Disston No 7 Panel Saw Restoration

The Disston No. 7 was designed by Henry Disston & Sons to be a high quality, low cost saw. The No. 7 was replaced in 1928 but an even cheaper version; the D-7. The D-7 has no nib design on the plate, and the carving on the tote was eliminated, leaving only the rounding of the handle.
There are lots of No. 7s still out there, and they range in condition from like new, to worthy only of glance before throwing away. This little panel saw is in pretty good shape: its still got plenty of life left in the steel, but it is lightly pitted and the finish is completely gone on the tote, so it looks like this saw may have spent its time in a damp basement or a barn, and wasn't used too often.
The panel saw lengths Disston offered in this saw ranged from 14 to 24-inches, although saws 24-inches and above have 4 bolts, whereas the shorter ones have three.
The saw I'm restoring in this video is a 20-inch, three bolt, No. 7 panel saw, with cross cut teeth, and a beech wood tote. The design on the 13/16-inch medallion puts this saw in the 1896 to 1917 range. The rust has erased any evidence that I can see of an etch on the plate to confirm that date.
Thanks to Erik von Sneidern at the Disstonian Institute for a lot of this information. Its a great resource www.disstoniani...
Products used (by request):
Rust Remover: Evapo-rust (in the past I've used white vinegar)
Alcohol for cleaning and shellac: Everclear Grain Alcohol 95% (190 proof)
Tote crack adhesive: Gorilla Super Glue Get
Linseed Oil: Plaza RAW linseed oil
Wet Sanding (on plate): 220 & 320 grit paper with water
Wax for plate and wood tote: SC Johnson Paste Wax, 0000 steel wool for application on shellacked wood
Shellac: Blonde Flake with some amber pigment added,* mixed with grain alcohol (see above)
* You could use Orange or even Garnet shellac flakes. I just add a few coats to keep the tote clean.

[@tynyyn5344]

You've done a very nice job rehabbing this saw. Everclear to clean the handle? Hmmm, I haven't thought of that avenue, usually I just go directly to sandpaper. It certainly looked like it cut the old shellac. With your filing technique, have you considered using a smaller file? Larger files for larger teeth, smaller files for smaller teeth. Smaller files have more serrations per inch, thus they can provide a sharper edge on the tooth. Plus, try filing using an uphill stroke, this will also make a more acute angle on edge on the tooth. I believe that is how the old timers a hundred years ago did it. Also, whenever I coat my handle with wax it certainly feels wonderful in my hand. Try it and see if you will become a believer, too. Hand polishing the nuts is tedious and very time consuming, thus I put a brass wheel in on my grinder and hold the screws and nuts in my hands and polish them that way. They come out looking brand new. I love your idea of using the rust remover. I haven't tried it, yet, though one day I will. Too bad the Simmonds had the crack. Do you just toss them away or do you try to stitch some weld into the crack and polish the build up away with a grinder? Sad to see an antique die a death because of such a small crack. Thanks again for the vid. It was very informative with a good edit. I appreciate the time it took to produce it. Cheers.

[@moonlightsnowfall6734]

Thanks for your comments. I do have smaller saw files, and while I can't show everything in the video, I did give some of the smaller files a go, and they didn't cut as well with these big teeth. As far as the uphill stroke, I think you can see that I am using some slope on the final sharpening. Going deeper to create sloped gullets is a technique I don't usually use on these old saws. For me I think it removes some of the support for the tooth, and we've all seen missing teeth on old saws. The reduced support, stress hardening, and some rust pitting can make them fragile. I did wax the tote, and the plate, with Johnson' paste wax and 0000 steel wool, doesn't show in the video. I agree that polishing the saw nuts on the buffer is easier and brightens them, but I don't like the bright brass, and I'm not looking for that like new finish on my restored tools. I don't have a welder, and I'm not sure how that would impact the temper. I'll keep the damaged saw and cut it down for a bench saw or something. I have another video where I've done something similar with a worn out saw. You've seen them, sharpened til they look like keyhole saws. I'm glad you liked and thanks again for your thoughts! And the leftover pieces make great scrapers! I also have a video showing a custom card scraper from a piece of backsaw plate.

[@eileencastles7217]

Great job. That small crack wouldn't bother me. Sharpen, use it and see. Anyway, great to see the No 7. I bought an 18 inch recently, exactly like yours for 2 dollars. I have to do the same job as you have done. So thanks for the ideas. Regards...

[@moonlightsnowfall6734]

Thanks EC. I've got a pile of saw at this point, and enough to do without spending my time restoring a saw with a bad crack. If I do pull that saw back out of the pile at some point, it will probably be to modify it to avoid that crack, but that's just me. Have fun with your restoration, and I'm glad this was helpful. Cheers!

