Disston D8

[nellist]

I have just bought a Disston D8 Rip saw off e-bay,It only has 3 very large TPI.I have been on the Distoninstitute website where I can only find reference to saws with 5 1\2 TPI as the lowest number of teeth.The teeth also
do not seem to ever have been set they are perfectly straight.does anyone know anything about this model saw.It's in great condition.

 

[Anonymous]

Sounds like a great saw. Disston always listed their saws in points per inch rather than teeth per inch. PPI is always 1 more than TPI. Look at the heel of the saw blade just above the tooth line and you should see the PPI stamped into the blade. Prior to 1920 or so, Disston made some very coarse rips. Have you tried to determine the date of your saw?
I have several D-8's including a dozen or so rips but the coarsest one I have is 5ppi (4 tpi). Great find!

 

[nellist]

The number is 3 Roger.

 

[Anonymous]

WOW! :shock:
I've never seen anything coarser than a 3 1/2 documented. How long is the blade? Is it 30" ? Customers used to be able to special order just about anything so I wouldn't be surprised if this was one of those.
Very cool!

 

[Peter Evans]

I have a 3 1/2 ppi Disston 12, dating from 1896-1917 in very good little used condition, and is clearly marked

Interestingly the first few inches are 4 1/2 ppi to make it a little easier to start. I sharpened the saw (already had generous set) and it started fine, cutting old knotty Douglas Fir 2" rough milled no trouble at all. The cut was pretty rough, this may have been my sharpening of course.

The question is whether the factory did the progressive teeth, given the size of the saw, I doubt that it was ground down and retoothed. The saw is still gently breasted.

 

[bugbear]

The question is whether the factory did the progressive teeth

Are the teeth progressive (teeth of all sizes between two sizes) or are there just the two sizes of teeth?

BugBear

 

[nellist]

Roger the saw is 28 inches long.It also has no set,and never has had the teeth are perfectly flat from root to tip and perfectly in line down the blade.

 

[Anonymous]

I have a 3 1/2 ppi Disston 12, dating from 1896-1917 in very good little used condition, and is clearly marked

:tool: :mrgreen: Jiminy! How are these cool saws getting out of our borders? I love 12's.

 

[nellist]

Having looked at the saw again the teeth are actually smaller at the tip of the saw.

 

[Peter Evans]

Paul, just 2 sizes of tooth. Freshly sharpened was not difficult to start in 2" very old Douglas Fir (called Oregon here supposedly after name of the first ship to bring it to Sydney). In true galoot style, picked up from the side of the road at a council cleanup, destined to become a large window box for SWMBO; that should give me a few weeks breather.