# Restoring a Remarkable Old Handsaw



## summerfi (Oct 12, 2013)

*Restoring a Remarkable Old Handsaw*

*Restoring a Remarkable Old Hand Saw*

One of my hobbies is buying, selling, restoring, and collecting hand saws. I have a particular fondness for vintage British saws due to their classic styling and the fact that some of my ancestors came from Sheffield. I acquired and restored this late 19th century J. Taylor & Son crosscut saw some months ago, and it has since become one of my favorites.










When I saw this J. Taylor & Son rip saw on eBay recently, I thought it would make a nice companion for my crosscut, so I bought it too.










It is a massive saw with a 28 ½" plate. The plate is also wide, measuring 7 7/8" at the heel and 2 ¾" at the toe. When the saw arrived and I opened the package, I was amazed by the saw's mass. Likely dating to the late 1800's, it appeared to have had little use and few, if any, sharpenings during its roughly 125 year life. Though it appeared to be little used, it was dirty, a little rusty, and would take some work to get back into top shape. Someone had replaced the original split-nut saw screws with modern ones. The upper horn had been broken off and glued back on, and there were a few other nicks and dents in the handle. So, let the restoration begin. I didn't think about turning this restoration into a blog entry initially, and now I wish I had taken more pictures. So we'll pick this story up after the restoration is well under way.

This is the handle after cleaning and sanding. It is now ready for the finish. I've also made replacement split-nut screws. Since the medallion was also missing, I've made a blank medallion to go in its place. It was not finished when this picture was taken.










The ingredients for home-made split-nut screws are simple: a ½" brass rod, and an 8-32 brass threaded rod. The rest is all hand work.










Cleaning the saw plate is a lot of hand work as well, starting with a dip in Evaporust and followed by hand sanding. On this saw I started with 220 grit sandpaper and continued through a series of grits ending with 400. Then, the plate was polished with a fine scotch brite pad, and finally, paste wax was applied. Wherever this saw has been stored for the past 100+ years, it has been exposed to moisture. There is some staining on the plate, and a little pitting. The worst patch of pitting is just below the maker's stamp and measures about 3/4" wide and 2" long.



















With the saw plate cleaned, it was time for sharpening. This is a big saw with big teeth. It requires a big file to sharpen it. The proper size is a "regular taper" triangular file. The teeth on this saw have a progressive pitch. Starting at the heel, the first 20 ¼" of teeth are at 4 points per inch (ppi). The next 5 inches are at 4 ½ ppi, and the final 3 ¼" are at 5 ppi. Having slightly finer teeth near the toe makes it easier to get the saw started in a cut. At least that's the theory.

Now we come to the part of this story where I tell you why I think this saw is remarkable. It's not due to its age - I have much older saws. Nor is it due to the makers - the Taylors were among the more productive of British saw makers. The sole reason why this saw is remarkable is that, during the cleaning process, I realized that the saw has never been sharpened even once in its 125 year history. Not at the factory where it was made, and not by a likely succession of owners who have possessed it over the decades. How do I know this? There are several bits of evidence.

1. The wide plate is a sign that little sharpening has taken place.
2. The teeth are perfectly formed as if made by a machine. I've never seen such uniformly perfect teeth on a saw this old.
3. Examined under magnification, there are no file marks on the teeth.
4. However, under magnification one can see the sort of marks along the edge of each tooth that are made when thin metal is stamped in a press.
5. All the teeth are slightly bent in the same direction as if punched out on a press.

I think it is typical, rather than unusual, that a saw of this age was not sharpened in the factory. The knowledge of saw sharpening was pretty common in those days, and most users either sharpened their own saw, or lived near someone who could sharpen it to their liking. It would have made no sense to sharpen saws made in England for export to America, because they would have needed sharpening again after being knocked about on the long voyage anyway.

How this saw managed to kick around in America for over 100 years without being sharpened, though, is a mystery. Who owned it, and did they know enough to even realize it hadn't been sharpened? Did they try to use it with the stamped teeth which, admittedly, were pretty sharp as they were? Or did the owner hang this saw in some basement or shed and just never get around to using it? We'll never know the answers to those questions. All I know is that this saw was in Illinois when I found it. The seller told me he picked it up at a flea market outside of Chicago.

As I stood with the saw mounted in my sharpening vise, file in hand, the thought entered my mind that perhaps I should not sharpen the saw. It is a genuine antique after all. It has gone this long without sharpening, so why should I change that now? Would I somehow detract from its history, its integrity, and its value if I sharpened it? Then I thought, no, this saw has been waiting 100 years just for me. It is a privilege and an honor to sharpen an antique saw that is still the same, a few knocks and dings excepted, as the day it left the factory on another continent over 100 years ago. Very few people have the privilege of such an experience, and this would likely be a once in a lifetime experience for me. I decided there must be a reason this saw's destiny and mine met, and so I proceeded to sharpen the saw.

