I have been a full time carpenter since 1966. we had electric saws then but they weren’t all that common until about the late 70‘s. At least that was how it was on all of the crews I worked. I personally didn’t fully motorize until 1983. Even now I’ll grab one of my old pre WW 2 handsaws over an electric without a thought. Almost all of the cutting on every one of the houses we built in those days was done with hand saws and I agree with everything this video has to say. The old saws just work way better. I had noticed that the new modern handsaws don’t cut worth a darn and are just difficult in every way. I had no idea why. Now I know. Thanks for this video and the info!
Bro I'm a retired phone guy. I just started playing with my dad's old carpenter tools. You are a motivation for many of us as we tinker with this craft. Thanks man
I was at a junk shop in Mississippi today and was looking at a Disston rip saw the guy had. I turned it down because it was one of the very last Disstons. Just like James said, the handle was awful and the screw pattern was such that you really couldn't make a better one if you wanted. The steel was also the thickest I'd ever seen on a non-electro-hardened saw and the set of the teeth was like a crocodile mouth. Told the guy it's only worth was as a wall ornament.
Good information. I am looking for a crosscut and rip saw now. I have narrowed it down to 24-26". I don't mind having to restore and sharpen them. I have seen some, but they wanted $50-$65 for them. I passed. Thanks again for all the skills you teach, tips and tricks you pass on and the information you share to help us become more knowledgeable of the trade and tools.
Thanks, I have about 20 handsaws that we’re either my fathers or I’ve picked up at estate sales. This really helps me decide which ones to restore and use, and which ones to put in storage.
I would like some information on the different types of rivets or Chicago screws that attach the handles to the blades. It’s not clear sometimes whether it’s a screw or a rivet? With these old saws that I don’t want to screw up, you could see how it would be helpful to know what one is dealing with. Perhaps you have seen quite a few different types in your day?
Great information, thanks. A bonus is to have a right angle between the back and the toe. A lot of times, I just put a small "V" on the board at the cut location. I'll line the back of the saw along the board with the toe at the center of the "V", then draw a line down the toe across the board. If the board is wide, I'll then place the back of the saw along the line I just drew and extend the line all the way across the board. I then have a nice square line to follow. It's not a necessity, but if you don't have your square around, it's a nice feature to have in the saw.
I am a new subscriber but not new to wood working. I love the videos on hand saws and sharpening. Even "experienced" individuals can learn something new and sometimes our younger teachers can get a thought across better than those who are "more experienced" BTW experienced does not relate to skills. LOL. Thanks for the videos.
My main hobby is photography where we talk about G.A.S (gear acquisition syndrome). If I keep watching your channel I’m going to get the same syndrome for woodworking tools, and I only wanted to make top quality archival frames for my images! But it isn’t going to stop me watching as I think yours is by far the best channel for people like myself. You not only tell us what to do, but how, why and more importantly what not to do.
This was a great video. Answered a few questions I didn't know I had. I just purchased a saw on those exact principles. Nice handle, no kinks, felt good in the hand. That was all I needed to know to buy it. Now to clean it up and sharpening. :)
Great info, James. Don't cast off all the oversharpened saws, though: cutting the shallowest 6" off the front and retoothing to a higher PPI gets you a 20" panel saw.
I wish, but on most of the old ones they were so delicate that would break them off. and on top of that it does not work well. that is a more recent theory but there is no historical backing or logic to it.
Very interesting James. I’m mostly a power tool woodworker but am somewhat interested in using more hand tools. If I ever start shopping for saws I now know what to look for. Thanks.
Thank you for this video. Yesterday a friend gave me his late grandfather's Disston 26" miter box saw and miter box. Based on the generation who first bought and used it, and the shape of the handle, I believe it to be pre-1918. It's fairly rusted, though, and I've never restored a saw. I've been watching videos on the subject, but I'm afraid to touch this since there's an etch on the saw plate, and I'm afraid of removing it. I need to find the courage to begin this project. I just don't want to ruin it. The family where this saw came from means a lot to me, and I want to treat it with due care.
Sometimes I look for the medallion and if the blade having etching or makers marking. Wish I new about pitting before I did restoration on blades. LOL! Good video.
Great video as always 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻 Now that I’ve made a handle for one of my saws, I think that a video of making one, so everyone can see how easy it is would be good It would also be a good way for you to go over the handle, and explain shaping it to fit your hand too
Wood By Wright I’ll look forward to how you approach the handles, and the saw plate. I’ve been thinking about picking up a cheap old saw with the kink and cut it down and sand the plate thinner for a smaller saw I can use around the work bench
Glad you made a video on the subject. Seeing is best especially for saws. SEE-SAW comes to mind. AND - Glad you brought up that final point at the end. lol
The problem with not paying attention to the teeth is that you end up with a bunch of saws with similar tooth geometry. Not really a problem if you don't mind a bunch of extra saws laying around or you're willing to cut new teeth, but for most of us that means we end up with a bunch of unrestored saws sitting around in the saw till or in storage. Once you have a good sharp 7tpi crosscut, it's hard to justify the time and effort to restore another one when there's actual woodworking to do :) Using similar metrics to what you've described, I ended up with about fifteen saws and my coarsest rip saw is about 8tpi. I'll probably never get around to restoring about ten of those. Now I always look at the teeth when looking for saws.
very true, but I was more or less referring to someones first saw. and it you are looking for a particular tooth geometry then you by nature know what you are looking for so I decided to cut that to save time.
