Its not an axe...what do i do with it (Pic heavy)

Alan2442

Alan2442

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Jan 12, 2011
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So passed by an auction house on the way home from work yesterday and couldn't resist the urge to stop in.


I found this crazy looking saw and a Truetemper shovel. The shovel is easy...just need some concrete dissolver. The saw however I really have no clue what to do with. I guess I'll start with removing the rust unless someone tells me I'm making a mistake before I start. If anyone knows anything about these saws or has advice it would be appreciated.





I also picked up a small axe head labeled American Axe...



and couple tools one cause it looked cool and i needed a small square, and the other to help me shape handles. Pics included for entertainment purposes.

Small square is stamped Moore and Wright, Sheffield England

​

The small hand plane is stamped Baleys




Thanks for reading
 
Saw,
Move,
Build,
Square,
Shave.
Maybe in that order
Nice gear and thank you for the pictures.
 
Alan2442 said:
. . . The saw however I really have no clue what to do with. I guess I'll start with removing the rust unless someone tells me I'm making a mistake before I start. If anyone knows anything about these saws or has advice it would be appreciated.



. . .
Click to expand...

It's a perforated lance tooth pattern bucking saw. I can't really tell from the pictures, but it looks like a good candidate for restoration. I couldn't see any missing teeth and it looks like it will only need minimal jointing and filing. So many times I've seen crosscuts with missing teeth, uneven teeth and gullet depth, rakers higher than the cutters. If it were mine I'd carefully clean where an etch would be and try to preserve it if it's still there. Pick up some saw nuts (eg from ebay), make a "D" handle for it and pick up a supplementary/helper handle.

There are some folks who post here with way more experience than mine. Hopefully, they will add to this thread as I appreciate the knowledge they are willing to share.
 
Interesting that a 'pressed steel' True-Temper shovel is of collector interest. Forged and welded versions of these were always the ones my construction business bought new 30 years ago. Sure they were heavier and had a more generous scallop of a blade, and were considerably more expensive, but none of my workers ever managed to break one. The pressed steel blade versions were cheap and convenient and usually lasted only as long as the wood handle.
 
As RJ said it's a perf-lance buck saw. Not very much wear on that one. Great one man saw and a good size for trail work.

Hopefully it's not too pitted in the middle. Deep pitting will compromise the strength of the blade. People who restore and collect these will sometimes use a pumice stone (grill block) to clean the area around the etching. The etching is typically in the center of the saw where yours shows most rust so I wouldn't be too hopeful. A wire wheel on an angle grinder does a good job of cleaning these up. Just be careful which way your wheel is turning near the edge and wear eye, ear and respiratory protection (dust mask).

Show us a pic once it's been cleaned up.
 
Thanks for the info. Would it be a bad idea to give it a vinegar bath to remove the rust rather than hit it with a wire wheel? I have an idea on how it can be done.

300Six I don't know anything about the shovel. The guy let it go for $3 and it was stamped true temper so I took it. I figure they make good axes so maybe the shovel was worth it to.

The wife and I are off to an antiques store hosted garage sale today to see what we can find.
 
Nice looking saw. I cleaned up a 2 man saw using the electrolysis method. I think I did a thread on that process here. Have fun with it.
 
CedarEater said:
Nice looking saw. I cleaned up a 2 man saw using the electrolysis method. I think I did a thread on that process here. Have fun with it.
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Thank for the reference...that looks like it worked well...If i can't get the vinegar bath to work out I'll have to give that a try. I got a lead on 3 more saws and at least one scythe. I will def have to give the electrolysis a shot one one of those if they come through.
 
Wish I knew something about saws but I don't and the other comments sound encouraging. I think it would be fun to cut with one. And some shovels may be better than others, but a shovel is a shovel, it's serviceable, probably wasn't expensive, nothing not to like about it from my perspective.
 
I put it right back in after I took the pick...i didn't see anything, but I will give it a good look over tomorrow morning.
 
COTS...or anyone...do you guys have any suggestions for a new handle the one that was on it has a couple really big cracks.

 
In a pinch you could saw off the end of a wheelbarrow handle (stores carry these) or you could find a nice chunk of 2x2 hardwood and saw, rasp, and file away to make a new one. I personally don't have fond memories of using these saws during the early 1960s but they are satisfyingly quiet and they do work. Sharpening this old girl up properly is going to require that you do some serious homework because your local 'saw sharpening service' won't have any experience with these.
 
Alan2442 said:
COTS...or anyone...do you guys have any suggestions for a new handle the one that was on it has a couple really big cracks.
. . .
Click to expand...

That's a homemade supplementary handle (see my post above). They can be used on the back for one man or moved to the front for two man.

Plate is looking good. :)

Do you want your saw to look like this one when your done?


Wish I could say this is my saw. I don't remember where the picture came from. Compliments to the owner. It's a Henry Disston & Sons Perforated No. 514 Spring Steel. A perforated lance tooth design. 3.5 Ft.
 
according to my Dad, who used to use similar saws for logging, one of the best ways to get the bunkhouse to yourself was to clamp one of those to the table and start sharpening. Something about the size of the saw amplified the sound and every little squeak was ear-splitting. Of course he also mentioned to only do it with your back to the wall. I'm guessing they were a miserable beast to use dull, so anyone willing to sharpen one must have had at least a little immunity from retribution.
 
Alan2442 said:
COTS...or anyone...do you guys have any suggestions for a new handle the one that was on it has a couple really big cracks.
Click to expand...

rjdankert said:
Do you want your saw to look like this one when your done?
Click to expand...

Saws are outside my area but I think the answer is YES! I'm guessing you might end up with more in the handle than in the saw, depending, but it would be worth it. That handle would be easy to make, the big hurdles I see is cutting the kerf and getting the right hardware. If I'm not mistake you can just buy the supplementary handle outright.
 
cityofthesouth said:
Saws are outside my area but I think the answer is YES! I'm guessing you might end up with more in the handle than in the saw, depending, but it would be worth it. That handle would be easy to make, the big hurdles I see is cutting the kerf and getting the right hardware. If I'm not mistake you can just buy the supplementary handle outright.
Click to expand...

A friend had this in his shop.

I got tired of seeing it and took it home with me one day.

Found a picture of the shape I wanted on the web.

Scaled it and made a pattern.

Used the saw plate and transfer punch to locate the holes for the saw nuts.

I marked the outline of where the saw plate would sit in the handle.

I don't remember what kind of saw (power or hand) I used to cut the kerf in the handle.


Here is the end result.


I didn't put a finish on it as I didn't want to embarrass myself. My friend has refinished furniture for 30+ years. :D
 
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