Two strokes over the perfectly formed teeth with a jointing file and the crowned toothline was jointed. I picked up the saw set, placed it on the first tooth, pressed the handles together, and SNAP! Wouldn't know you it, I had broken the very first tooth I tried to set. I was both horrified and humbled. I had done nothing wrong, of course. Old saws often have thick plates and brittle teeth. This wasn't the first time I'd broken a tooth. Still, I felt awful for having made such an insult on this grand old saw. There was nothing else to do but carefully proceed, and fortunately I broke no more teeth.

I know many of us who love old tools have an emotional, and perhaps even a spiritual, connection to these vintage objects. As I picked up the triangular file and began sharpening each tooth in succession, I felt such a connection. The saw wasn't speaking to me, but I wished it could. I wanted to know its past, its trials and its triumphs. Who created it in that factory long ago, and who has owned it since. Did they have the same connection with this tool that I felt? They were a part of its history, and now, by the very act of sharpening it, I had become a part of its history too. Yes, this is a remarkable saw indeed.

The rest of the sharpening went well, and now the plate is ready for sawing. On to finishing the handle. I applied a light oil stain to the handle for two reasons. First, I wanted it to match the handle on my Taylor crosscut saw as closely as possible, and second, as with many old saw handles, there is a degree of blotchiness once they are cleaned up. I used oxalic acid to try to remove some of the blotchiness, but there was still a little left.

After the stain was dry, I applied four coats of clear satin wipe-on poly. I know this is controversial among tool aficionados. Many people prefer oil finishes on their tool handles; I do not. I believe oil finishes turn the wood dark over time, and I believe the oil is a magnet for dirt and grime. I hear people say, "The wood was dried out and starving for moisture." I disagree with that too. The only time wood has a moisture content higher than the ambient relative humidity is when the tree is alive. We dry the wood to reduce its moisture content, so why would we put moisture back in it again? When you see wood that is weathered, dry looking, and cracked, it is due to exposure to repeated wetting and drying cycles from being left in the weather. Sealing the wood properly helps prevent that, without a need to introduce artificial oils into the wood. Though, admittedly, 19th century saw makers didn't use polyurethane to finish their handles, it is an excellent sealer, and I believe they would have used it if they had it. A thick, glossy coating can be unattractive on a tool handle, but this can be avoided by using a satin wipe-on poly, then buffing it with steel wool when dry, and applying a coat of paste wax. That's how I finish my saw handles, and I'm quite happy with the results.

With the handle finished, all that's left is the assembly. Since my home-made split nut screws are not exactly the same as the screws originally on the saw, they require a degree of fitting to seat properly in the wood. That accomplished, the saw restoration is complete.

Here are a few photos of this remarkable saw after it is finished and ready to use.





































And here are a few pictures of the saw with it's companion crosscut. The tooth size difference between the 4 ppi rip saw and the 11 ppi crosscut is amazing.





































If you've made it to the end of this long post, thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed seeing this remarkable saw.


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## DonBroussard (Mar 27, 2012)

summerfi said:


> *Restoring a Remarkable Old Handsaw*
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> *Restoring a Remarkable Old Hand Saw*
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@Bob-Beautiful restoration and great writing too. I feel a connection to your saw too! I might offer another piece of evidence for your consideration-the lack of wear on the tote in the thumb and index finger positions suggests very little use. Maybe that's because the saw was never sharpened.


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## terryR (Jan 30, 2012)

summerfi said:


> *Restoring a Remarkable Old Handsaw*
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> *Restoring a Remarkable Old Hand Saw*
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What a gorgeous pair of saws, Bob! Excellent work, and another great blog, too.


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## vikingcape (Jan 3, 2013)

summerfi said:


> *Restoring a Remarkable Old Handsaw*
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> *Restoring a Remarkable Old Hand Saw*
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Very cool restoration. Thanks for sharing


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## luv2learn (Feb 4, 2012)

summerfi said:


> *Restoring a Remarkable Old Handsaw*
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> *Restoring a Remarkable Old Hand Saw*
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Beautiful restoration Bob.


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## theoldfart (Sep 9, 2011)

summerfi said:


> *Restoring a Remarkable Old Handsaw*
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> *Restoring a Remarkable Old Hand Saw*
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Bob, stupendous restore right down to the clocked screws! It must be fantastic to use.