The problem when I bought those saws was that I _didn't_ know what I was looking for. I just found a bunch of saws at a flea market and made sure they were relatively straight, no kinks, and had a nice handle. Now I've got a lot of useless saws* and still have to pull out the table saw when I need to rip more than a couple feet.** I put my comment there to hopefully save someone from winding up with a bunch of similar saws they'll never use. * I have no problem cleaning and sharpening a saw, but I'm not confident in my skills yet to completely retooth one. ** I keep my table saw under the lathe. My goal is to bury it completely in shavings. Because I have no rough rip saw, it never quite gets completely buried before I have to pull it out again. I either need to find a good rip saw or do more turning, I guess.
Thanks James for all the wonderful information you gave us. I have an older saw(Dission I think is what it is) that the top part is broken off too. I think one day I will make a new,handle for it. I’m not real comfortable making it right now but I think I can do it in time.
Great stuff, James! I’m also really big on feel and looks too. I actually don’t mind one of those 70s saws: I take them and file the handles until they fell good. I also reshape the “horn” into a point, and after and hour or so of work, it’s a new looking saw. I stain the handle a nice reddish color and you’d never know it was the same saw! Thanks again for the info!
I absolutely love your storage system behind you!!! Especially for your saws and your files - I have been thinking about building something like that, but didn't have the exact concept in my mind... do you have a video about them?
Here's the playlist of all of the videos building out shop. I have one video dedicated each rack and till. ruclips.net/p/PLAbayqjimalEj-lzXy8Rd9n5JDSpRO8QZ
Nice vid and perfect timing! I have an old Atkins saw but it has a slight kink. When you do a restore video could you include how one might get a kink out?
You do it by tapping on the kink with a ball peen hammer over an anvil. it can take a few hours of accurate blows but it can be done. I might do a video some day though.
I see your really big champion tooth saw in the back there, I'm looking for something like it. Where did you find it, and what are some things I should look for when buying a saw like that?
James, have you done a segment about those shaves (just over your left shoulder)? What to look for, how to restore, and how to maintain one I might buy. Some years back a guy at a flea market wanted $40 for a rusty one similar to the one second from the bottom on your rack. Too much?
Just a thought James, if the plate is in an acceptable condition, and the handle is not quite Wright... I'm sure you would do a little finessing to make it make it fit your hand
You could, but the handel talks about the quality of the plate, and they are so common and so cheap that they are not worth taking the time in my book.
Where I live there is very little selection of wood working tools. The only saws available here are either from ebay and very expensive or cheap Chinese from Lazada. Would it be possible to buy one of these cheap saws with impulse hardened teeth and sharpen it with a diamond file?
I don't know if a diamond file that would have the right size to sharpen them. I have heard of a few people grinding off the teeth and then re-cutting new teeth. But then you're generally stuck with a plastic handle.
Great video as always James! You should do a video on duplicating/ improving a newer saw handle or where to find all those amazing handle templates online and making one from scratch.
i guess im randomly asking but does anybody know a trick to get back into an instagram account?? I was stupid forgot the password. I appreciate any tricks you can offer me!
@Marvin Rocco thanks for your reply. I got to the site through google and im waiting for the hacking stuff now. Seems to take quite some time so I will reply here later with my results.
Tip for kinks in saws: if the kink is close to the end of the saw, you can just cut the end off. It makes the saw shorter, but it also makes it useable again. I recently did that with an old Diston knock-off saw that my grandpa had given my dad, and then my dad gave to me. I've also seen people grind them out if they are a kink just in the spine of the saw. It's a tricky thing to deal with, but they are sometimes repairable.
here is a video on the tools to get started. ruclips.net/video/LKvyJ4CrvDQ/видео.html I might have to make one for planes here soon. thanks for the idea.
I need your help, I'm 16 so I don't have much money but I really think I want a low angle jack but the new staney is $120 or so and I've never spent over $15 on a tool because adults like to give kids deals on tools. But I heard the older low angle planes suck so I need your HELP
The old Stanley are great. the often cost as much as new ones and some times more for the collectors value, pulse they are hard to find. traditional woodworkers did not have much use for them uther then end grain cutting boards and butcher blocks. that being said. if you find any (new or old) for under $100 it is a STEEL of a deal!
James, I am going to try to sharpen either a 5 1/2 or a 6 1/2 tip D8 or a 5 tip D7 (or is it just a #7) rip saw. The last time I tried was on a King Phillip 6 1/2 tip and I really messed it up. I commented about it to you. Now the teeth r even coming off the saw. Anyway wish me luck. I'm going to follow ur video again. I don't have an angle gauge that goes on the end of the file. Any advice? Getting the gauge is not a monetary option at this time. Love ur channel the most. Thank you. Ps all these saws that I will sharpen r in great shape this point. I will be upset if I turn them into scraper material. The king Philip was in great condition b4 I got my hands on it. I can sharpen chisels and plane blades extremely well. I hope to someday b able to sharpen saws. Again thank you for all ur time.
sweet! Sounds like a fun time ahead. you can drill a small hole in a block at the angle you want the file then drive the file into that block as a handle. it may pop off once or twice but it will work and you can not beat the price.
when you look at western vs eastern it really comes down to personal preference. how well a saw preforms is completely dependent on the last person to sharpen it. everything else is just comfort to the user. here is a video I did on it. ruclips.net/video/0SASROZhCvI/видео.html
Thank you. I had to buy a hand saw from a big box store not that long ago. As soon as I started to use it I could tell it was garbage. It's sad we have to go back and find things made 50 years ago for quality, 90% of the hand tools made now are Chinese junk.
I have a few videos on the topic. here is a video on sharpening Crosscuts. ruclips.net/video/XE9Ne3MUXn0/видео.html and here is a video on sharpening small dovetail teeth. ruclips.net/video/eEwWF8-1_8o/видео.html There are several other videos but these will get you going in the right direction.
I love all your videos but, I found this one particularly interesting. Maybe because I 've recently started watching Hand tool rescue's channle. Anyway, keep it up, always an interestin watch. Tjhank you.
