Sand Paper Washers under Medallion?

[schuld66]

Anybody ever hear of sand paper rings/washers under a saw medallion? I found a saw today that had 2 of them under a WARRANTED SUPERIOR nickel plated brass medallion. Wondering why someone might do that.
Regards,
Dave

[IanW]

My guess is it was someone's remedy to stop it turning when the nut is tightened or loosened. Nuts often seize over time, thanks to corrosion, & when someone tries to undo them, the small stubs that many saw bolts have on their shanks to prevent turning aren't up to the task, and strip the wood, aided by a bit of deterioration of the wood itself. This can provoke a few choice words, and a search for some way to hold the head still while you put sufficient force on the nut to move it. A common way to deal with the problem on saws with domed bolt heads is to hacksaw a slot for a screwdriver on the 'plain' head - something one sometimes sees on old saws. Not good for the antique value of your saw, but usually solves the immediate problem....

Cheers,

[RayG]

I agree with Ian's thought that it would be to stop it turning while the nut is tightened, could additionally be because the wood has shrunk over the years and there isn't enough thread on the screw to tighten properly.. I've seen that plenty of times. For the "improved" type of screws you can just file a little off the inside end of the "nut" on the slotted side.

Ray