duke
Old Oak
Never meet him as he passed in 1954. Time to clean it up and hopefully find a maker's mark.
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Somewhat interesting rip saw which was my grandfather's.
- Thread starter duke
- Start date
duke
Old Oak
Handle is metal and roomy for my large hand.
Any suggestions as to the best way to remove the rust?
Any suggestions as to the best way to remove the rust?
Gosh, that's a biggun for a single user!
In the UK, we have Simon Barley to thank for lots of research into the history of saws.
He's published a very comprehensive history of UK saws and saw making; he also curated the collection of several thousand hand saws at the Hawley Collection in Sheffield.
His advice is to avoid electrolysis or rust converters, especially with saws you might want to use. (You don't want anything that might embrittle the steel.)
So he prefers mechanical removal. Scrape off loose or superficial rust with a hand held scraper, such as an ordinary one you'd use to strip wallpaper.
Then use abrasive paper, wet with white spirit or WD40. It's safest to start with a fine grade, especially if there might be an etch. Wrap the paper round a flat cork block.
If there's no etch and it's all too slow, switch to a coarser grade and work back down to finer ones progressively.
Rub lubricating oil over the blade to protect any pitting from further damage.
In the UK, we have Simon Barley to thank for lots of research into the history of saws.
He's published a very comprehensive history of UK saws and saw making; he also curated the collection of several thousand hand saws at the Hawley Collection in Sheffield.
His advice is to avoid electrolysis or rust converters, especially with saws you might want to use. (You don't want anything that might embrittle the steel.)
So he prefers mechanical removal. Scrape off loose or superficial rust with a hand held scraper, such as an ordinary one you'd use to strip wallpaper.
Then use abrasive paper, wet with white spirit or WD40. It's safest to start with a fine grade, especially if there might be an etch. Wrap the paper round a flat cork block.
If there's no etch and it's all too slow, switch to a coarser grade and work back down to finer ones progressively.
Rub lubricating oil over the blade to protect any pitting from further damage.
I wonder if that started out as an ice saw?
Reasons for suggesting this: the metal handle - I've found old catalogue pictures of ice saws with similar iron handles - and the length.
Have a look at this old Atkins catalogue for example:
Of course, the teeth look too small for ice, but could it have had its teeth re-filed by an economical past owner?
Reasons for suggesting this: the metal handle - I've found old catalogue pictures of ice saws with similar iron handles - and the length.
Have a look at this old Atkins catalogue for example:
E. C. Atkins & Co. : Saws, Saw Tools, Mill Specialties : Catalog No. 18 : E. C. Atkins & Co. : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive
272 p., illus., 25.1 cm, trade catalog
archive.org
Of course, the teeth look too small for ice, but could it have had its teeth re-filed by an economical past owner?
duke
Old Oak
Andy that is how I have done it in the past but it being a large saw it will take a lot of work.
Mike mentioned a vinegar bath, will it etch the steel to much?
Mike mentioned a vinegar bath, will it etch the steel to much?
I'm just suggesting caution - and I get the distinct impression you're not scared of work!
duke
Old Oak
The handle does look like an Atkins, the journey begins.
duke
Old Oak
Spent an hour cleaning the saw plate, only markings I can see are a number 1 and 2 beside the handle rivets.
duke
Old Oak
Comparing the saw handle to the Atkins image , the Atkins has elongated cutouts where mine has circular cutouts.
Did more searching with no luck.
Did more searching with no luck.
Looking further into Andy's link the Atkins 590 Docking saw, looks very similar, the blade shape is the same, the handle is very similar, any differences could be put down to artistic licence in the catalogue.
https://archive.org/details/AtkinsCatalogNo181919All172MB/page/212/mode/1up?view=theater
An interesting find.
Bod1
https://archive.org/details/AtkinsCatalogNo181919All172MB/page/212/mode/1up?view=theater
An interesting find.
Bod1
duke
Old Oak
I will keep working on this when I have a spare bit of time.
There is very little offset of the teeth and dull. Time to get an offset tool, not sure if that is the name for it.
There is very little offset of the teeth and dull. Time to get an offset tool, not sure if that is the name for it.
That would be a saw set - there are hundreds of different types to choose from, but three basic types. A simple bar with notches in, a guided punch and anvil that you hit with a hammer, or a pliers shape. Maybe you have an old one lurking somewhere?
Raymedullary
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Is it a "half rip" perhaps? The tooth geometry suggest this.
duke
Old Oak
I think you are right.
duke
Old Oak
Sharpened the saw, did a cross cut first and it cut well. Definitely the teeth need to be offset a little.
duke
Old Oak
Next I did a rip cut, wasn't as easy as the cross cut.
BentonTool
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Looks like an ice saw to me as well, but no reason you can't use it on wood!
Well-done!
P.S. I would consider "painting" the handle with a rust-conversion solution, followed by enamel.
Well-done!
P.S. I would consider "painting" the handle with a rust-conversion solution, followed by enamel.
Mike G
Petrified Pine
Funnily enough, AndyT was with me when I stumbled across a strange saw in a jumble box at Carlton Scroop at the weekend which was almost certainly an ice saw...........and the coincidence, having only ever heard of such a thing on here last week, was fun. It looked just like the third one in the catalogue photo in Andy's post, above ("hollow back hand ice saw"), but what made it obviously different from normal saws was the plate thickness. It was 3mm plus, so probably 1/8th"........not something I've ever seen in a wood saw.
duke
Old Oak
Still not convinced it is an ice saw , leaning towards a docking saw as Bod1 posted. The ice saw has a very large tooth pattern which is different from mine. Eh, I'm not an expert. When I see my father next maybe he can shed some light on the issue, he might have used it in his youth.