There are some people who say that however if you look at some of the original nibs they are way too delicate to try that. There is basically no historian who believes that was the original use for them.
I thought the nib on the top of the plate was used to help keep the tip of a pencil, the saw would act as a guide like a straight edge to mark a reference line on a piece of wood about to be cut.
NEVER MIND!!! Already answered!!! I thought the nib was originally there to knock the square corner off so that you could start cutting with the saw more easily and accurately?
Has anybody out there got hold of a saw with a cracked blade? I have a Spear and Jackson with a 2" crack starting at the bottom screw rivet hole going toward the tip. Apparently somebody used the saw with a loose handle. I was thinking to wire feel weld the crack. Anybody have any suggestions/comments?
That is not common a all, but unfortunately that is almost unpreparable. if you braze or weld it the heat will distort the plate and make it unusable. generally with that it goes into the scrap pile.
That is a Frame saw. i use it for resawing or ripping through thick stock. here is a video where I recently used it. ruclips.net/video/tin6lZeKusM/видео.html And here is a video where I made this one. ruclips.net/video/SC_hn3T9AqM/видео.html Every tool on the wall is to be used. though it looks cool, the wall is not just for show.
Thanks mate, but I was talking about the one in between the till and the frame saw. With the metal plate that looks about five foot long, and massive teeth like a gardener's bow saw.
That's a crosscut saw for green wood. You can use those in the field to cut logs to length before hauling them back (handy if you're in the woods with nothing but an ATV or horse to pull logs for you). Sometimes they have a handle on the top for two-handed use. The bigger ones have a handle on the other end for another person. You can buy 'em new from Woodcraft (and probably other woodworking sites).
For most metal restoration (de-rusting etc) I prefer electrolysis, but there are baths of vinegar and/or commercial rust removers and then there is the old hand/elbow method of sanding grinding filing etc. However, I want to know if electrolysis would be a bad thing for the blades of saws compared to other methods. Thoughts?
it works great on saws as long as there is an even rust. if there are parts that are clean and others that are rusted it will leave it with a bit of a blotchy look.
I find a razor that I’ve just taken the edge off, works well as a scraper on the blade. Then a little oil and some wet/dry sandpaper wrapped around a block of wood or old sanding sponge finishes the blade off well
Dependent on how bad rust is. If it's deep from continued moisture and you still really want to restore then electrolysis is the way to go. If it has a nice layer of surface rust and was kept dry then just a razer blade and 400+ sandpaper and it's going to come out beautiful.
when power saws became more common a lot of the old woodworkers just threw out there hand saws. In europ hand saws are not as common as they tended to use bow saws instead.
I live in California and I have been in many antique store but never seen a nice antique saw for less that $20. I think it is an unfortunate reality that there are far less antique tools floating around out here than back east. Can anyone confirm?
From my experience there are just as many but the price is much higher as it is with everything in CA. I will be doing a video soon about finding tools on the west coast when I am up in Portland, there are several good meets and antique shops all up and down the coast. there is a group in Seattle that does a meet 3 times a year that is well worth going.
Not to pooh-pooh but when you said impulse hardened did you mean the induction? Maybe I'm wrong but and metal is impulsive like us buying saws every time we see them at garage sales? ;) I have managed to get over a dozen good saws but I still want a pair of PAX. I wish you would have mentioned them. They are far and away best value which is proven by their insane popularity. 106 dollars each is high but you're set. Like Matthew Moore says, "it only hurts once."
Right. That was a slip of the toung. I did not want to go into new saws as most people starting out cant afford more then $10 for a saw, and it is a great experience to see how fast you can clean one up and sharpen it and have a fantastic saw.
Hi James, Thanks a lot for your tips. I have a question regarding type of saw steel. can I sharpen hard steel saw and how do I differentiate between hard steel and soft steel ?
In saws the only time you come across steel that is to hard to sharpen it is on hardened teeth. other then that you will notice the difference untell you have been using a saw for a few years.
so this mean hard steel can be sharpened but the process will be much harder than soft steel or hard steel can't be sharpened at all ( teeth will break ) ?
+Hesham Hafez A saw with impulse hardened teeth requires a diamond-coated saw file to resharpen, as opposed to a normal hard steel saw file with teeth cut into it.
That said, you should not need to resharpen a saw with impulse-hardened teeth too often unless you use it on materials with a lot of glue, you use it to cut plastic, or use it on very hard woods.
In defense of (some) big box saws: my handsaws that I sharpened myself are a joy to use, but they were also intimidating as a new woodworker because I had never sharpened a saw before. The at-the-time $8 universal tooth Craftsman saw from Amazon came razor sharp-I have the cuts from testing the teeth to prove it-and ate through even man-made material like plywood that’s rough on hand tools. And the handle? It was fine. All this is to say that for someone, in particular a new woodworker, with no saw, a (good) big box saw like this one is more than sufficient for breaking down rough stock and getting started on building skills and confidence. By the time the saw wears out, and I think the estimate is that hardened teeth will last ~3 sharpenings for normal saws, the user will definitely be prepared for finding a permanent saw. To be clear, one of the things I love about woodworking is that it’s inherently anti-consumerist, since we craft our own, often generational, possessions, but I think these tools, at least some of them, have their place.
