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.
21 окт 2024
