# Straightening a saw?



## dummkauf (Jun 11, 2010)

So in my quest for more hand tools as I move away from power tools(mainly for learning, probly won't give up power completely) I have had my eyes out for the older hand tools that can be restored lately. That said, we were visiting my wife's grandparents this weekend, grandpa passed away a few years ago and was a carpenter, but most of his immediate family took all his old tools. However, I was digging through the garage looking for a shovel to clear the snow off grandmas walkway, when I spot 2 diston panel saws hanging on the wall. It appears to be 1 crosscut and 1 rip but they have to be from the 60's as they are both teflon coated. Now I'm not 100% sure the blades are authentic as I've never heard of teflon coated disston(most of the ones I see online were made before the invention of teflon) so I'm hoping you can help me determine if these are authentic or if someone replaced the blades on some disstons. 1 of them is perfectly straight and cuts great(from my limited experience with handsaws anyway), the other's blade is curved. If these are authentic I am hoping someone could recommend a saw restorer who could straighten the curved one and what I would expect to pay for that job?

Here they are:













































The straight one










The problem child









I found an old popular mechanics from 1967 on google books that look like they are what these are, but am hoping someone on here can help me date them.

Also, I'm located in MN, so if anyone knows anyone in the Twin Cities area who can straighten the bent one I would prefer to deal with someone local if possible.

Thanks in advance!


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## Mizer (Mar 11, 2010)

I have heard that you can straighten a bent saw by slapping it real hard on the water. It would probably be a good idea to get someone to bend over and get real close to the water to see how many times you need to hit it. Maybe your mother in-law.
Alternately you can straighten a saw that has a curve like that pretty easily by carefully bending it the other way. Grip it with over the back edge and flex with your thumbs, flex a little and sight, flex, sight, until it is straight.


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## dodgeboy77 (Mar 18, 2009)

<<_ It would probably be a good idea to get someone to bend over and get real close to the water to see how many times you need to hit it. Maybe your mother in-law._>> :laughing::laughing:

I volunteer my ex-wife!


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## BWSmith (Aug 24, 2010)

Mizer,I'd probably skip the water and just smack her upside the head........kidding,maybe?

Was down at the local estate joint this afternoon and snagged a nice old Disston for a whopping 4 bucks.Slight curve to it....very minor.Your straightening method is pretty much all we ever do.BW


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## dummkauf (Jun 11, 2010)

Mizer said:


> I have heard that you can straighten a bent saw by slapping it real hard on the water. It would probably be a good idea to get someone to bend over and get real close to the water to see how many times you need to hit it. Maybe your mother in-law.
> Alternately you can straighten a saw that has a curve like that pretty easily by carefully bending it the other way. Grip it with over the back edge and flex with your thumbs, flex a little and sight, flex, sight, until it is straight.


 
Ha, I'll give that a shot. After doing a little googling I was finding all kinds of stuff on taking a hammer to it on an anvil and seemed extremely complicated to properly straighten a blade.......as usual I think I over complicated the problem :blink:


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## railaw (Nov 15, 2011)

I have a couple old saws that need to be straightened. Is all that needs to be done rally just bending the other way by hand? I thought you needed to hit it with a punch to expand the metal? Thx.


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## firemedic (Dec 26, 2010)

What kind of saws are they?


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## railaw (Nov 15, 2011)

They are "regular" hand saws- I guess that makes them panel saws?? A couple cc and a rip. the rip has really big teeth( to me) I haven't measured but prob In the range of 4 tpi. "warranted superiors" I picked up at a garage sale. On Atkins that's about 15" long with an odd rounded nose. I'm guessing that a prior owner cut it down from full size. On a related note, is hf adequate to find files for sharpening?


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## Billy De (Jul 19, 2009)

Railsaw JMHO but I think your not wide from the mark with your thinking.One of my brothers a Master tin wacker explained the principle to me and I hope I can get it over hear.

You don't try and beat the plate straight that just wont work, you have to introduce heat into the plate so it will expand and start to straighten its self. 

I`v heard of guys using the horn of a blacksmiths anvil as a backing for the plate I cant comment on that because I don't have one ,I do have a metal workers vice with a flat bed on it for beating and that is what I use.

Let me try and explain how I do it, I sight along the saw from the handle end, lets say the saw curves to the right now every natural instinct in me would say it needs hitting on the left to straighten it but that's wrong go figure.

If it curves on the right that's the side that needs hitting
Still looking down the saw I run my finger down the saw til I find the point that I think needs attention mark it with a pencil and then take it to the vice and from the back of the saw to the teeth start hitting in a line and back again ( don't hit the teeth)keep sighting and adjusting accordingly.

He did say that on really bad cases you can heat a soldering iron up and use this to introduce the heat to the plate I`v never had to do that so I can't comment on it.

On a side note I did once watch a boiler maker fit a flat bar to a long welding seam using a torch he did`t use a hammer or his hands once, pretty impressive sight watching the flat bar snake its way into position just some thing that has stayed with me.

Sorry about the long post and getting off track again. Billy:thumbsup:















.


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## railaw (Nov 15, 2011)

Tried messin around with this in a half hearted sort of way last night and got nowhere. I might have to lay it aside for awhile. I should first work on sharpening the ones that are already straight anyway.


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## Wrangler02 (Apr 15, 2011)

dummkauf said:


> Also, I'm located in MN, so if anyone knows anyone in the Twin Cities area who can straighten the bent one I would prefer to deal with someone local if possible.


Check with Ralph at Wood Craft in Bloomington. I took a class from him on restoring hand saws. We didn't get in to straightening; but he had had a lot of experience with saw restoration.


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