Morrill Apex Special Saw Set

[J_SAMa]

Hi,
Thought I'd share that I just won this Morrill Apex Special Saw Set on eBay 8) .
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vintage-Morrill-Apex-Special-Saw-Set-Saw-Sharpening-Tool-/251418947349

So what have you all heard about it? It seemed fine and in good shape, and no one bid on it so I bought it. This is gonna be first saw set I'll use.
And how does it compare to the common No. 77?
Sam

 

[AndyT]

Excellent!

Please accept this friendly shove slope-wards!

Continue until you have one of each type listed here in particular, and when you've done that, carry on with the rest of the site!

I do get the impression that in C19th USA, new tool designs were like mobile phone apps now, each new idea competing for attention in the hope of making its inventor rich. Great stuff.

 

[J_SAMa]

Excellent!

Please accept this friendly shove slope-wards!

Continue until you have one of each type listed here in particular, and when you've done that, carry on with the rest of the site!

I do get the impression that in C19th USA, new tool designs were like mobile phone apps now, each new idea competing for attention in the hope of making its inventor rich. Great stuff.

In my defense, this one's a user and will probably be the only saw set I'll have for a long time...
I'm a little confused about the thumb screw on the saw set though. Doesn't seem to adjust anything but it's just there. I'll probably figure it out when u actually get the thing :roll:

 

[Seagoon]

If it is like mine the thumbwheel will be calibrated with numbers which are TPI(teeth per inch) and it will adjust the depth of the setting pin.

 

[finnberg]

The Morrill Apex saw set is a decent saw set with a wide anvil which is a good thing for setting larger teeth but bad for fine teeth. So don't use this saw set to set your dovetail or tenon saws. It might harm the teeth and you will struggle to set one tooth at a time. As Seagoon says, the screw will determine the set. This saw set doesn't have any fixed settings, and even if it did, none of these makes a lot of sense. You should go by feel. Always start by setting as little as possible, evenly on both sides and then try the saw on your preferred wood before adding more.
The only issue with this type of saw se is hat the screw can be a bit loose in the grooves, which means there's a risk of increasing or decreasing the set as you work with it. I have several times also accidentally hit the knurled end of the screw with my fingertip.

You can check your saw set against this source: http://members.acmenet.net/~con12a/saw% ... plier2.htm

If you want just one saw set I think only the Millers Falls no 214 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/finnberg68 ... 7421347926) and the Stanley 42X are useable for a very wide range. Most others are for finer teeth or coarser teeth.

 

[J_SAMa]

The Morrill Apex saw set is a decent saw set with a wide anvil which is a good thing for setting larger teeth but bad for fine teeth. So don't use this saw set to set your dovetail or tenon saws. It might harm the teeth and you will struggle to set one tooth at a time. As Seagoon says, the screw will determine the set. This saw set doesn't have any fixed settings, and even if it did, none of these makes a lot of sense. You should go by feel. Always start by setting as little as possible, evenly on both sides and then try the saw on your preferred wood before adding more.
The only issue with this type of saw se is hat the screw can be a bit loose in the grooves, which means there's a risk of increasing or decreasing the set as you work with it. I have several times also accidentally hit the knurled end of the screw with my fingertip.

You can check your saw set against this source: http://members.acmenet.net/~con12a/saw% ... plier2.htm

If you want just one saw set I think only the Millers Falls no 214 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/finnberg68 ... 7421347926) and the Stanley 42X are useable for a very wide range. Most others are for finer teeth or coarser teeth.

Strange it's only for bigger teeth as the markings suggest it goes up to 17 tpi.
I looked at the page but can't seem to work out what the difference between the regular apex and the special is. Could you explain?
For now I'm setting my dovetail saw with frank Klausz's screwdriver trick. Not getting good results but I'll get there sometime...
For future reference, what's a good saw set for smaller teeth?
Sam

 

[Spindle]

Hi

That's a classic example of something that has been 'derusted' using electrolysis - I'd advise getting some oil or other protective coating onto it as soon as possible or it will rust in no time.

Regards Mick

 

[finnberg]

I didn't look close enough on you saw set. Yours has a rotating anvil very much like the Eclipse and Somax saw sets. Whatever it says on the scale this not exact science and I would vote against setting teeth looking at the scale on a saw set. It is entirely possible that you can set as fine teeth as 17 PPI (or 16 TPI) with this saw set. But it all depends on the width of the plunger. If it is too wide for small teeth it might not work.
So I think you need try this saw set on vatious saws and then decide if it covers your line of saws.
I used to work with two saw sets, The golden Somax for medium teeth and the blue Somax for fine teeth. The difference lies mostly in the width of the plunger. Now that I have the Millers Falls no 214 I have not used another one for a while although I currently don't own a saw smaller than 13 TPI.
So try yours first and be careful. Start at the heel and see what it does. Less set is always better because you can increase it if needed.