You can resharpen impulse-hardened teeth, it's a common myth that you can't. You just need a diamond saw file. I've done it after dulling a Japanese replaceable-blade saw by running it through plywood, MDF and then some extremely hard wood. It works and the diamond feather edge saw files are only about 15-30$ depending on size. Of course eventually you'll run into the soft steel but by that point you've gotten a lot of sharpenings out of it and practiced your sharpening technique on a "throwaway" saw before getting a real nice one and bubba'ing it up. A diamond file can also be used to resharpen carbide or work as a normal, obtuse-angled file for harder steels when the actual saw-touching areas have worn out, so it isn't really a "one use tool". PS: The large stanley sharptooth handles are made so big to accommodate workgloves since they're more for contractors and not craftsmen, and the handle has an integrated square and miter square for marking, so in actuality they could be a good tool for a starting woodworker - 4 tools in one for some easy rough beginner work.
It made me blink... You bought some New saws in an Antique shop??? I hope to go to a local fair in about two weeks so will look out for a new (old) saw ;D
Awesome video! I Bought an atkins 29" 8 tpi rip saw that has a small bow about 7" from the end. I tried bending it quite a bit, but it did nothing to the bend itself. What other methods can I use to aproach this problem? If not, can I still make straight cuts with it?
With that long I saw him still may make straight cuts. but usually if the bend doesn't come out it means you need to bend it farther. often I'll bend the tip all the way back until it touches the handle and then squeeze it even farther than that to try and get a bend out. The spring steel is very resilient.
Wow! I did not know that. That might be the reason why I couldn't take the bend out. I was afraid. That I would break the saw or cut myself. I will try again. Thank you very much for your advise!
yup. most companies do not make them. I have a few that I list on mt site tools suggestions but most are for contractors or at home people so there is no need for a rip saw.
Sometimes I do wonder about youtube video's..... Saw's with a nib on the top of the blade is a scribe and it will only appear on antique early 1900's saw blades.
I know a few people who think that. The truth of the matter is it used to be far more ornate if you go back to the 1700s you can find really delicate curls and swirls. They got simpler and simpler over the years until it came down to the design of the simple nib. It was just there for decoration. But we as humans have come up with all sorts of uses for it from tying guards onto the blade to using it as a marker for how far to pull the saw back. It died out around world war 1. So a lot of modern makers have started adding it back in on the large hand saws.
Wood By Wright but can you make a video of general german handplans that mad out of wood. This are wery intesting things. I have a vewe of this and they are wery intresting.
Disson or Atkins for $5 ? Must be a believer in the tooth fairy Broken horn is hardly a "good" reason to pass up a saw...it is an easy fix and on a quality brand saw. A lot of nonsense here sorry I wasted the time!
not sure where you are looking but I see boxes of them all over the US. I had a friend that just sepulchered a lot of almost 300 saws. my local Facebook has someone selling 10 saws right now for $20 total. most of them would make fantastic users.
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This guy does know what he’s taking about. I appreciate him not spewing garbage.
Great video
I have been a full time carpenter since 1966. we had electric saws then but they weren’t all that common until about the late 70‘s. At least that was how it was on all of the crews I worked. I personally didn’t fully motorize until 1983. Even now I’ll grab one of my old pre WW 2 handsaws over an electric without a thought. Almost all of the cutting on every one of the houses we built in those days was done with hand saws and I agree with everything this video has to say. The old saws just work way better. I had noticed that the new modern handsaws don’t cut worth a darn and are just difficult in every way. I had no idea why. Now I know. Thanks for this video and the info!
Absolutely fascinating, you’ve given me a brand new appreciation for the hand saw. At 63 yrs old that’s saying a lot.
Thanks. Glad I could help.
Bro I'm a retired phone guy. I just started playing with my dad's old carpenter tools. You are a motivation for many of us as we tinker with this craft. Thanks man
I was at a junk shop in Mississippi today and was looking at a Disston rip saw the guy had. I turned it down because it was one of the very last Disstons. Just like James said, the handle was awful and the screw pattern was such that you really couldn't make a better one if you wanted. The steel was also the thickest I'd ever seen on a non-electro-hardened saw and the set of the teeth was like a crocodile mouth. Told the guy it's only worth was as a wall ornament.
Good information. I am looking for a crosscut and rip saw now. I have narrowed it down to 24-26". I don't mind having to restore and sharpen them. I have seen some, but they wanted $50-$65 for them. I passed. Thanks again for all the skills you teach, tips and tricks you pass on and the information you share to help us become more knowledgeable of the trade and tools.
One of the better videos on buying old saws.
Thanks.
Thanks, I have about 20 handsaws that we’re either my fathers or I’ve picked up at estate sales. This really helps me decide which ones to restore and use, and which ones to put in storage.
it always amazes me how-many of these saws are out there.
Good advise and easy for a beginner 2 understand because a lot of people try 2 give 2 much information at once and confuses or scares people
thanks Holly. it is easy to keep going on a topic like this!
How bout a video about truing a level??
I would like some information on the different types of rivets or Chicago screws that attach the handles to the blades. It’s not clear sometimes whether it’s a screw or a rivet? With these old saws that I don’t want to screw up, you could see how it would be helpful to know what one is dealing with. Perhaps you have seen quite a few different types in your day?
They should not be rivets. They are almost always specialty Chicago nuts with one smooth side.
Great information, thanks. A bonus is to have a right angle between the back and the toe. A lot of times, I just put a small "V" on the board at the cut location. I'll line the back of the saw along the board with the toe at the center of the "V", then draw a line down the toe across the board. If the board is wide, I'll then place the back of the saw along the line I just drew and extend the line all the way across the board. I then have a nice square line to follow. It's not a necessity, but if you don't have your square around, it's a nice feature to have in the saw.
some saws actually have the handle with a square section to the back. makes it really easy. so many fun things to do with a saw.
I am a new subscriber but not new to wood working. I love the videos on hand saws and sharpening. Even "experienced" individuals can learn something new and sometimes our younger teachers can get a thought across better than those who are "more experienced" BTW experienced does not relate to skills. LOL. Thanks for the videos.