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## CanadianWoodWorks (Dec 29, 2009)

summerfi said:


> *Restoring a Remarkable Old Handsaw*
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> *Restoring a Remarkable Old Hand Saw*
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Great write up thanks for the share

sweet saw


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## Slyy (Nov 13, 2013)

summerfi said:


> *Restoring a Remarkable Old Handsaw*
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> *Restoring a Remarkable Old Hand Saw*
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Bob, as always, your skills amaze. It's Not just your skills at restoration that are awesome but your knowledge and investigative skills as well. Fantastic job and write up, thank you.


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## planepassion (Nov 24, 2010)

summerfi said:


> *Restoring a Remarkable Old Handsaw*
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> *Restoring a Remarkable Old Hand Saw*
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Exceptional restore Semperfi. Nice brasswork. Making your own split nuts takes things to a higher level.


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## WayneC (Mar 8, 2007)

summerfi said:


> *Restoring a Remarkable Old Handsaw*
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> *Restoring a Remarkable Old Hand Saw*
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Wonderful.


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## j1212t (Dec 7, 2013)

summerfi said:


> *Restoring a Remarkable Old Handsaw*
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> *Restoring a Remarkable Old Hand Saw*
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Thanks for sharing, great story and great restore.


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## kaerlighedsbamsen (Sep 16, 2013)

summerfi said:


> *Restoring a Remarkable Old Handsaw*
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> *Restoring a Remarkable Old Hand Saw*
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Lovely story. Thanks!


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## grfrazee (Jul 17, 2012)

summerfi said:


> *Restoring a Remarkable Old Handsaw*
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> *Restoring a Remarkable Old Hand Saw*
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"...picked it up at a flea market outside of Chicago."

I've been going to flea markets in the West Suburbs of Chicago for a few years now and haven't found any saws quite this nice. Nice score on the saw, and great restoration.


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## upchuck (Nov 3, 2013)

summerfi said:


> *Restoring a Remarkable Old Handsaw*
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> *Restoring a Remarkable Old Hand Saw*
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Bob-
I am grateful for the information you provide with your fellow saw fans. I always learn something new when I read your writings. I like your discussion about the pros and cons of the handle finishes and the reasons why you settled on your choice. It was a well thought out restoration and a well written blog about the work. I understand your thoughtful hesitation about being the first to sharpen the saw in five or six generations. I believe that you have been respectful to the tool and it's maker.


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## ToddJB (Jul 26, 2012)

summerfi said:


> *Restoring a Remarkable Old Handsaw*
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> *Restoring a Remarkable Old Hand Saw*
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Bob, awesome job. I've not seen folks use Evaporust on saw plates before this and I've wondered why. My original thought was that it might effect the etch, but that doesn't appear that is the case. Perhaps it's the awkward long and thin shape of the plate.


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## Brit (Aug 14, 2010)

summerfi said:


> *Restoring a Remarkable Old Handsaw*
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> *Restoring a Remarkable Old Hand Saw*
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Incredible work Bob. I share you amazement at the fact that the saw has survived for 125 years without ever being sharpened. Like you, I'd love to know why. What is your opinion of progressive rip saws? I haven't come across one this side of the pond yet.


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## summerfi (Oct 12, 2013)

summerfi said:


> *Restoring a Remarkable Old Handsaw*
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> *Restoring a Remarkable Old Hand Saw*
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Thanks Andy. To be honest, I've not used a progressive pitch saw enough to know if it's of any benefit or not. I will say this though. I think the course rip saws (e.g. 4 ppi) are not of much practical use to most woodworkers today. In their day they were used for ripping heavy timbers for framing, bridges. etc. Today, power saws are used almost exclusively for that, so the course rip saws are kind of a relic. For today's jobs a rip saw of 6 ppi or so is much more practical. At that pitch, I don't think a progressive filing would buy you much. I still love having the old rip saws around though because they are just so cool.


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## donwilwol (May 16, 2011)

summerfi said:


> *Restoring a Remarkable Old Handsaw*
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> *Restoring a Remarkable Old Hand Saw*
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that's a beautiful set of saws Bob.


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## chrisstef (Mar 3, 2010)

summerfi said:


> *Restoring a Remarkable Old Handsaw*
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> *Restoring a Remarkable Old Hand Saw*
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Ive been waiting a few days to read and digest your post here Bob. Its funny how sharpening a saw can give you a weird introspection into its life. I just finished a saw myself and got to thinking about the history after encountering an odd patch of teeth. It gave me thought as to why and who did what they did. To find such a nice saw virtually untouched can really let you conjure up all kinda of stories. Very cool.

As always, you did an amazing job on that saw. Wicked nice.


