Made by the Samuel C Rogers Co, this "Buffalo" sharpener/gummer machine works well for a design from the 1880s. It will see use in bringing the automatic shingle mill back into operation.
Amazing machine! My great grandfather was a partial owner of an old sawmill that was moved not too far from his farm here in Norway. He owned the portable steam engine they used when there wasn't enough water to turn the waterwheel. And a cheap trick for belt dressing was to use ski-adhesive/glue (usualy put on the underside of skis for "cross-country" skiing when it is icy and it is otherwise too slippery it gives more grip but not too much so you cant ski). I have tried doing so on the belt of my old treadle-forge and it works well. The sawmill and the engine are now sadly gone. they stripped all the brass off the engine with plans to melt id down in the 80s, and sold the rest of the engine to someone. They never ended up melting that brass and i found mist of those components in a big crate when i was helping clean up at he farm to sell a while after my great grandparents passed away. My grandfathers brother says the guy they sold the rest of the engine to wasn't a scrap dealer, and probably either kept it or sold it onward to someone else, so i'm trying to search down where it possibly went. I actually have the old operating manual and boiler certificate for it. My great grandmother told me he allays regretted selling that portable steam engine, both for sentimental seasons, and because it was the 1980s he scrapped it and they were becoming more valuable. He didn't find that out until after he scrapped it. I don't know why i wrote out all this. All i was going to day was the thing about the ski-grip adhesive on flat-belts... Hope you are having/have had a great day, whoever is reading this!
I remember hand sharpening carpenter hand saws as a young man working for an old bird. He had circular electric saws but still used hand saws. He taught me how to sharpen and set the teeth on crosscut saws. That old man could walk top plate better than me.😉
Nice video. I'm glad to have found your channel. It's captivating. That old machinery might not be fast and profitable but it certainly does the job. I think for guys that just want to do things, these machines are a blessing.
That machine should have a blade support, just behind the area where the gums are being ground. Yes, another adjustment, but it's part of the process. Odds are, in a shop with a lot of saws being resharpened, this would not need to be moved/adjusted very often. This support will help TREMENDOUSLY, reducing vibration and allowing more consistency. It looks to be missing a tooth stop, used to control the spacing of teeth being ground. Consistent tooth spacing ensures less vibration. As an aside, The machine can also be used to do limited jointing of the teeth, getting them to a consistent height/diameter of blade. NOTE: I wrote this before watching to the point where you started jointing.... The blade looks like it could be reconditioned, hope you get to use it, especially as it's drilled for arbors/plates. Videos on that reconditioning would probably be popular.
When you think that the guy who ran that machine probably didn’t finish school and didn’t have any qualifications but knew how to run it, it makes you think a bit. Back in the day most manual laborers didn’t have any book skills but they could run complicated machinery. They weren’t doing it as an experiment they were feeding their families.
you'll need to make a handle for the grinding arm, like the one the smaller machine has. The current setup is kinda scary lookin'. As a kid, a neighbor did blade sharpening. His were automatic, as I recall the grinding blade rotated on every tooth. Wasn't too interested then, but now wish I'd paid more attention.
Thanks, I had not heard the term "gumming" before, so happy to learn something from the video. Nice machine. How do you manage to find these wonderful old machines?
Thank you! That was fun. If you can get a copy of Henry Disston and Sons "Handbook for Lumbermen", I have the 1902 version in reprint from Astragal press, there is a section on gumming and on shingle saws. One note from that, several light passes rather than a heavy grind creates less heat and is less likely to remove the tension from the plate (a "loose" saw and for me a trip to the saw doc for hammering). Another gem on keeping circular saws round "All filers should joint their saws frequently". If the saw is out of round it will really pound and stress the high teeth. "The Hanchett Saw and Knife Fitting Manual" also has some info including how to calculate optimum gullet size and depth to carry the waste out of cut without hanging the saw, which it looks like was happening with that second blade. I found that manual online. A face shield is a good idea. It doesn't take much lateral on a narrow wheel to break it.
That belt dressing, is there any way for a guy to get hands on it? Order by telephone maybe? I'm not sure how strict Mennonites are about such things. If there's an address I could certainly write a letter and send a check if they'd prefer that.
Amazing machine! My great grandfather was a partial owner of an old sawmill that was moved not too far from his farm here in Norway. He owned the portable steam engine they used when there wasn't enough water to turn the waterwheel. And a cheap trick for belt dressing was to use ski-adhesive/glue (usualy put on the underside of skis for "cross-country" skiing when it is icy and it is otherwise too slippery it gives more grip but not too much so you cant ski). I have tried doing so on the belt of my old treadle-forge and it works well.