Thanks Teri! wise words
thank you
Great content as always. Thanks sir!
Love great advice that goes against the grain. Great tip about steel hardness and medallion matters.
thanks man. I love trying to get down votes!
Such insightfully cutting remarks
My main hobby is photography where we talk about G.A.S (gear acquisition syndrome). If I keep watching your channel I’m going to get the same syndrome for woodworking tools, and I only wanted to make top quality archival frames for my images! But it isn’t going to stop me watching as I think yours is by far the best channel for people like myself. You not only tell us what to do, but how, why and more importantly what not to do.
thanks Mark. that means a lot. and oh ya GAS is a serious problem! or so my wife tells me!
This was a great video. Answered a few questions I didn't know I had. I just purchased a saw on those exact principles. Nice handle, no kinks, felt good in the hand. That was all I needed to know to buy it. Now to clean it up and sharpening. :)
Sounds like fun. Good luck sawing.
Great info, James. Don't cast off all the oversharpened saws, though: cutting the shallowest 6" off the front and retoothing to a higher PPI gets you a 20" panel saw.
true. and I do like them for timber work, but for the time involved in changing them I would rather to roster an old one personally.
Great information...thanks.
Makes me want to go check out the antique stores…
Could have listened to you for hours....nice video
The nibs were for starting the aris. You would turn the saw over and use the nib to start the cut.
I wish, but on most of the old ones they were so delicate that would break them off. and on top of that it does not work well. that is a more recent theory but there is no historical backing or logic to it.
Great guide! Plan to pick a few more up for myself im restoring my pa in laws saws to use since he hasn't been able to use them for so long
Very interesting James. I’m mostly a power tool woodworker but am somewhat interested in using more hand tools. If I ever start shopping for saws I now know what to look for. Thanks.
Thanks. My pleasure.
I'm on the tired side and taking a nice little break while I watch you James...cheers...rr
Nice Thanks Richard!
Thank you for this video. Yesterday a friend gave me his late grandfather's Disston 26" miter box saw and miter box. Based on the generation who first bought and used it, and the shape of the handle, I believe it to be pre-1918. It's fairly rusted, though, and I've never restored a saw. I've been watching videos on the subject, but I'm afraid to touch this since there's an etch on the saw plate, and I'm afraid of removing it. I need to find the courage to begin this project. I just don't want to ruin it. The family where this saw came from means a lot to me, and I want to treat it with due care.
To save an etch I like to use a card scraper and scrape the rust off. a little bit of lubricant like simple green or WD-40 does an amazing job.
@@WoodByWright You're very kind to get back to me so quickly! I just watched your more recent video on restoration, and I will take your advice.
I'm going shopping!!
Lot of good info in this video, thanks!
Sometimes I look for the medallion and if the blade having etching or makers marking. Wish I new about pitting before I did restoration on blades. LOL! Good video.
thanks Thomas. pitting can be fun!
Great video as always 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Now that I’ve made a handle for one of my saws,
I think that a video of making one, so everyone can see how easy it is would be good
It would also be a good way for you to go over the handle, and explain shaping it to fit your hand too
that is on my list. I want to make a couple saws for my self here soon.
Wood By Wright I’ll look forward to how you approach the handles, and the saw plate.
I’ve been thinking about picking up a cheap old saw with the kink and cut it down and sand the plate thinner for a smaller saw I can use around the work bench
Glad you made a video on the subject. Seeing is best especially for saws. SEE-SAW comes to mind.
AND - Glad you brought up that final point at the end. lol
LOL thansk Tyler!
The problem with not paying attention to the teeth is that you end up with a bunch of saws with similar tooth geometry. Not really a problem if you don't mind a bunch of extra saws laying around or you're willing to cut new teeth, but for most of us that means we end up with a bunch of unrestored saws sitting around in the saw till or in storage. Once you have a good sharp 7tpi crosscut, it's hard to justify the time and effort to restore another one when there's actual woodworking to do :)
Using similar metrics to what you've described, I ended up with about fifteen saws and my coarsest rip saw is about 8tpi. I'll probably never get around to restoring about ten of those. Now I always look at the teeth when looking for saws.
very true, but I was more or less referring to someones first saw. and it you are looking for a particular tooth geometry then you by nature know what you are looking for so I decided to cut that to save time.
The problem when I bought those saws was that I _didn't_ know what I was looking for. I just found a bunch of saws at a flea market and made sure they were relatively straight, no kinks, and had a nice handle. Now I've got a lot of useless saws* and still have to pull out the table saw when I need to rip more than a couple feet.**
I put my comment there to hopefully save someone from winding up with a bunch of similar saws they'll never use.
* I have no problem cleaning and sharpening a saw, but I'm not confident in my skills yet to completely retooth one.
** I keep my table saw under the lathe. My goal is to bury it completely in shavings. Because I have no rough rip saw, it never quite gets completely buried before I have to pull it out again. I either need to find a good rip saw or do more turning, I guess.
I picked up a couple Akins while outta state bike ride, had to pick them up, bearly fit in my bags lol.
LOL can never refuse a good saw!
Thanks James for all the wonderful information you gave us. I have an older saw(Dission I think is what it is) that the top part is broken off too. I think one day I will make a new,handle for it. I’m not real comfortable making it right now but I think I can do it in time.
well the nice thing is if you mess it up you can always make another one.
Becky's Texas Wood Shop The hardest part is getting the kerf for the blade to sit completely straight. If its off at all the handle is trash.
