WMC Saw

[Chevysawman]

I have what I believe to be a wmc saw possibly in the 1870s?

[Chevysawman]

Looking for info on this. Believe 1870 to 1880?

[Bushmiller]

Chevysawman

Welcome to these Australian Woodworking Forums.

I think you are right on the money with the WMC brand. I am not too sure on the dating as really my only catalogue is dated 1895 by which time Wheeler Madden & Clemson had been purchased by Disston and amalgamated into the National Saw Company along with Richardson Bros, Harvey W. Peace and Woodrough & McParlin. These renowned brands were continued under their own names, but I don't know how long that endured.

One of the quirks of these metal plate reinforced saws was that they nearly all were made with Black Walnut handles. The few that were not had a Black walnut "Finish!" I have never got to the bottom of this quirk and it extends across all brands of saw made in this style: Not just WMC.

WMC in 1895 made at least three models with reinforced metal plates:

The No.2 did not have the Holden Pattern handle (fourteen of the nineteen models on offer used some variation of the Holden pattern) and a different shaped plate.

P1080431 (Medium).JPG

The No.10 had a similar shaped metal plate, but five saw screws and a different shaped handle.

P1080430 (Medium).JPG

The No.52 seems to match your saw.

P1080429 (Medium).JPG

The WMC brand was revered (particularly the models from a few decades earlier.) These saws, all brands, with a metal reinforcing plate were generally situated down at the lower end of the model line and could be regarded as budget saws, albeit still with the manufacturers name etched in.

Talking of etches you might care to rub away with some wet and dry paper in the area of the etch to see if there is some remnant still there. Don't use anything coarser than 240grit in this area and use some lubricant. Wrap the paper around a sanding block ( I use a small block of wood, but a cork block will also do) to prevent "digging in" to the metal with finger pressure. The lubricant can be denatured alcohol (we call it mineral turps), WD40 or water to give some examples of commonly used lubricant. If you use water, make certain you dry it off immediately you have finished sanding.

I particularly like the Holden pattern saw handle and have used it myself with replacement handles.

Regards
Paul

PS: I just enlarged your pix, which I should have done before, and I see that the style of saw nuts is raised and quite likely dates from an earlier era than 1895, but I can't offer more information at this point.

[section1]

If anyone knows about saws it is Bushmiller

[Bushmiller]

If anyone knows about saws it is Bushmiller

S1

Thanks for the endorsement, but I have to say that there are quite a few very knowledgeable saw people on this Forum. At least one of them has already viewed this thread.

Regards
Paul

[old1955]

Welcome to the forum.

[IanW]

... The lubricant can be denatured alcohol (we call it mineral turps)....

Well you might, Paul, but what was sold in Nth America when I lived over there as "denatured alcohol" is the same (near enough) as our metho. Turps (mineral or plant-origin) is a non-polar solvent and quite different from alcohols, which are miscible with water, turps certainly isn't.

Just a bit more pedentry from a retired lab geek....

[section1]

We do sell denatured alcohol. Diggers is one brand and Restorer’s choice sells one that isn’t odorous which is the one I use. Now methylated spirits is watered down and not suitable for shellac.

[Bushmiller]

Well you might, Paul, but what was sold in Nth America when I lived over there as "denatured alcohol" is the same (near enough) as our metho. Turps (mineral or plant-origin) is a non-polar solvent and quite different from alcohols, which are miscible with water, turps certainly isn't.

Just a bit more pedentry from a retired lab geek....

Ian

My mistake, but either can be used for the lubricant. However, I always use water with the proviso that it must be dried off thoroughly and done immediately after the cleaning is finished.

Regards
Paul

[Bushmiller]

Just a bit more pedentry from a retired lab geek....

Ian

BTW, I think you might have meant pedantry, but I knew what you meant: Not that I am being pedantic myself.

Regards
Paul

PS: Where did Chevysawman go?

[IanW]

...BTW, I think you might have meant pedantry,....

Indeed I did Paul - just (another) of my typos. Because the editor in this programme is from the US, it throws up errors on any British spelling that deviates from Yankspeak (it's underlining "programme" as I type, it wants "program" but it can go jump! ). So I tend to ignore its objections to my spelling. But occasionally quite often, it's right....

Cheers,

[Chevysawman]

Thanks guys, I will have more saws I might need ident on. Have several on ebay, Disston and Atkins. Jeffmatrixman1 seller. Thanks again.