Crosscut Saw Thread

I've used water and the fine side of an axe stone with good results too. Just dry it off good and rub a little oil in when youre done.
 
Square_peg said:
Electrolysis tank or wire cup on an angle grinder.
Click to expand...

An angle grinder will work....But most of the information I've read on restoring crosscut saws say say away from power tools to clean them up.
Wet & dry paper w/ kerosene or WD40, a pumice stone block (used to clean grill tops) and lots of elbow grease is the correct way to do it manually. Sorry Peg.

Always work with the length of the saw for a nice finished job.

Tom

Here's Bearhunters comments:

bearhunter

It also works to use kerosene, fine grit sandpaper and a lot of elbow grease
I've restored several crosscuts that way.
You can also thrown in little WD-40 just for good measure.
Be careful around the etchings though
 
Last edited:
Most of the crosscuts I have worked on were badly rusted. I used stones and water because its not as stinky as kerosene etc. I might consider a wire brush if you stayed away from the teeth didn't use something extremely coarse with a lot of downward pressure. If the teeth still have set in them and you use a stone aggressively you can damage the teeth that way too. always be careful around the teeth and rakers so as not to make anything that should be crisp and square all rounded off and what not.
 
Some of my users.

On the left: Henry Disston & Sons Perforated No. 514 Spring Steel It is a flat ground blade with a perforated lance tooth design, 3.5' long, overall 4 ft., wt. 4 lbs. 12 oz.

On the right: Disston Keystone K 954 Champion It is a flat ground blade with a champion (tuttle) tooth design, 3.5 long, overall 4 ft., wt. 5 lb. 2 oz.

The etching is visible on both these saws, it just doesn't show up in the picture.

DisstonOneManSaws013.jpg


The perforated lance tooth saw is a Powr-Kraft. A Montgomery Wards brand name. I'm not sure who made the saw for them. The other one is a champion tooth design. I'm not sure of the maker, but I think it's a Sears saw.

Crosscotonemansawsunknownwguards001.jpg


The guards are a fence topping, got them from Lowe's. They have velcro straps to hold them on.

Tom
 
Double Ott said:
An angle grinder will work....But most of the information I've read on restoring crosscut saws say say away from power tools to clean them up.
Click to expand...

I've read that you shouldn't use angle grinders with sanding discs on them because those generate heat. And I can see where a steel wire cup might be hard on on the teeth - though I doubt it would make much difference since you're going to be sharpening it after the cleaning anyway. But I can't believe any harm could be done by using a brass wire cup to remove the rust. Of course you want to make sure the cup is spinning away from the tips of the teeth but that's just common sense.
 
moosecreektrails said:
Nice Job.Got a 48" just like it I love, I Also just picked up a like new Anderson gauge.
Click to expand...

Anderson gauge is the was to go for filing rakers. It will give you perfectly consistent angles inside the V and you never have to worry about overfiling if you use it correctly. Pricey though.
 
trailtime said:
Anderson gauge is the was to go for filing rakers. It will give you perfectly consistent angles inside the V and you never have to worry about overfiling if you use it correctly. Pricey though.
Click to expand...
Wanted one for a long time,bit the bullet and just bought it,Now a gibs long jointer,those are pricey,using the knock off now.
Been selling some excess off, to fund my list of needs:)
 
I had the pleasure of meeting an old timer at a fair doing a filing demonstration last fall. He was in his eighties, so sadly you could tell he wasn't filing many saws anymore. However, they had two saws he'd filed on a log they had set up. It was yellow poplar (a not so hard hardwood) and single bucking the saw cleared perfect whiskerless noodles in nice clean piles. I asked to look at his filing gear expecting to see all the toys - Gibbs jointers, Anderson Gauges, Morin Sets, NOS red tang files, Martin Winter's raker gauges, etc. Nope. His little toolbox had a few nicholson files, a ball peen hammer, a couple spiders, an anvil a buddy had welded for him, and an Atkins Excelsior combo gauge (the cheapest one on ebay, ~$15). He just knew how to use them right.

Because I'm nowhere near as good as that guy, I tend to use my Atkins #15 more than anything else.
 
idroptapul said:
I had the pleasure of meeting an old timer at a fair doing a filing demonstration last fall. He was in his eighties, so sadly you could tell he wasn't filing many saws anymore. However, they had two saws he'd filed on a log they had set up. It was yellow poplar (a not so hard hardwood) and single bucking the saw cleared perfect whiskerless noodles in nice clean piles. I asked to look at his filing gear expecting to see all the toys - Gibbs jointers, Anderson Gauges, Morin Sets, NOS red tang files, Martin Winter's raker gauges, etc. Nope. His little toolbox had a few nicholson files, a ball peen hammer, a couple spiders, an anvil a buddy had welded for him, and an Atkins Excelsior combo gauge (the cheapest one on ebay, ~$15). He just knew how to use them right.

