Cross-cut to Rip?

[hbmcc]

I have a later version 26-inch Disston. One with an ugly beech blob for handle. It's straight backed and appears to be a tapered plate; still a heavy beast, however. I'm smarting from the inflated $8 I paid at the thrift store. It would be an easy cleanup filing as originally sold, 8-point CC, but I want the investment to give some return. Rip filed are not common.

Can these be converted to rip?

Thanks for your help.

[Admiral]

Can these be converted to rip?

Thanks for your help.

Well, sure, it is very doable, but an 8 pt rip is not optimal for a 26” handsaw. You really want a 5, 5 1/2 pt for rip. So you have two choices, the easy one is to send it off to someone with a Foley retoother and have new teeth punched. The more intensive is to joint all the teeth off and file new teeth yourself. There are tooth filing templates available on the web.

[mike4244]

Well, sure, it is very doable, but an 8 pt rip is not optimal for a 26” handsaw. You really want a 5, 5 1/2 pt for rip. So you have two choices, the easy one is to send it off to someone with a Foley retoother and have new teeth punched. The more intensive is to joint all the teeth off and file new teeth yourself. There are tooth filing templates available on the web.

I did the opposite, had a 5-1/2 point rip made into a 5-1/2 point crosscut. I used this saw every working day for years until battery operated circular saws came into vogue. Fast cutting, always wondered why an 8 point saw was the standard crosscut after using my handsaw. When other carpenters saw how easy it was to crosscut with my saw I would guess over the years 50 or more had the same thing done to their 8 point saws.
mike

[Mike Brady]

Just remember that you will use up a couple of files retoothing that saw, so that's another $15. added to your $8.  Rip saws are very cheap and not hard to find.

[Admiral]

Just remember that you will use up a couple of files retoothing that saw, so that's another $15. added to your $8.  Rip saws are very cheap and not hard to find.

Good point.  Even at an $8 price point for the saw, the cleaning, polishing, reforming, sharpening and possibly handle repair is pretty time intensive, plus even good files get used up pretty quickly (and are getting harder and harder to find at reasonable prices), and even if you are not re-sizing tooth count but have a few broken teeth, or you have to rejoint a poorly maintained saw a couple of times to get low teeth back up, files wear out.  For example, a Disston No. 16 8 pt filed cc, top quality saw but seriously out of joint that I redid took two aggressive jointings and filings just to get into good enough shape to do another final forming pass on the teeth, then two sharpening passes; that's 5 full filings, and I used up 2 files fully, and another 2/3rds of another; that's about $25 of files right there, as I recall, I paid $15 for the saw (and gladly) but must have had 4 hours in it fixing a horn chip, cleaning and sharpening, plus the files.  But it was a quality and exceptional saw with super clean etch  that when done cut like a dreamboat and looked very good; plus, when it needs resharpening it will not be all that time intensive going forward.  Sold it for $125 to a local NJ guy who came over and gladly paid the price after putting it to wood in my shop (which here in the S&S it would never have sold at that price point) which was very reasonable for what it was, my mistake was having to put so much time into it to meet my personal standards.  But I get satisfaction from returning these tools to service to folks who appreciate the saw for what it is, and what it represents.

So, I guess the lesson for buyers is to buy saws already configured for your use, that are in reasonable condition, not grossly out of joint, without missing teeth and not rusted to the point of gross pitting.  For every saw I buy in the wild, I pass on a dozen, at least.

[hbmcc]

Sorry for any confusion. The existing configuration is 8 point. And, I was used to paying $2 or $3 for any saws. $8 is well over 200 percent inflation. We don't have many tools running around grabbing wallets out here in the Puget Sound area. And, we learned years ago to stay away from garage sales. It's bad enough making a special trip to Goodwill. I stop-and-shop every time there is a donation.


As-is I will probably not enjoy using the saw due to weight. I will clean it up, do my first filing and pass it on.  I don't think it has seen a file. The teeth are simply warn, so good practice. A slight wave in the plate near the tip will provide fix entertainment. 

You know, Admiral, for all your help on this forum (and for me) I will be happy to send this plate to you after my puttering, and you can have it. Just a warning, the handle really sucks.

[Admiral]

You know, Admiral, for all your help on this forum (and for me) I will be happy to send this plate to you after my puttering, and you can have it. Just a warning, the handle really sucks.

Oh, LOL, Bruce, appreciate the offer but you don't know, I've got at least two dozen saws waiting for my attention and I don't need another, I've gotten sidetracked on other projects and had some surgeries earlier this year which slowed me down, but I'll be getting back to it next year for sure.  When you get it in shape, put it on the S&S for minimal and pass on the love!!

[Arlin Eastman]

I am glad you brought it up.

I thought that they made the rip saws thicker so they hold better during cutting.  I do not remember where I heard or seen it, but I might have it backwards tho.

[AHill]

IMO, $8 is a bargain for a decent saw.  Especially when you see resharpened or reshaped saws selling on eBay for $75-150, depending on the rarity of the saw.   Travel to my end of the world, where a decent flea market or garage sale saw would easily fetch $15-20, and you wouldn't be complaining.

As far as refiling rip goes, I'd seriously consider repointing the saw or taking a mill file to remove the points and establishing new points for you have a 4-5 point rip.  OTOH, if you're used to paying $2-3 for a saw, just keep looking for a saw that is already filed rip and has a more reasonable ppi.

[hbmcc]

As far as refiling rip goes, I'd seriously consider repointing the saw or taking a mill file to remove the points and establishing new points for you have a 4-5 point rip.  OTOH, if you're used to paying $2-3 for a saw, just keep looking for a saw that is already filed rip and has a more reasonable ppi.

I was thinking of doing a skip tooth Frankie, keeping each first and third point (every other), reducing the second point to a gullet over several sharpenings. However, the point size (3.5?) would render the saw unusable in my shoulder-wrecked arm. I think Admiral has good advice, so will save some files and keep it 8 pt.

If I had written the price differently I think it would be worth a "you suck!" kudo. Now, I feel so humiliated for buying cheap rust at a cheap price, and complaining about it. ....