Great stuff, James! I’m also really big on feel and looks too. I actually don’t mind one of those 70s saws: I take them and file the handles until they fell good. I also reshape the “horn” into a point, and after and hour or so of work, it’s a new looking saw. I stain the handle a nice reddish color and you’d never know it was the same saw! Thanks again for the info!
nice. giving a cheap saw some Love
I absolutely love your storage system behind you!!! Especially for your saws and your files - I have been thinking about building something like that, but didn't have the exact concept in my mind... do you have a video about them?
Here's the playlist of all of the videos building out shop. I have one video dedicated each rack and till. ruclips.net/p/PLAbayqjimalEj-lzXy8Rd9n5JDSpRO8QZ
@@WoodByWright Great! Thanks! Keep up the great work!
Nice vid and perfect timing! I have an old Atkins saw but it has a slight kink. When you do a restore video could you include how one might get a kink out?
You do it by tapping on the kink with a ball peen hammer over an anvil. it can take a few hours of accurate blows but it can be done. I might do a video some day though.
Oh another thing-isn’t WorthEffort making replacement antique style handles for those Stanley sharptooth saws? Curious if you’re gonna pick one up?
Good info! Maybe a good quick vid to make would be something like repairing the upper horn on that otherwise lovely old D8
That would be a great Idea!
I see your really big champion tooth saw in the back there, I'm looking for something like it. Where did you find it, and what are some things I should look for when buying a saw like that?
That one I think I found it an antique store. Do I find them quite often at mwtca meets. Check out www.handtoolfinder.com
James, have you done a segment about those shaves (just over your left shoulder)? What to look for, how to restore, and how to maintain one I might buy. Some years back a guy at a flea market wanted $40 for a rusty one similar to the one second from the bottom on your rack. Too much?
here you go! ruclips.net/video/ixq_-_3fozI/видео.html
Just a thought James, if the plate is in an acceptable condition, and the handle is not quite Wright... I'm sure you would do a little finessing to make it make it fit your hand
You could, but the handel talks about the quality of the plate, and they are so common and so cheap that they are not worth taking the time in my book.
Where I live there is very little selection of wood working tools. The only saws available here are either from ebay and very expensive or cheap Chinese from Lazada.
Would it be possible to buy one of these cheap saws with impulse hardened teeth and sharpen it with a diamond file?
I don't know if a diamond file that would have the right size to sharpen them. I have heard of a few people grinding off the teeth and then re-cutting new teeth. But then you're generally stuck with a plastic handle.
Great video as always James! You should do a video on duplicating/ improving a newer saw handle or where to find all those amazing handle templates online and making one from scratch.
I am planning on doing a video series on making a cople saws. I get them from Black Burn tools. his website has a ton of great tools.
i guess im randomly asking but does anybody know a trick to get back into an instagram account??
I was stupid forgot the password. I appreciate any tricks you can offer me!
@Christopher Asher instablaster ;)
@Marvin Rocco thanks for your reply. I got to the site through google and im waiting for the hacking stuff now.
Seems to take quite some time so I will reply here later with my results.
@Marvin Rocco it worked and I now got access to my account again. Im so happy:D
Thanks so much you really help me out !
Tip for kinks in saws: if the kink is close to the end of the saw, you can just cut the end off. It makes the saw shorter, but it also makes it useable again. I recently did that with an old Diston knock-off saw that my grandpa had given my dad, and then my dad gave to me.
I've also seen people grind them out if they are a kink just in the spine of the saw. It's a tricky thing to deal with, but they are sometimes repairable.
I'm actually thinking of making a smaller saw out of the piece of plate that I cut off (after I remove the kink from the backside of it, of course).
you can also tap them out with a ball pined hammer. it takes some work and a good eye but it can be done.
Is there any historical significance to the carvings found on saws. They seem to use similar patterns (like wheat sheaves)
Just looks good and is a quick and easy thing to add to the saw.
Im all about the handle. Ive bought saws with really bad plates just because I liked the handle lol
so true! that is where all the work is!
Mejustan tus trabajos
I just subscribed, can you make a video about what to look for in a hand plane and what types do you need to get started woodworkimg
here is a video on the tools to get started. ruclips.net/video/LKvyJ4CrvDQ/видео.html I might have to make one for planes here soon. thanks for the idea.
I need your help, I'm 16 so I don't have much money but I really think I want a low angle jack but the new staney is $120 or so and I've never spent over $15 on a tool because adults like to give kids deals on tools. But I heard the older low angle planes suck so I need your HELP
The old Stanley are great. the often cost as much as new ones and some times more for the collectors value, pulse they are hard to find. traditional woodworkers did not have much use for them uther then end grain cutting boards and butcher blocks. that being said. if you find any (new or old) for under $100 it is a STEEL of a deal!
Wood By Wright Thanks :)
James, I am going to try to sharpen either a 5 1/2 or a 6 1/2 tip D8 or a 5 tip D7 (or is it just a #7) rip saw. The last time I tried was on a King Phillip 6 1/2 tip and I really messed it up. I commented about it to you. Now the teeth r even coming off the saw. Anyway wish me luck. I'm going to follow ur video again. I don't have an angle gauge that goes on the end of the file. Any advice? Getting the gauge is not a monetary option at this time. Love ur channel the most. Thank you. Ps all these saws that I will sharpen r in great shape this point. I will be upset if I turn them into scraper material. The king Philip was in great condition b4 I got my hands on it. I can sharpen chisels and plane blades extremely well. I hope to someday b able to sharpen saws. Again thank you for all ur time.
sweet! Sounds like a fun time ahead. you can drill a small hole in a block at the angle you want the file then drive the file into that block as a handle. it may pop off once or twice but it will work and you can not beat the price.
about that slight bend in the plate? do you already have a video on getting that out?
I might have to make a video on that but it is just as easy as bending it back. Some times you have to bend it a lot but it is a quick and easy task.
