Crosscut Saw Thread

Is that a Gibbs jointer? Can't really tell from your picture. You sure scored some nice tools. I have a collection of them also. I just need to learn how to use the properly.

Thanks, Tom

 

I'm looking for a decent bow saw for processing dry wood, mostly less than 12 inches in diameter.

Anyone familiar with the Bacho bow saw line?
http://www.bahcostore.com/bow-saws

thanks

 

Bahco is considered to be one of the top bow saw makers out there. I have saws from them in 3 different lengths and extra blades in 2 different tooth patterns. Not that expensive either.

 

Yes it is.
Winter plan Sharpen some saws,put the collection to use.

Thanks

 

Gibbs jointer seems to be the holy grail of jointers for two man saws. Very, VERY nice. There is a knock off at the Axe Hole. The guys on the Crosscutsaywer don't seem to think very much of it.

Tom

 

Ended up with a 3.5ft 1 man crosscut that has holes for assist and 2nd helper handles. (need a couple of those now!) Seems to cut OK, the teeth and rakers are all intact and look to have a lot of life left. No visible maker marks, but not surprising with the surface rust. Included pictures of a quick cut and the shavings off a beech branch. There are a few more photos in the PB album. Couple questions:

I'm worried my patience in sharpening won't last, plus I don't have all the unique devices that make it go well. Since mine is intact so well, am I going to be crazy if I just touch up the cutting edges for now? I'd like to say I'll eventually learn to sharpen it right, but getting the tools could take me a while. Who and how much do saw sharpeners charge?

Can you be too aggressive in cleaning these and ruin/remove the makers mark? This video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FrYsFlx3OSY @ the 1:25 mark uses WD-40 and 100/220 grit sandpaper. Was going to try that but open to suggestions (or reading that I may have overlooked in other links).

 

http://crosscutsawyer.com/

Irongun324 ,this is Good source of saw info.

 

Yes. It's lunacy. You'll end up with rakers that aren't matched to the height of the cutters. That's called a 'misery whip'. You'll set the saw down and never touch it again until it's been sharpened.

 

Basically the response I expected. I've been watching the Warren Miller videos, and again the biggest thing is I don't have the tools to do it right.

 

The dusty shavings from your beech log are indicative of a dull saw. If you try to touch up the saw without understanding saw filing principles, you will just make it worse. Saw filing is not really a lost art, just one that very few people practice well. Like anything, to be good requires lots of practice.

Saw filers charge by the foot, generally 10-20 dollars/foot, assuming the saw is clean and doesn't need straightening and replacement hardware. Some filers charge by the case (of beer).

Your saw is not a Disston. Disston etchings run deep and will stand up to a fair amount of wet sanding. You may have a Simonds or Atkins, both good saws. If you want to tease out a faint etch, start with fine grit sandpaper and work slowly over the center of the saw. It may reveal itself.

The pics posted by G-pig were some home-made tools I made in my basement just to prove I could do it. They work, but have their limitations. I did not not make a field-expedient raker gauge. If you plan to file your own saw, note that my video shows the difference between raker gauges made for big saws and little saws, and why that's important. There are plenty of the smaller gauges around on Ebay. They are combination gauges that will hold a file for jointing and have a filing plate for setting your raker height.

Good luck.

 

You are off to a good start. Your saw can be put to use with some TLC. The big auction site is a good place to find CC saw tools. If you watch you can pick up a combination jointer rather cheap.

You mentioned you saw has two holes for a help or assist handle. All the one man saws I know of have these. The one by the D handle is to assist you with a two handed cut. The one by the toe will let you use it as a two man saw. You really only need one helper handle. They can be moved from one place to another. The auction site is a place to pick one up. I often see a one man saw sold w/o the assist handle and the handle sold separately. They go for $15 and up. Just make sure it functional and not rusted solid.

Tom

 

Thought I would share this crosscut I came across recently.
It's a Simonds no 324. Never been used.[/URL][/IMG]
http://i1066.photobucket.com/albums/u419/gbbarrington/P1010010_zps1f481121.jpg[/IMG][/URL][/IMG][/URL][/IMG]

 

OMG! I'm in lust!

 

That is a thing of beauty. Would you even have the heart to use it?

 

It's even a Crescent Ground saw - the cream of the crop.

http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment...lications/fs_publications/04232822/page03.cfm

 

Looks like 7 feet or so, the work horse for bucking medium to large timber. The Rolls Royce of saws because of the plate grinding. Is it yours, Garry? You're a lucky guy.

 

JP, It is mine(at least I am its keeper for a time). Its a six footer. Take care of most of the timber in southern Idaho I would think. Central to northern Idaho had big logs at one time. Much like parts of Washington and Oregon.

And no, I won't soil this saw. To many others suited for that.

Glad you guys appreciated the fine saw that was nothing unusual back in the day.

 

Huh, it looks longer... might be the handles.

I think that says it all. How I wish we lived in a world where at least one maker was still putting out a quality saw. Gotta preserve these old guys as long as we can.

 

It's the handles.

It's a shame we can't hardly buy a decent hand tool today. Just the simplest of things like an axe handle. Axe handles have been lathe turned since the civil war. How much more time does it take to chuck the staves so that the grain runs correctly? Maybe five seconds. I recently looked through all my axes that had vintage handles on them. Everyone of them had the grain running reasonably true. It also seemed that the older the handle the truer the grain ran. Go look in the hardware store today and it is apparent the manufacturers don't care how the grain is running. I guess most people don't know any better any way.