Hand saw opportunity?

[AndyT]

I've been following the many recent saw making threads with interest and have been vaguely wondering about making a saw from scratch. I've refurbished old rusty ones, and got much better at sharpening (ie better than not being able to do it at all). But I've not made any handles yet.

I then spotted this in the window of a local toolshop:

It's unsold old stock, from (I guess) the 60s or 70s. Five saw blades with a single plastic handle. As a marketing idea, the 'nest of saws' is an old one, but I think it's a lousy one - what's the benefit of fiddling about swapping over a handle, which can only be compromise design?

But as a starting point for some 'proper' handles I thought it would be worth it.

One of the oddities is that the teeth on all five blades are cut out and set but not sharpened at all. There's nothing on the box to say 'sharpen to taste' or giving any clue as to how to do it. Unsurprisingly, as supplied, they cut terribly, just about scratching through softwood.

So was this worth the asking price - £5.00?

 

[jimi43]

The steel looks ok to me mate and bound to be Sheffield...for practicing sharpening it's ideal...the tenon is rubbish (back)...but the panel saw looks ok for a nice handle.

I'd try sharpening it the steel and see how it cuts with the plastic handle before making a nice cocobolo handle though!

For a fiver...well you can't really go wrong can you...I bet if you put that up on FleaBay as NOS and as a matter of tool history...you would get quite a bit of dosh for it...mmmm

Jim

 

[dunbarhamlin]

Looks like a fun project.
Considering days of yore (or, indeed, tube) a nest of saws does have the advantage of being far more compact, since the only bulky bit is the handle (doesn't help with weight, of course).

 

[marcros]

my Grandad gave me one of these when i was a child. Not sure what happened to it, but I remember using it to have a play on some offcuts.

 

[barkwindjammer]

The 'nest of saws' is indeed an old idea-thats still with us
http://www.bahco.com/FH/mc_blades.html

Bahco company history:
is a pan-European market leading brand of a wide range of professional hand-held tools such as: handsaws, combination spanners, socket spanners, screwdrivers, adjustable wrenches, cutters, files, bandsaws, pruning tools, holesaws, hacksaw frames and blades.

Professional craftsmen around the globe use our tools and have done so since 1886 when we first began manufacturing saws under the brand "fisk-och-krok" ("Fish and Hook"); later in 1888 one of the company's founders, J.P. Johansson invented the pipe wrench and then in 1892 the adjustable wrench; that spirit of innovation continues to flourish within our company.

Bahco is SNA Europes (a fully owned subsidiary of Snap-on Incorporated; NYSE: SNA) flagship brand and is distributed in all continents.

I dont have the full range of blades yet , butt if 'Snap-on' rates them thats good enough for me
a nice find Andy-bet the blades cut really well too, if I bought that I'd keep it 'as is' or put it in a glass fronted case on the wall of the workshop as a picture of nostalgia

 

[NetBlindPaul]

Atkinson Walker are still alive & kicking in Sheffield

 

[AndyT]

Ok lads, thanks for the encouragement.

I have now spent several hours happily sharpening various saws including one of these. Stating the obvious I know, but there's no substitute for actually doing something like this. It's only when you have a file in your hand that the diagrams and advice in various old books or new websites falls into place and make sense.

Having got round an odd stage in which I managed to sharpen a couple of saws backwards, I now have a much sharper handsaw blank than the one I bought. Casting around for some hardwood to use, and finding that I have no suitable sized beech or apple, I found a log of some unknown garden timber that I was given a few years ago. I have now spent a sweaty hour ripping a chunk of it by hand and scrub planing it towards something like flat.
No wip pics I'm afraid but I'll try to catch up with some if I do finish this.

(Not much chance of learning to love the plastic handle and wingnut!)

 

[Richard T]

Will be interesting to see Andy. What thoughts do you have about the nuts; will you go with the wing nut for the slot as in the original handle idea?

I know what you mean about suddenly realising you're sharpening backwards - I think that's what comes of sharpening an already clean saw. I find it much easier to see and keep track when filing an old, blackened thing, you can easily see your 'every other' . Maybe I will employ a marker pen or some such in future when sharpening a blunt but otherwise clean saw.

 

[Paul Chapman]

Maybe I will employ a marker pen or some such in future when sharpening a blunt but otherwise clean saw.

I always use a permanent marker pen - it makes it so easy to see what you've done. It's also good to use one when sharpening chainsaws - just mark the first tooth that you sharpen and when it comes around again, you know you've done them all.

Cheers :wink:

Paul

 

[AndyT]

Ok, here's an update on replacing the nasty plastic - my first attempt at handle making:

This is certainly not fine work but I was only aiming for something that would fit my own hand well and count as an improvement. I can confirm that it's quite easy to reach this standard, but the sort of quality shown on here by the likes of Derek Cohen and Pedder is still some way off!

In line with my utilitarian approach, I didn't send off for any proper saw screws. I used some M6 coach bolts, filing the square shank round and cutting a slot in the head. They fit into threaded inserts at the back, which I cut down a bit to fit into half of the approx 1" stock and use the existing hole and slot in the blade.
I'm not sure what the wood is - it was dumped on my doorstop as a log. It might be a Prunus of some sort, but that's about as vague as saying it came from a tree. Still, reasonable to work, and good enough with a few coats of boiled linseed oil.

It might be enough to persuade me to do something a bit more careful for the next one!

Oh by the way, it cuts quite nicely!

 

[jimi43]

Andy mate...I would say that is pretty darn good...even if you whittled it from wood that was "dumped on your doorstep!!!!" Genus Dumpus Stepinuptous I believe? Quite a hard to find species but relatively cheap! :mrgreen: :wink:

For something that cost you a fiver....this has been a huge learning vehicle for you...and that's blinkin' cheap for training these days....you learned how to sharpen and the geometry of handles...and you are left with a tool you can use...got to be a result all around methinks!?

It's an amazing trait of the human mind that we tend to do well when there is no risk involved...it's a different matter if it is a £200 saw or someone elses! But that only comes from experience, practice and attainment of a level of confidence that you then are able to work on more risky tools!

I think you should be well chuffed my friend! =D> =D>

Jim

 

[Hudson Carpentry]

You should be proud. Its a fantastic 1st attempt one I wouldn't have guessed was the first one.

 

[barkwindjammer]

Wow, nice work Andy what a transformation, and for a first attempt at a handle it looks professionaly made
bit stumped as to why a saw would be sold blunt, never mind a whole set :?

 

[custard]

What a great project, and it seems like you're off to a cracking start!

 

[AndyT]

Thanks guys - I'm blushing as I type! (But anyone who's bought stuff from eBay knows that photos can make things look better.)

I do agree about the non-sharpened state - all the blades are the same; stamped out but not sharpened at all. Maybe it's just like buying a chisel, which you would expect to have to sharpen yourself, but these were hardly aimed at professionals.

I think I might try a padsaw style handle for the narrowest blade, but I might still have to cut the blade down a bit. What's the best choice among these available options?

- cold chisel and big hammer
- hacksaw (hand powered!)
- basic angle grinder with a metal cutting disk.

 

[barkwindjammer]

A skinny cutting disc is what I'd use, the cold chisel is an option if you have thick steel plate under it to stop it curling too much.