Hi James,
How would you compare the older hand saws that you featured on this video to the Japanese hand saws and do you have a preference?
when you look at western vs eastern it really comes down to personal preference. how well a saw preforms is completely dependent on the last person to sharpen it. everything else is just comfort to the user. here is a video I did on it. ruclips.net/video/0SASROZhCvI/видео.html
Thank you. I had to buy a hand saw from a big box store not that long ago. As soon as I started to use it I could tell it was garbage. It's sad we have to go back and find things made 50 years ago for quality, 90% of the hand tools made now are Chinese junk.
Talking about saws. How would you sharpen a carcas cross cut? It seems really hard cause the teeth are so small! (Veritas in my case).
I have a few videos on the topic.
here is a video on sharpening Crosscuts. ruclips.net/video/XE9Ne3MUXn0/видео.html
and here is a video on sharpening small dovetail teeth. ruclips.net/video/eEwWF8-1_8o/видео.html
There are several other videos but these will get you going in the right direction.
A like for the ending.
glad someone saw it!
I love all your videos but, I found this one particularly interesting. Maybe because I
've recently started watching Hand tool rescue's channle. Anyway, keep it up, always an interestin watch. Tjhank you.
thanks Dale. I love his channel. such great things on there!
I always thought the nib on the older saws were for starting a cut, like putting a nick for the blade to start in. Is this not accurate?
There are some people who say that however if you look at some of the original nibs they are way too delicate to try that. There is basically no historian who believes that was the original use for them.
@@WoodByWright, interesting. Thank you for your knowledge!
I thought the nib on the top of the plate was used to help keep the tip of a pencil, the saw would act as a guide like a straight edge to mark a reference line on a piece of wood about to be cut.
A fun idea, but it predates pencils.
Good stuff man!
thanks man!
NEVER MIND!!! Already answered!!! I thought the nib was originally there to knock the square corner off so that you could start cutting with the saw more easily and accurately?
Is it good to keep your hand saw in a leather sheath to protect the saw?
It won't hurt as long as you keep it dry and oiled.
Has anybody out there got hold of a saw with a cracked blade? I have a Spear and Jackson with a 2" crack starting at the bottom screw rivet hole going toward the tip. Apparently somebody used the saw with a loose handle. I was thinking to wire feel weld the crack. Anybody have any suggestions/comments?
That is not common a all, but unfortunately that is almost unpreparable. if you braze or weld it the heat will distort the plate and make it unusable. generally with that it goes into the scrap pile.
I'm curious about that enormous saw hanging immediately to the left of your saw till. What's it for? Do you use it, or does it just look pretty?
That is a Frame saw. i use it for resawing or ripping through thick stock. here is a video where I recently used it. ruclips.net/video/tin6lZeKusM/видео.html
And here is a video where I made this one. ruclips.net/video/SC_hn3T9AqM/видео.html
Every tool on the wall is to be used. though it looks cool, the wall is not just for show.
Thanks mate, but I was talking about the one in between the till and the frame saw. With the metal plate that looks about five foot long, and massive teeth like a gardener's bow saw.
That's a crosscut saw for green wood. You can use those in the field to cut logs to length before hauling them back (handy if you're in the woods with nothing but an ATV or horse to pull logs for you). Sometimes they have a handle on the top for two-handed use. The bigger ones have a handle on the other end for another person.
You can buy 'em new from Woodcraft (and probably other woodworking sites).
thanks Jeff!
what he said!
For most metal restoration (de-rusting etc) I prefer electrolysis, but there are baths of vinegar and/or commercial rust removers and then there is the old hand/elbow method of sanding grinding filing etc. However, I want to know if electrolysis would be a bad thing for the blades of saws compared to other methods. Thoughts?
it works great on saws as long as there is an even rust. if there are parts that are clean and others that are rusted it will leave it with a bit of a blotchy look.
I find a razor that I’ve just taken the edge off, works well as a scraper on the blade. Then a little oil and some wet/dry sandpaper wrapped around a block of wood or old sanding sponge finishes the blade off well
Dependent on how bad rust is. If it's deep from continued moisture and you still really want to restore then electrolysis is the way to go. If it has a nice layer of surface rust and was kept dry then just a razer blade and 400+ sandpaper and it's going to come out beautiful.
I need to go to better antique stores apparently! Also whats the deal with painted saw blades, is it an Americana thing?
when power saws became more common a lot of the old woodworkers just threw out there hand saws. In europ hand saws are not as common as they tended to use bow saws instead.
Can u make a video on wooden vs metal planes? Also thanks for the videos!!😀
That is an interesting idea! thanks! I will add it to the list.
awesome tips...thanks
my pleasure
I live in California and I have been in many antique store but never seen a nice antique saw for less that $20. I think it is an unfortunate reality that there are far less antique tools floating around out here than back east. Can anyone confirm?
From my experience there are just as many but the price is much higher as it is with everything in CA. I will be doing a video soon about finding tools on the west coast when I am up in Portland, there are several good meets and antique shops all up and down the coast. there is a group in Seattle that does a meet 3 times a year that is well worth going.
I dig your videos! How about one on maintaining accuracy when sharpening moulding plane irons? 🤔
I might have to add it to the list. Thanks!
Not to pooh-pooh but when you said impulse hardened did you mean the induction? Maybe I'm wrong but and metal is impulsive like us buying saws every time we see them at garage sales? ;)
I have managed to get over a dozen good saws but I still want a pair of PAX. I wish you would have mentioned them. They are far and away best value which is proven by their insane popularity. 106 dollars each is high but you're set. Like Matthew Moore says, "it only hurts once."
Right. That was a slip of the toung. I did not want to go into new saws as most people starting out cant afford more then $10 for a saw, and it is a great experience to see how fast you can clean one up and sharpen it and have a fantastic saw.
