I figured someone else must have run into this online before, but thought if it has been awhile, it might not hurt to bring it up again. I downloaded the manual (for free) and read through some of it. Some day I might print it out just to have a hard copy of it. I dug through my stash of cross cut saws and found out one of my saws is extremely old and rare due to its tooth configuration. I have another that is not new, but unique for sure. The author was definitely into cross cut saws, and I am glad he made an owners manual for them. Definitely a gift for the generations after him, and I for one am thankful. https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environmen...cations/fs_publications/pdf/pdf77712508hi.pdf
Very nice info Lodged Tree thanks for posting. My cousin worked for the Forest Service in the Bob Marshall Wilderness in Montana. She couldn't use chain saws, they are not allowed in the wilderness area. Hand saws only. So she took her crosscuts to this guy. All the backcountry rangers used this mans services: http://flatheadbeacon.com/2017/12/24/singing-saws/ a real craftsman with much patience
Interesting. I sharpened a few saws in my youth, but never a cross cut saw. We had a one-man crosscut that my Pop must have used but by the time I was old enough to work he had bought the buzz saw.
I tried filing and setting a crosscut saw once, it seems to cut ok, but I think I need to take the rakers down a hair more.... It's a lost art.
A lot of times you need to anneal the cutting edge before starting on those very old saws, the metal becomes very brittle and you risk breaking a tooth when setting or swagging depending on the saw. Sometimes just the act of hand filing can cause problems- the teeth become work hardened to a point where a file will not cut properly. 20 years ago I used to see about 10-15 of them a year- very rare now for any to come in for repair. Same applies to the old buzz saw blades. It has gotten too urban around here now.
Around here the "Woodsman's Teams" are quite popular. Unity College and Colby College are well known for their mens and woman's teams. I had a chance to be on the opposite end of a cross-cut saw of the Unity College team with the Woodswoman's Coach on the other end. That competition saw just sang. It was probably less than 30 seconds and we had that tree bucked. It cut fast. She said, "sign that kid up", but what I found was, it was a team effort, she pulled and I pulled it back. The speed came in the timing of the back and forth. I got a few cross cut saws here, and one apparently is VERY old by the way the teeth are formed. I have another that every raker has been purposely snapped off it. All I can think of is that it was used to cross-cut ice or maybe hay. I have no idea though???
Could have been for ice. The last of the old ice storage house burned down about 3 years back in my parts. They cut huge blocks of lake Ice ( from lake Michigan and other smaller bodies in the area) and stored them in these building packed in saw dust. When I was little ice boxes were still very common- block of ice in top half kept items in second half cool . The ice man would come around ( real early horse and wagon -later gas powered and you would buy about 25 or 50 pound block of ice from him for the ice box ( forerunner to your refrigerator). We didn't have electric power until 1960 or so at the farm. Not that I am all that old (67) but it is part of my life history.
They actually still cut ice from the lakes around here. The old block house is long gone, and instead the ice is cut and loaded directly onto carts and taken back to the ice house of each home, but they are still cut.
25 years ago I was still servicing a couple companies cutting ice on Lake Michigan- 7ft long loops Harvester chains ( now those are some really big mean teeth 1"+ long and 1/2" or better tall and the are heavy as well ) Both converted to commercial freezing systems that spit out blocks of ice in the 100# class, they then were cutting those down to smaller sizes with a beam type chain saw and I was sharpening the chains and making new bars for one company. Likely went to a band saw now as I haven't heard from them in a number of years. This was for food grade ice blocks that venders make the slushies and shaved ice drinks from during the summer.
Chris where in SE Wisconsin are you located? I have two of my Dad's old hand saws that need sharpening. I am in Rock County and retired so I could make a trip over if my *schedule* allows. The saws are retired also but I want them sharp just in case,,,
to answer your question - Mr. B's Blades, Milwaukee. You could touch them up your self for the price of a couple files. Trying to reset the kerf is an iffy proposistion- between age and work hardening of the metal they get very brittle. I mostly have to anneal the teeth to be able to reset them- sometimes even to just be able to file them. Had a home and shop in Beloit until the later part of the 70's . Think it was about 77 the bottom fell out of the economy in the area. Interest rates pushing 21 % on home loans, gas had jumped to $0.75/gal Auto workers on strike, steam fitters on strike . Think that fuel shortage hit about then also or maybe that was 76. Downtown was a ghost town. Even the mall was in pretty sad shape. Ex wanted to be closer to parents and siblings and I got hit with a 50% reduction in pay -left that place and the next employer never followed through on promises, so we pulled stakes. Took over a year to sell the house ( $22000 seems real cheap now) because very few could qualify loan wise.
