Straightening a curved western style hand saw

[JayWC]

I was doing some work at my mom/dad's this last weekend and rather than using my circ saw for a cut I grabbed dad's Disston cross-cut saw from the garage. I tried to make a straight cut, but the saw wanted to make curves. Fortunately it was rough work (framing level precision). After my first cut I realized it has a bend in the plate both along the top and the teeth. The curve is worse along the top. I did a google search and it pulled up three methods to fix it.

1. Slap the saw on water.

2. Pour boiling water over it then bend back straight.

3. Use hammer blows to tension/detension the plate.

I'm thinking #1 is crap. #2 sounds the best. #3 seems like it would work, but requires more skill than I personally have. To me, there is another option...take the handle off and toss the blade. Other thoughts?

[nikbrown]

No idea about #1

#2 will probably not work well enough to get it truly back into good shape for precision work.

#3 is the way to do it!

If its a decent saw I would go with option #4: http://www.badaxetoolworks.com/bad-axe-restoration-services.html $35 to fix it... and get it sharpened while it's there.

If it's not a decent saw I would use it as practice for #3.

[RenaissanceWW]

I have actually spoken with Mark Harrell (Bad Axe Toolworks) about this very issue and he goes with #3 but admits that there should be some serious consideration about #4 before investing too much time. Once it bends, the steel is weaker and will be prone to bend again, especially if you are a new sawyer and may be prone to kinking the blade.

[Bob Rozaieski]

#1 - I don't think so.

#2 - Probably not. Boiling water just isn't hot enough. You can try another method of heat that might work. Use your kitchen oven. Set it to 400 degrees and put the saw in there (sans handle of course) for 30 minutes. Remove it with oven mits and bend it back the other way before it cools. It might work, but if the bend is due to a kink, it probably won't.

#3 - This is typically the way to do it, but you have to hammer in the right spots, the right way, with the right force (surprisingly little), the right number of times (surprisingly numerous). Then you will need to retensioned the toothline. You can learn to do this, but if the saw was your dad's and it has some sentimental value, I wouldn't let it be your first practice piece for hammering. You can very easily ruin the plate to the point that it can no longer be repaired if you don't do it right. Better to practice this skill on a $2 flea market beater rather than a saw with family history.

[jmk89]

I have had a go at straightening western saw plates.

I agree with the responses to the suggestions made above - I doubt #1 and #2. #3 will work - like Bob says, my experience in trying this is that it is something where you need to develop some skill first. Like most skills of this kind (eg saw sharpening), the first saw is the hardest, and the one that you learn the most from, but it likely will not be the one that results in a perfect outcome! My second attempt got me an appreciable improvement and my third was pretty darn good IMHO .

I did as Bob suggested and started with a saw in which I had no emotional investment.

The most detailed explanation of the techniques that you need to use is in an article by Bob Smalser which you can find here:

http://www.wkfinetools.com/contrib/bSmalser/art/strSawBlade/strSawBlade1.asp

[JayWC]

The saw has little value to either dad or I. I'm thinking it was the beater hanging in his garage for a reason. I have my Japanese and L/N saws in my shop carefully stored...also for a reason. In the end, it's my opinion that this saw isn't worth the time. When we have absolutely nothing else to do, we can try #3 on it. Dad is a journeyman sheet metal worker and has done similar work on custom pieces. From what I understand though, it's as old as I am and dad used it when he built the house it now hangs in. Thanks for all the thoughts and advice!