Have you ever wondered what lurks beneath the surface of ...

[Derek Cohen]

... that awful 60's saw tote?

A few years back I bought a rather derelict Stanley #358 mitresaw box . Outside the States these are quite rare so, if you want one, you do what you gotta do. In my case, this is what I bought (I think it was $10).



I cleaned it up to this point, and then just used it.



The saw came separately. It is a 60's Stanley, 24" long, 4 1/2" deep. The blade is good and it cuts well (it was hardly used when I came across it). But that tote! Oh, what a pain to hold and a pain to look at. I really would have liked the saw that came with the #358, but these are like hen's teeth in Australia. I saw a few on eBay (USA) but at the last minute I would say to myself that I really should just make another tote.

I came across this illustration.



... and blew it up ..



... used this image to mark off a plan on the original tote ..



.. and with files and rasps removed the outer surface to uncover what lay below ...



Imagine - it was there all the time

Any idea what wood this is? Beech? Maple? It is hard and pares well.

Thanks for looking.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Ian Smith]

Nice work Derek.

[Michael Fross]

Great job. That looks more comfortable and a lot easier on the eyes!

Michael

[Randall Houghton]

Derek
I would say the wood is most likely Apple and was quite popular among saw makers here in the US for the qualities you've sited. Nice restoration of a tool
that has no equal on todays market. Just my .02
Regards
Randy

[Greg Salata]

Excellent work Derek.

Reminds me of the saws of days gone bye.........................

[philip marcou]

Yah Derek you just seem to have indecent luck -Ten bucks for that? How can you sleep at night?
Anyway I believe the wood is neither Beech nor Maple and more likely to be a fruitwood.
You are lucky that the emblem is not in a poor state-as it would have been on a plain tenon or backsaw.

[Luke McFadden]

Very nice indeed! Much better price than these:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Antique-STANLEY-...QQcmdZViewItem

L

[Tom Hamilton]

Nice Derek! Thanks for the detailed post and great photos. Looks like the start of the new business opportunity. Are you taking orders yet?

Best regards, Tom, in Houston, with a very uncomfortably handled backsaw.

[jeremy levine]

That was a good posting: good pics, good writing and good work.

[Derek Cohen]

Are you taking orders yet?

Tom

Thanks for the compliment, but definitely "no". I take my hat off to guys like Mike Wenzloff who do this professionally. Frankly, with a little (much!) time and patience, anyone can do what I've done - this is a large part of the reason I make these posts, to encourage others. But the real test is to do this work at speed. I think that it is amazing that these guys can work so fast. That requires a lot of skill.

I've done a few saw totes (and plane totes) and they are really fun, a great way to find an artistic outlet.

Here was another transformation, this time a small tenon saw.



Regards from Perth

Derek

[Bob Hallowell]

Very nice Derek,
I have one of those saws hanging in my garage I pick up at a flea market. It's all tuned up and ready to go just need a miter box for it. BTW the handle is beech I believe.

Bob

[john mclane]

I remember using one of those back with my father. I wonder what ever became of it???