"New" Saw

[Sparhawk]

I was at the Trash and Treasure market on the weekend, on the hunt for a saw with slotted nuts to complete my rip saw. Picked up this pretty ugly looking Robert Sorby for $2.

When I got home, I thought I'll give it a clean up, just to make sure, here are the results. Bulk of the work was done with electrolysis, and then sanded up from 300 grit to 4000. Cleaned up the handle, and a couple of coats of WOP, and finished it off with Traditional Wax. It cuts well, but I'll get it sharpened, and I'll need to remake the handle in the future.

I found the number 11 on the back under the handle, and sure enough it was 11 TPI. I couldn't find any etching on the blade but the rest came up great. Considering I was in the market for a tenon saw, and have been looking at a PAX, I think $2 (and some elbow grease) was worth it.

[Christos]

Good old elbow greese.

Nice Saw.

[munruben]

Good find mate, I can never seen anything like that when I go to the market.

[orraloon]

Good find and it will cut tennons as well as a Pax. Have you a plan to fix the handle?
Regards
John

[Sparhawk]

I'll fix the handle, I'm tossing up to fix the existing one, or build a new one.

[Chris Vesper]

I say fix the old one. With the handle so nearly complete and never been run over by a truck you could easily fix that one. Get a piece of Beech, plane the broken surface on the handle to flat surface, glue the new bit on and shape away with rasps/files etc til its done. Then loads of Linseed oil to darken it up.

[RayG]

Nice restoration so far, it's looking good.

I agree with Chris, fix the old handle.

After a bit of digging and some image manipulation, here is an overlay of what the original would have looked like. The timber is beech, if you can find some that would be the best choice for the repair.



One other thing, I would probably try to knock the back up a little to make it level with the tooth line, For a saw of that style and vintage, it would have originally been parallel to the tooth line. (Earlier saws would be a different story)...

Nice work.

Regards
Ray

[pjr]

I'll need to remake the handle in the future.

Chris and Ray both beat me to it but it's worth repairing that nice handle.
the articles on this page will offer some inspiration and instruction
Restoring Vintage Saws - Restoring vintage and antique woodworking tools - wkFineTools.com

regards, Peter

[Sparhawk]

Thanks guys, I guess I'll be back at the market next weekend trying to source some more Beech (I've been told old wooden planes are a good source).

[Erik in Ottawa]

I have found that the best source for old beech is an old saw handle, which on the far side of the world where I live are aval in great quantities for next to nothing. Old planes are not likely to have a large enough piece, and the grain would be oriented wrong.

Erik

[mjmjm]

Nice find

[Sparhawk]

On the handle there is a name stamped (quite a number of times), also my rip saw also has a name stamped on it. Would this be the original owners?