Myfirst hand saw

[Lee Schierer]

When I was growing up, I always helped my Dad with projects around our house. My Grandfather was a carpenter and when ever he came to visit he made things out of wood including a really cool windmill of a guy sawing wood. Let me tell you that guy could really saw some wood in the South Dakota winds.

I was cleaning up my shop today and ran across my first hand saw.
IMG_2010.jpg
This is a 16" 8 tpi saw. The name badge says Disston. I know it is at least 59 years old because I received it when I was 9. I cleaned it up and tried it out. It cut okay, but could use sharpening.

[lowell holmes]

You might enjoy this link

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UA5DixEaaUo

[Archie England]

That's a lot of sentimental value in such a cool find. I only wish I could recover some of my grandfather's hand tools.

[lowell holmes]

https://www.shopwoodworking.com/shar...handsaws-w5169

See this video. It will show you how to sharpen an old saw. I learned to sharpen saws with this and
other videos.

[Stew Denton]

Hi Lee,

Neat story on the saw. When I was a kid there was a saw about that size in my dads shop. I used it when I used a saw, dads full sized saws were just way too much saw, but that size I could handle. Years later I learned it was my older brothers saw, an Uncle had given it to him for Christmas. The saw may not have even been 16 inches.

Now my grandkids are growing up, but still little, and so I bought a couple of the 16" saws, Disston #7s, very much vintage saws, for them to use on projects with grandpa when they are here. They still are too little for them, but they are getting bigger so should grow into them. I bought two because there was a pair on sale together.

I cleaned one up, sharpened it, and gave it a go. Wow, was I pleasantly surprised, the little saw did a great job! Both are 10 pts, and both cross cuts.

I am currently rebuilding a cedar fence, and have been using one of the two little saws, (not the one I restored and sharpened), because I have enough tools out for the job that space is at a premium on my workbench (read that two 4' 2X10s on a very old set of saw horses). That little saw takes up a bunch less space than does one of my 26" carpenters saws. However, that little saw is not much of a handicap, it works great on the western cedar and light color pine pickets..

I am thinking about getting one more and converting it to a rip saw, probably a 10 point, again for grandkids to use. I may convert one of my existing #7s to a 12 point, to see if the grandkids can handle the 12 point sooner than the 10 point.

At any rate, sharpen up the little saw, you may be extremely and pleasantly surprized, if you give it a go.

Stew

[steven c newman]

Afraid my first saw had a light blue handle on it, and came with a Handy Andy Tool set....early 60s....

[Frederick Skelly]

That's very cool Lee!

[Lee Schierer]

https://www.shopwoodworking.com/shar...handsaws-w5169

See this video. It will show you how to sharpen an old saw. I learned to sharpen saws with this and
other videos.

I also have a saw tooth setter that I have no idea how to use. What file do you recommend?

[lowell holmes]

Visit this page to see what is available. I would start with a 4" slim file. Be sure to use a file handle for your own protection. You can make one with a piece of dowel.

https://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&ke...l_5ypo7hpdqt_b

Start with minimum set and try the saw. If more set is required, you will know.


Another link -
https://www.amazon.com/Sharpen-Your-.../dp/1440318220

[Mike Allen1010]

Lee great story, thanks for sharing.


For me hand tools passed down from previous generations are among my most valued possessions. Every, I picked them up I'm reminded of my family member who was the original owner and can't help but think about how they use the tool and what their life was like. My dad was an engineer and so not so much for hand tools, but I have a Disston number 7 that belonged my grandfather


My wife's grandfather was a cabinet maker in Greenwich Village New York for 40 years. Regrettably he passed before we started dating and everything in his shop was liquidated long distance by auction several years before we met. As a young, broke woodworker in my early 20s, I had few tools and dreamed about the possibility of some day having even a rudimentary set of tools so I could try and do the kind of work I admired in books by James Krenov and others. Having a basic toolkit seemed almost unattainable.


I'm sure you can imagine how crushed I was when I I started dating my wife to be and learned her grandfathers shop and lifetime of accumulated tools were seen as antiquated relics of the past by his kids (who were understandably fully invested in the 1970s era of modern industrial manufacturing), and had been disposed of as nearly worthless. I still feel the disappointment now!


Over 30 years of marriage I've been fortunate to get a number of tools from various family members, including a saw exactly like yours with my wife's grandfather's initials pressed into the tote. I also have one of his Swedish Sandvik #271 Dragon saw that has exited the blade "Sandvik saws are universally recognized for exceptional edge holding. To avoid tooth breakage they must be set with care. Do not attempt to set from the base of the tooth but set from the point only". Immediately below is a little diagram demonstrating the correct and incorrect way to set the saw.


I have way too many saws, but these 2 are always sharpened and tuned to perfection – and that makes me happy.


Best, Mike

[Lee Schierer]

I have hand planes that came from my Father, Father in law and Grandfather. I also have the little hand plane that came in the Handy Andy tool kit that I had when I was a child.

[Paul K. Johnson]

Afraid my first saw had a light blue handle on it, and came with a Handy Andy Tool set....early 60s....

I had that set when I was a kid - late 60's. My family used to bring orphans to our home for Christmas. One of the boys got a cool cast metal airplane that had folding wings (carrier style) and retracts. The first thing I did that very Christmas day was take his plane apart. Got it back together without any problem even though there were some springs inside that had to be reattached to make everything work properly.

I was the kid who took everything apart with about a 50% success rate of getting them back together with no pieces left.

[Thomas Schneider]

Mine was too!

[michael langman]

Lee, I think it is so cool that you have those things from your childhood. And to be part of your interests in life.
I don't have anything from my childhood days, and it makes me think how differently we were all brought up.