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09-24-2019, 09:27 AM
(This post was last modified: 09-24-2019, 09:37 AM by DonSlaughter.
Edit Reason: added pic
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I found this Wheeler Madden & Clemson saw at a swap meet...it had a red (painted) handle and toothline that had ben destroyed....it hung around in the back of the shop for a while until I looked closely and discovered what it really was....scraped the paint off the handle to find a beautiful curly walnut, re-toothed and sharpened it to find this wonderful addition to my bench.... been needing a good rip saw for benchwork
This thing just sings...and is a pure joy to hold
First pic is prior to full restoration....the cone nuts warranted closer look...and I am stoked with what I found!
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The chatoyance of the handle is amazing! I can only imagine that the previous owner must have been so afraid it would be stolen that he covered up the beauty. It feels and sings like it's happy to be home.
Don
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Often Tested. Always Faithful. Brothers Forever
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Using a good saw is a very satisfying experience. And a good rip saw, sharpened well, is astonishingly fast. I didn't realize that for years - did my ripping with crosscut saws. The first time I used a rip saw was a revelation.
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Great depth of saw plate left on that one. It will serve you well.
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Well done. Good find and good restoration for use!!!
Mark Singleton
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You don't often see super-nice wood like that on a saw handle. It really is gorgeous. Good save!
Steve S.
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Thanks so much, folks! This is about the best saw I've ever found in the wild and am so happy for the friends I've made on the forums to share it with. I was lucky to get Bob Summerfield, Rocky Mountain Saw Works, to re-tooth it for me. He's about the greatest guy in the world to know if you like saws!! I would never trust myself to cut new teeth in this vintage, quality saw.
I've used this saw everyday since I got the plate back from him last Monday and my whole outlook on ripping with a handsaw has completely changed. I REALLY enjoy using it. I have another very old Disston Thumb Hole rip saw that cuts well but it doesn't fit the hand like this one does... With this one, my hand & arm don't get tired nor feel the strain nearly as much as with the bigger Thumb Hole Disston. When you stop and ponder the early & mid 1800s in terms of building structures...the importance of hand saws becomes much clearer. Learning and applying the skills of making a saw that is easy to use and effective in accomplishing the tasks was a worthy endeavor and the Wheeler, Madden and Clemson company hit the mark with this saw. The cone nuts alerted me to it's value and after scraping the red paint off the handle...I was convinced it was a prize. The problem becomes....now that I know there are such gems out there...I will probably sacrifice treasured 'shop time' for swap meet strolling!
Don
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Bobs work is excellent. I have something like ten saws he’s done for me and I will continue to have him do all my saw work.
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09-27-2019, 12:14 PM
(This post was last modified: 09-27-2019, 12:19 PM by jstraw.)
Great find and great restoration. I got the saw hunting bug about 8 years ago. Lots of decent saws local at good prices. Problem was I was finding them faster than I could restore them. Finally decided I need to stop until I cleaned up the ones I already had.
Life got in the way and years later, your post has inspired me to pull some out and work on them. I found 4 buried in the shop that need a little to a lot of work.
![[Image: full]](https://www.ncwoodworker.net/forums/index.php?media/e8090f59-1ed1-4a43-b2a1-40a0468380e2-jpeg.124499/full)
They’re a Disston D-95 (plastic handle), D-8 rip with a broken handle, an unmarked rip saw with a metal plate and cone nuts, and a large Spear and Jackson rip saw with nice wood.
As much as a dislike cleaning surface rust, these should keep me busy for awhile.
Thanks for sharing your restoration and getting some of us motivated.
John
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(09-27-2019, 12:14 PM)jstraw Wrote: Great find and great restoration. I got the saw hunting bug about 8 years ago. Lots of decent saws local at good prices. Problem was I was finding them faster than I could restore them. Finally decided I need to stop until I cleaned up the ones I already had.
Life got in the way and years later, your post has inspired me to pull some out and work on them. I found 4 buried in the shop that need a little to a lot of work.
They’re a Disston D-95 (plastic handle), D-8 rip with a broken handle, an unmarked rip saw with a metal plate and cone nuts, and a large Spear and Jackson rip saw with nice wood.
As much as a dislike cleaning surface rust, these should keep me busy for awhile.
Thanks for sharing your restoration and getting some of us motivated.
I don't know if you've ever used Evapo-Rust but I've had fantastic results cleaning saw plates with it. I built a 'trough or bath' of wood with tin foil cover seal....put the plate on pencil size pieces of wood and cover it in the Evapo-Rust....leave it to soak for a few hours or overnight if really rusty. When you take it out of the bath, you need to wash it, rub it with a green scrubber and then put a light coat of oil to prevent flash rusting. I always take a sigle edge razor blade and scrape the plate to get as much of the surface rust off as possible before the soak. Good luck, those look like some worthy saws!! I bet you'll be proud when your done!
Don