[@valkyrjavakre6439]

I approve of this restoration. I might have filled the wood crack with wood glue and sawdust but other than that great job! you didn't sand it to crap or ruin the shape lol like so many others...👍

[@moonlightsnowfall6734]

Thanks VV, I'm glad you approve. With restorations like this I'm trying to remove only what I need to to prevent the tool from further damage and preserve as much as I can, and come out of it with a working tool that will last another 100 years.

[@theeddorian]

Nice. I like that the blade is cleaned thoroughly. On a working saw the polish on the plate, and the visible reflection of the edge of the piece being cut are more critical than the etch.

[@moonlightsnowfall6734]

Thanks TED, a working tool is exactly what I'm looking for. Handsome is nice, but it doesn't help get the job done.

[@theeddorian]

@@moonlightsnowfall6734 You do it the right way in my book. When I was quite young - actually before I started school, I think - my grandfather showed me how to look at the reflected edge of the board in the saw blade, and tilt the blade until it looked like the saw blade was transparent, and you could see the edge of the board run straight through the blade. He prized that polish on the blade and maintained all his saws that way.

[@hel1copter]

You made a nice job of that. Well done.

[@moonlightsnowfall6734]

Thanks h, I'm really happy with how this one came out. Its the perfect size for breaking down stock.

[@hel1copter]

@@moonlightsnowfall6734 I have two, exactly the same era/pattern. Both are 7tpi, one filed for crosscut, the other for rip. They were my dad’s, and probably his dad’s too. Definitely worth preserving.

[@philipchandler330]

Wonderful preservation loved the sharpening work I have some saws to so this winter after I build a saw till.

[@moonlightsnowfall6734]

Thanks PH, and good luck on your saw till and sharpening projects. I need a new saw till as well, the quick one I made years ago is overloaded.

[@pecopecof8074]

Wow, amazing job! Respect!

[@moonlightsnowfall6734]

Thanks PP, it was a fun project!

[@shawnataylor7998]

Nice job! I would be proud to use it.

[@moonlightsnowfall6734]

Thanks ST! Its a nice little saw

[@williamjrcartwright]

Cool trousers

[@moonlightsnowfall6734]

Thanks man! If you aren't lounging, you're working too hard.

[@RESTORATIONOFSCRAPMETAL]

Well done 👍

[@moonlightsnowfall6734]

Thanks Resto, I think it turned into a really great saw.

[@youtukang]

Excuseme 🙏🤝

[@youtukang]

Good job fr1end

[@moonlightsnowfall6734]

Thanks YT

[@michaelrickert7999]

I have 10 old panel saws. Now I know how to restore.

[@moonlightsnowfall6734]

Thanks MR, I'm glad you got something out of this, and I wish you good luck in your restorations! Happy New Year!

[@6411258]

Great video! Going to be making one of those putty knife screw drivers. Thanks for the idea.

[@moonlightsnowfall6734]

Thanks Greg, I'm glad you found something helpful. If I was going to make this tool again, I'd grind away a little more from the sides, or maybe make a custom tool (more work!) as I need to be careful not to scratch the wood with the parts of the tool that stick out beyond the screw. Cheers!

[@GT_Racer347]

Sweet 👍🏻 👍🏻

[@moonlightsnowfall6734]

Thanks GT, I'm glad you liked it.

[@tatiananaugolnykh]

Could you please put the products you've used in the description ?

[@moonlightsnowfall6734]

I've added what I used. Thanks for commenting, and good luck on your projects!

[@tatiananaugolnykh]

@moonlightsnowfall6734 Thank You ! Best of Luck !

[@restorationsvsoldthings8868]

Hey. Nice video.. good luck with your chanel 🤝

[@moonlightsnowfall6734]

Thanks a lot! And thanks for watching & commenting.

[@luxmunk]

Does all of this rejuvenation affect the value? This is not a rhetorical question. I asked because I have two saws that are of the same vintage, and I’m wondering if they should be restored, or if this will decrease their value.

[@moonlightsnowfall6734]

That's a good question LM, the value of the tools that I'm restoring is typically pretty limited. Disston made really nice saws, but as far as I know, only the very old ones have significant value as antiques or collectables. Disston was so popular that there are piles of saws out there of similar vintage to this saw, so the value to me is that even though it may 100 years old, its still a better saw than what you can buy new in most cases. If your saws were made before 1900, it may be worth looking into their value before restoring if the value is what you are interested in. For me, I want a user, and the work I put into this saw will be part of its history in another 100 years. What's right for me however, may not be right for you or others. Thanks for commenting!

[@truthimusmaximus]

Next restore your tooth setting tool!

[@moonlightsnowfall6734]

That's the Truth TM! Hilarious, but it works fine and its always had that funky green paint on there, since I've owned it anyway. And it works, so I'm not sure I want to mess with it.

[@mercoid]

I a disston cuzin to the makers of the saw

[@moonlightsnowfall6734]

Good one!