Because I'm nowhere near as good as that guy, I tend to use my Atkins #15 more than anything else.
Click to expand...

What wood you're cutting helps the noodles, as does felling cut vs. bucking. Even the first couple saws I filed pulled amazing 2 1/2 inch noodles out of green sugar maple. Anything thats dry never noodled for me, but I don't usually swedge the rakers really heavily. I go by how the saw feels in the kerf and don't judge too much by whether it pulls noodles. If it's not pulling very much waste at all, there is a problem. Usually I just get lots of coarse little chips-- probably what was once a noodle all broke up.
 
I pay special attention to the rakers when filing a saw and will double-bevel them for consistency and edge holding properties. Putting a slight secondary bevel on the underside of a raker guarantees a good chisel edge that is knife sharp. (See Leonard Lee's guide to filing chisels and plane irons).

Using an Anderson gauge for this one:
Slide4_zpse9da981c.jpg


Slide5_zpsb3c4b61a.jpg

One mistake filers make when doing rakers is to not position the shoes atop the two nearest cutter teeth.
Slide8_zpsc990b75e.jpg

This 15 degree underside angle is just a sliver of the swage
Slide10_zpsd7eec1ce.jpg
 
Trailtime, Thank you for your detailed explanation for care & tuning rakers. It really is a detailed oriented art.

Thanks again, Tom
 
I don't think Anderson had underfiling in mind for their gauge -- that's just how I finish the under side of my rakers. Their filing plate is wider than most others and it's easier to keep a slim taper file flat against it.

An old filer once told me that the books and manuals cover the basics, but each filer will find tricks and techniques of their own if they stay at it long enough. Some techniques are regional such as filing for frozen hardwood or punky pine.
 
Dang you guys! Just what I needed, another project;).
I have had a crosscut saw that has followed me around for 30 years. I cleaned it up and found an etch that I have identified. It was not good news. The dreaded Curtis saw. So I have heard that the older ones were good saws. Thing is, what is old? Do I file first to find out? Will a newbe be able to tell? I do know that the saw was made before 1970. Anyone with advice? No problem here telling me if I own a POS. Just want to know before I put more labor into it.
Thanks!
 
garry3 said:
Dang you guys! Just what I needed, another project;).
I have had a crosscut saw that has followed me around for 30 years. I cleaned it up and found an etch that I have identified. It was not good news. The dreaded Curtis saw. So I have heard that the older ones were good saws. Thing is, what is old? Do I file first to find out? Will a newbe be able to tell? I do know that the saw was made before 1970. Anyone with advice? No problem here telling me if I own a POS. Just want to know before I put more labor into it.
Thanks!
Click to expand...

I've heard of people who said that even the new ones can be made to cut very will with some work. if you check the saw, just look at the straightness, whether or not the teeth are set evenly, etc. that will speak to the quality i think.
 
G-pig said:
I've heard of people who said that even the new ones can be made to cut very will with some work. if you check the saw, just look at the straightness, whether or not the teeth are set evenly, etc. that will speak to the quality i think.
Click to expand...

It seems fine G-Pig. Very straight. I don't think it has ever been sharpened. Which is why I have never used it. No damage, or abuse. Its 3ft, champion tooth. Need a couple more tools,and I guess its time to file.
I was gifted the saw in 1979 from my fathers boss. It belonged to his father who passed away. Just wish I knew when Curtis saws went down hill.
I will let you know how it turns out.
 
garry3 said:
Dang you guys! Just what I needed, another project;).
I have had a crosscut saw that has followed me around for 30 years. I cleaned it up and found an etch that I have identified. It was not good news. The dreaded Curtis saw. So I have heard that the older ones were good saws. Thing is, what is old? Do I file first to find out? Will a newbe be able to tell? I do know that the saw was made before 1970. Anyone with advice? No problem here telling me if I own a POS. Just want to know before I put more labor into it.
Thanks!
Click to expand...

Yes, a Curtis can be made to cut, and I have filed them for my trail club. But the steel is soft and kinks much more easily than a quality saw. I've heard that older Curtis saws were made well, and if your saw has an etch, it may be an old stock blade. Post a pic.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top