[Vader Voice] Rip Saw -- This One's Mine

[C. in Indy]

For my own saws, I have been picking ones that I really like to use.  My own "grail" cross-cuts I described (in a 'paean') a number of months ago:  Disston D100 Porter (aluminum tote) saws which have beat everything I tried them against... good tooth geometry, and substantial assistance from their weight.

For Ripping, I was not satisfied with my very shiny Atkins No. 51.  It did OK in hardwood but really felt like it was working against itself in softwoods.  I felt like I needed less negative rake (that one has 8 degrees or so) and maybe a different hang angle.

A couple of weeks ago the auction site had a Disston No. 12 -- unnamed as that, but clear from the pictures -- that was about halfway used up by filing.   I got it in for $5.00 plus shipping.  When it came in, the sharpening angles suggested somebody who really knew what he wanted.  About 3 degrees negative rake, rip teeth with a bit of fleam angle on them.  Tooth-wise, a cursory filing to get the rust off of them was plenty good.

Otherwise, I decided to shorten the saw from 26" to 22", and put a replacement horn on the tote.  As shown below... before finishing work.   But -- first of all I wanted to test it.   BINGO!   This one's for me!   It consistently rips any of my boards (hardwood or softwood) with 1/2 fewer strokes than the Atkins 51.  Pretty happy today!

   


Happy woodworking / Tool hoarding,

Chris

[C. in Indy]

The repaired tote is now stabilized, smoothed, starting through re-finish:

   

[jppierson]

Why did you cut off 4" ? Better balance or fit, or was the tip just nasty rusted out?

[Mike Brady]

Nice saw Chris!  I have that model in cross-cut.  I received it very over-set, but got that fixed without issue.  We need to meet up with some saws in hand for a duel!

....and while we are talking saws, I have spent some time this week with my two Lie-Nielsen gent's saws; Cross and Rip versions, doing some joinery for a bathroom cabinet.  These are wicked sharp, on shallow, thin plates; and are perfect for smaller work.

[bandit571]

May need to build one of these? 
 

   
Double sided, I seem to remember there were 6 saws to each side....at an auction a few years back..

[Admiral]

May need to build one of these? 
 

Double sided, I seem to remember there were 6 saws to each side....at an auction a few years back..

https://s26462.pcdn.co/wp-content/upload...awtill.pdf

[bandit571]

Already have mine...full...

   
16 saw inside, 4 panel saws outside...

[C. in Indy]

Yes


I cut off 4" of the tip mainly for aesthetic reasons.  The saw had been filed so many times, it was starting to look like a keyhole saw at 26" length.   For my projects, 22" of saw is enough length, especially if the saw has real "bite" to it.

Since about 2012 I have gone through a few flea-market saws, salvaging a few, trashing a few, saving screws.  So, "Darth's prisoners" here were able to provide a match:

   


For the Tote it was really just a basic finish:  Scrape, sand @ 150 and 220 grits, Steel Wool.  Then one good coat of Tru Oil.  Then an extra "bone burnishing" with an antler-tip.  Then a coat of Kiwi Brown shoe wax, brushed and buffed very thoroughly.   Here is the refreshed saw:

   


Here is what the saw can do in action.  Not that many strokes to go through this red oak, and my feeler gages put the whole Kerf at about 0.040".  That's where a vintage No. 12 really shines, really high quality ground-taper steel* and minimal set on the teeth:

*While the No. 12 etch is nearly invisible on this saw, when I had the tote removed I clearly found the "X" stamp at the upper rear corner of the plate.  That's the one that means eXtra refined London Spring Steel.

   


Yeah,  maybe a Saw Till will be coming.

Thanks for watching!