The sawmill and the engine are now sadly gone. they stripped all the brass off the engine with plans to melt id down in the 80s, and sold the rest of the engine to someone. They never ended up melting that brass and i found mist of those components in a big crate when i was helping clean up at he farm to sell a while after my great grandparents passed away.
My grandfathers brother says the guy they sold the rest of the engine to wasn't a scrap dealer, and probably either kept it or sold it onward to someone else, so i'm trying to search down where it possibly went. I actually have the old operating manual and boiler certificate for it. My great grandmother told me he allays regretted selling that portable steam engine, both for sentimental seasons, and because it was the 1980s he scrapped it and they were becoming more valuable. He didn't find that out until after he scrapped it.
I don't know why i wrote out all this. All i was going to day was the thing about the ski-grip adhesive on flat-belts... Hope you are having/have had a great day, whoever is reading this!
I remember hand sharpening carpenter hand saws as a young man working for an old bird. He had circular electric saws but still used hand saws. He taught me how to sharpen and set the teeth on crosscut saws. That old man could walk top plate better than me.😉
Nice video. I'm glad to have found your channel. It's captivating. That old machinery might not be fast and profitable but it certainly does the job. I think for guys that just want to do things, these machines are a blessing.
Pretty awesome machine, can't wait to see the shingle mill running :)
That machine should have a blade support, just behind the area where the gums are being ground. Yes, another adjustment, but it's part of the process. Odds are, in a shop with a lot of saws being resharpened, this would not need to be moved/adjusted very often.
This support will help TREMENDOUSLY, reducing vibration and allowing more consistency.
It looks to be missing a tooth stop, used to control the spacing of teeth being ground. Consistent tooth spacing ensures less vibration.
As an aside, The machine can also be used to do limited jointing of the teeth, getting them to a consistent height/diameter of blade.
NOTE: I wrote this before watching to the point where you started jointing....
The blade looks like it could be reconditioned, hope you get to use it, especially as it's drilled for arbors/plates.
Videos on that reconditioning would probably be popular.
When you think that the guy who ran that machine probably didn’t finish school and didn’t have any qualifications but knew how to run it, it makes you think a bit. Back in the day most manual laborers didn’t have any book skills but they could run complicated machinery. They weren’t doing it as an experiment they were feeding their families.
Great video.Keep up the good videos
A sharp blade is the only way to cut wood. I sharpen my own blades on newer equipment but I’d love to have a line shaft shop .
awesome
I have also heard it called rocking the blade to take the high spots off of the blades
you'll need to make a handle for the grinding arm, like the one the smaller machine has. The current setup is kinda scary lookin'. As a kid, a neighbor did blade sharpening. His were automatic, as I recall the grinding blade rotated on every tooth. Wasn't too interested then, but now wish I'd paid more attention.
If it doesn't have open belt work, it ain't vintage!
Thanks, I had not heard the term "gumming" before, so happy to learn something from the video. Nice machine. How do you manage to find these wonderful old machines?
@@lv_woodturner3899 mostly word of mouth and a hint of luck. Cheers
Thank you! That was fun. If you can get a copy of Henry Disston and Sons "Handbook for Lumbermen", I have the 1902 version in reprint from Astragal press, there is a section on gumming and on shingle saws. One note from that, several light passes rather than a heavy grind creates less heat and is less likely to remove the tension from the plate (a "loose" saw and for me a trip to the saw doc for hammering). Another gem on keeping circular saws round "All filers should joint their saws frequently". If the saw is out of round it will really pound and stress the high teeth. "The Hanchett Saw and Knife Fitting Manual" also has some info including how to calculate optimum gullet size and depth to carry the waste out of cut without hanging the saw, which it looks like was happening with that second blade. I found that manual online. A face shield is a good idea. It doesn't take much lateral on a narrow wheel to break it.
A Canadian using inch measurements? Hope you don't get in trouble!
Doesn't the stone wear down, thus changing the depth of the cut as it wears down?
@@royolstad8532 technically yes, but these old high quality stones are not from princess auto, one stone lasts for many grinds.
That belt dressing, is there any way for a guy to get hands on it? Order by telephone maybe? I'm not sure how strict Mennonites are about such things. If there's an address I could certainly write a letter and send a check if they'd prefer that.
@@heliarche Wallenstein General Store near Elmira ON
@@castironmachines Thanks kindly. I'm in the U.S. but I'm thinking I can get hold of them and work something out.
If any, how do you set the kerf???
@@earlwheelock7844 will make another video including that, teeth are swaged or set with a tool after grinding