How to polish a saw plate

[Gregory of Sherwood Forest]

okay, you guys are picking on me. Just remember, I am a saw newbie. I only own 2 vintage saws (trying HARD to get more from my local saw guru) and I don't want to screw them, or any future acquisitions, up beyond repair.

[TobyC]

Just paint 'em green...oops, I mean John Deer Green.

Toby

[MarvW]

That was close, Toby, you almost got the John Deere picture again..

About a year ago I remodeled a Disston K-1 saw. I worked on trying to remove the screws to get the handle off for about 15 minutes before I finally figured out that they weren't screws. Press-together rivets they were. I had to drill them out. Then redrill the holes for regular saw handle screws. That cheap piece of junk took me more time to remodel than most any other saw I've ever done. I was doing it for a friend, otherwise it would have ended up in with the other losers. All the other six K model saws aren't too bad, but that K-1 is one to avoid.

[TobyC]

I remember that, you had to fill a bunch of checks in the handle. And you put wheat on it and (I think) painted it black.
Have you ever seen a K7 or K8?

Toby

[MarvW]

Toby,

To my knowledge the K models only went to K-6-1/2. A total of 7 models.

[TobyC]

MarvW said:

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Toby,

To my knowledge the K models only went to K-6-1/2. A total of 7 models.

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I thought so too until about a year ago I spotted a 7 and an 8 in an old catalog. I looked for them on Erik's site and found THIS.

Can't link to it at the moment but I was reading about a K7 on The Old Tool List a while back so I think they did actually make them. Apparently they didn't make many.

Toby

[MarvW]

According to the list, they dropped the K-2 and the K-6 & K-6-1/2, Looks like they just changed the numbers on the two better saws. Can't believe they kept the k-1. That was a real junker. But no junkier than most all the saws they made during the late 40,s and early 50,s.

[TobyC]

The 6 1/2 is a ship point saw, the 7 and 8 were available in 5 1/2 rip, so neither was a ship point.
Strangely they didn't list a 3 or 5 in 1948. LINK

Toby

[Blacky's Boy]

I performed a impromptu experiment tonight on an old backsaw plate I was fixing to toss. Here's a BEFORE shot:





And here after maybe 15 minutes worth of work, is an AFTER shot.



OK, I'm a bit impressed with this stuff.

But I wondered what would happen if I took a freshly "de-blued" saw plate and then polished it.

BEFORE:



AFTER less than 10 minutes worth of work


Now I'm wondering what a saw plate sanded to 400 grit will look like after polishing!

[TobyC]

Looks good, but now it will show fingerprints!
I would like to see one after 400 and 600, so...while you're there.

Toby