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## Woodscrapper (Jun 23, 2014)

summerfi said:


> *Restoring a Remarkable Old Handsaw*
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> *Restoring a Remarkable Old Hand Saw*
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summerfi,

Very nice work and article. I too enjoy tool restoration and had never thought to make my own brass nuts. I am curious as to how you made the fixed end joint on the screws. It doesn't appear that you drilled and tapped or brazed the joint. Thanks for sharing your technique with me.


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## summerfi (Oct 12, 2013)

summerfi said:


> *Restoring a Remarkable Old Handsaw*
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> *Restoring a Remarkable Old Hand Saw*
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Woodscraper - Welcome to Lumberjocks! I'm always happy to share techniques with others who appreciate old tools. I'd love to have a small metal lathe to turn brass saw screws, but since I don't, this is my method.

For the 1/2" screws, I drill a hole just shy of 1/4" deep in the end of a 1/2" brass rod and then tap it with an 8-32 trap. I finish the threads with another tap that I've ground the end off flat so the threads go all the way to the bottom of the hole. I then use a very thin hacksaw blade in a coping saw to slice off 1/8" of the rod, and this becomes the nut part of the screw. After making sure the end of the rod is flat with a disc sander, I then slice off another 1/8" of the rod for the screw head. If I've done this right, the hole will not go all the way through this slice. The saw kerf plus flattening the end leaves the hole just short of breaking through. I thread an 8-32 brass threaded rod into this part, and it usually catches by about 2 or 3 threads. I then take an 8-32 brass hex nut and turn it from hex to square on the disc sander, holding it in a small vice grip. This is screwed onto the threaded rod down to the head to serve as a shoulder. I clean all these parts in acetone, apply flux, and solder them all together. This makes a pretty strong screw; I've not had one come apart on a saw yet.

When making blank medallions, I don't need a 1" nut, so I just put the threads in the one slice of 1" brass rod. This is a little harder but can be done.

I hope that explains it well enough, but if not, ask again. It's a tedious process and slow, but it is satisfying to use parts you've made yourself.

P.S. - I like your avatar picture.


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## Andy1010 (Jul 31, 2015)

summerfi said:


> *Restoring a Remarkable Old Handsaw*
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> *Restoring a Remarkable Old Hand Saw*
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I did make it to the end and loved reading this post you didn't saw what type of oil stain you used. But those to saws look like a perfect set I can't believe you found another saw like your crosscut amazing find.


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## anthm27 (May 12, 2015)

summerfi said:


> *Restoring a Remarkable Old Handsaw*
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> *Restoring a Remarkable Old Hand Saw*
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That's just absolutely Brilliant


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## nmssis (Sep 14, 2015)

summerfi said:


> *Restoring a Remarkable Old Handsaw*
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> *Restoring a Remarkable Old Hand Saw*
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i'm doing a clean up on a saw myself. just got done sanding down the old finish but how do i get back that deep walnut finish on the handle…any advise?


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## summerfi (Oct 12, 2013)

summerfi said:


> *Restoring a Remarkable Old Handsaw*
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> *Restoring a Remarkable Old Hand Saw*
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I use a satin polyurethane finish on my saw handles. Depending on the handle, I may also use an oil stain or a dye.


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## nmssis (Sep 14, 2015)

summerfi said:


> *Restoring a Remarkable Old Handsaw*
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> *Restoring a Remarkable Old Hand Saw*
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> I use a satin polyurethane finish on my saw handles. Depending on the handle, I may also use an oil stain or a dye.
> 
> - summerfi


since i'm not doing a collectible restoration but a working one, which would be the simplest?


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## Woodscrapper (Jun 23, 2014)

summerfi said:


> *Restoring a Remarkable Old Handsaw*
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> *Restoring a Remarkable Old Hand Saw*
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I too use a satin polyurethane finish-at least most of the time! The attached photos give a comparison of a satin finish vs. a semi-gloss one that has been waxed. The handsaw is a Disston #7 and the back saw is also a Disston made for Miller Falls. With regard to staining, it depends on the wood. In these two cases no stain was used. I like to finish handles off with a high quality antique paste wax. I like the way the wax mellows out the finish.


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## nmssis (Sep 14, 2015)

summerfi said:


> *Restoring a Remarkable Old Handsaw*
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> *Restoring a Remarkable Old Hand Saw*
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> I too use a satin polyurethane finish-at least most of the time! The attached photos give a comparison of a satin finish vs. a semi-gloss one that has been waxed. The handsaw is a Disston #7 and the back saw is also a Disston made for Miller Falls. With regard to staining, it depends on the wood. In these two cases no stain was used. I like to finish handles off with a high quality antique paste wax. I like the way the wax mellows out the finish.
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so poly then wax or wax only?

thanks!


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