuts the sides of the kernels. The lip of the edge is also curved a little like a round point shovel, so it cuts deeper in the middle than at the edges. I made it from a scrap of another hand saw plate. It is concave, has no handle. It's about 3 inches long and 1/2 inch wide.

Is a picture possible?

jtk

[Andrew Pitonyak]

Andrew, I made a gouge to cut the wheat kernels. The curve of the edge cuts the sides of the kernels. The lip of the edge is also curved a little like a round point shovel, so it cuts deeper in the middle than at the edges. I made it from a scrap of another hand saw plate. It is concave, has no handle. It's about 3 inches long and 1/2 inch wide. With the gouge tilted away from the kernal, one rap with a hammer cuts all or most of one side. (The cut is across the kernel, not lengthwise.) Sometimes a little cleanup is needed.

Jim

Thanks, I appreciate the details. you did a great job.

I too would love to see a picture of this. I call brilliant on the idea.

[Jim Davis]

Here is the "gouge."
disston wheat tool w handle.JPGdisston wheat tool w example.JPG