Hi James, Thanks a lot for your tips. I have a question regarding type of saw steel.
can I sharpen hard steel saw and how do I differentiate between hard steel and soft steel ?
In saws the only time you come across steel that is to hard to sharpen it is on hardened teeth. other then that you will notice the difference untell you have been using a saw for a few years.
so this mean hard steel can be sharpened but the process will be much harder than soft steel or hard steel can't be sharpened at all ( teeth will break ) ?
+Hesham Hafez
A saw with impulse hardened teeth requires a diamond-coated saw file to resharpen, as opposed to a normal hard steel saw file with teeth cut into it.
That said, you should not need to resharpen a saw with impulse-hardened teeth too often unless you use it on materials with a lot of glue, you use it to cut plastic, or use it on very hard woods.
I always make sure it has a cord before I buy...lol...
LOL I never know what those ropes are for.
In defense of (some) big box saws: my handsaws that I sharpened myself are a joy to use, but they were also intimidating as a new woodworker because I had never sharpened a saw before. The at-the-time $8 universal tooth Craftsman saw from Amazon came razor sharp-I have the cuts from testing the teeth to prove it-and ate through even man-made material like plywood that’s rough on hand tools. And the handle? It was fine. All this is to say that for someone, in particular a new woodworker, with no saw, a (good) big box saw like this one is more than sufficient for breaking down rough stock and getting started on building skills and confidence. By the time the saw wears out, and I think the estimate is that hardened teeth will last ~3 sharpenings for normal saws, the user will definitely be prepared for finding a permanent saw.
To be clear, one of the things I love about woodworking is that it’s inherently anti-consumerist, since we craft our own, often generational, possessions, but I think these tools, at least some of them, have their place.
You can resharpen impulse-hardened teeth, it's a common myth that you can't. You just need a diamond saw file. I've done it after dulling a Japanese replaceable-blade saw by running it through plywood, MDF and then some extremely hard wood. It works and the diamond feather edge saw files are only about 15-30$ depending on size.
Of course eventually you'll run into the soft steel but by that point you've gotten a lot of sharpenings out of it and practiced your sharpening technique on a "throwaway" saw before getting a real nice one and bubba'ing it up. A diamond file can also be used to resharpen carbide or work as a normal, obtuse-angled file for harder steels when the actual saw-touching areas have worn out, so it isn't really a "one use tool".
PS: The large stanley sharptooth handles are made so big to accommodate workgloves since they're more for contractors and not craftsmen, and the handle has an integrated square and miter square for marking, so in actuality they could be a good tool for a starting woodworker - 4 tools in one for some easy rough beginner work.
Very true, but a lot more work then a normal saw even with the diamonds. I did that when i first stared woodworking, but never again.
It's admittedly more relevant if using japanese style saws and want the practice before messing up a costly import.
very true!
It made me blink... You bought some New saws in an Antique shop??? I hope to go to a local fair in about two weeks so will look out for a new (old) saw ;D
Lol yup. Who knew?
Awesome video! I Bought an atkins 29" 8 tpi rip saw that has a small bow about 7" from the end. I tried bending it quite a bit, but it did nothing to the bend itself. What other methods can I use to aproach this problem? If not, can I still make straight cuts with it?
With that long I saw him still may make straight cuts. but usually if the bend doesn't come out it means you need to bend it farther. often I'll bend the tip all the way back until it touches the handle and then squeeze it even farther than that to try and get a bend out. The spring steel is very resilient.
Wow! I did not know that. That might be the reason why I couldn't take the bend out. I was afraid. That I would break the saw or cut myself. I will try again. Thank you very much for your advise!
I never see rip saws anywhere (new I mean) They are all crosscut or "universal"
yup. most companies do not make them. I have a few that I list on mt site tools suggestions but most are for contractors or at home people so there is no need for a rip saw.
@@WoodByWright can you give me a quick run down on "universal" teeth? I tried to google it but can't find a actual description. (mostly just ads)
Think ya might got a lil' on ya at the end, nice rip ;-)
LOL glad someone saw that!
Thanks for the video 👍😛
Comment down below!
I saw what you did there, you cut up.
LOL nice Thomas!
Sometimes I do wonder about youtube video's..... Saw's with a nib on the top of the blade is a scribe and it will only appear on antique early 1900's saw blades.
I know a few people who think that. The truth of the matter is it used to be far more ornate if you go back to the 1700s you can find really delicate curls and swirls. They got simpler and simpler over the years until it came down to the design of the simple nib. It was just there for decoration. But we as humans have come up with all sorts of uses for it from tying guards onto the blade to using it as a marker for how far to pull the saw back. It died out around world war 1. So a lot of modern makers have started adding it back in on the large hand saws.
Hey cool my brother I but a lot for $5 bucks about 7 of them but I don't know nothing about them lol :)
yup. they are all over the place for people that want to look for them.
Eurapean wooden hand planes.
I have several videos on cleaning those up.
Wood By Wright but can you make a video of general german handplans that mad out of wood. This are wery intesting things. I have a vewe of this and they are wery intresting.
That's induction, not impulse.
yup slip of the toung.
Ra mudeng lek lek
Disson or Atkins for $5 ? Must be a believer in the tooth fairy Broken horn is hardly a "good" reason to pass up a saw...it is an easy fix and on a quality brand saw. A lot of nonsense here sorry I wasted the time!
not sure where you are looking but I see boxes of them all over the US. I had a friend that just sepulchered a lot of almost 300 saws. my local Facebook has someone selling 10 saws right now for $20 total. most of them would make fantastic users.
@@WoodByWright A box of 300 Disson and Atkin saws...WOW what a score... again I have wasted time on your NONSENSE!
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Thanks Peter