Old Crosscut Saws

[Al Smith]

The ones they use for logging competitions are several thousand dollars apiece and cost like 3 hundred just to get them sharpened .Two good sawyers can out cut a pretty good sized stock saw with one .Of course they can't out last it .

I've got the Time-Life book called "The loggers " which tells of the early days of great lakes logging ,eastern plus the PNW big stuff .It might take 4 hours with axe and cross cut to drop a 4 foot eastern oak .On those big Doug firs and red woods on the far coast it might take them days . Lawdy that was definately the days of iron men .

The average logger was about 160 pounds and consumed 8,000 calories a day ,burned that much off .

 

[Cut4fun]

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[stig]

Stig, are those historical aluminum wedges too?

To me they are!

I gave away all of mine a couple of years ago, I only use Hardheads today.

But you're right, we should have used some of Paul's old steel wedges.

At least the hammer is historic.
Paul got it from his dad when he retired from logging and passed it on to me when he, himself, retired.
That hammer has pounded wedges since long before the second world war.
I still use it every day of the logging season.

It is one of my most treasured possessions, almost makes me wish I'd begotten a son, to pass it on to.

Almost

 

[woodworkingboy]

How much would it cost to get one of those saws sent over here Jay?

Dave...shopping would probably be a bit over a hundred bucks. I think I payed about fifty for the saw.

 

[sotc]

It is one of my most treasured possessions, almost makes me wish I'd begotten a son, to pass it on to.

Almost

I have an extra!

 

[Tree Reb]

Here's mine. No one handing for me.

 

[MasterBlaster]

Mine has that hole!!! I wonder where I could get a handle? Or maybe make one and distress it. Cool!

 

[stig]

Anders finally got himself a DSI hammer like mine.
They haven't been manufactured for something like 30 years or so and are scarcer than hens teeth.
After he has been looking in scrapyards, yardsales and "antique" stores for 3 years with no luck, today our chainsaw dealer gave him a hammer head he'd had sitting around for the last decade.
I knew he had it, but really didn't think he'd part with it.
Anders has bought two saws within the last 3 weeks and the dealer just gave him the hammer and said, Merry xmas.
Such a cool thing to do

So I helped him put a new ash handle on it this afternoon, tommorrow it'll be knocking big beech trees over.

 

[CurSedVoyce]

I would say that Anders has a glow going on. Happy as a clam

 

[SkwerI]

He looks like a happy camper, for sure.

 

[Reddog]

Very cool Stig!
Now I see why you use Hardheads now, that thing would mush a standard plastic wedge.

 

[Old Monkey]

Nothing happier than a boy and his maul.

 

[Burnham]

Awesome!!!

 

[Dave Shepard]

Butch, here is a handle. I can't see the back of it, but it should fit in the hole of a one/two man crosscut like yours. Don't know why they don't show a better pic of the working end. I've got a saw like that, I think it's 42". I've used it to cut timbers, it's like new, just needs to be fine tuned.

 

[MasterBlaster]

Cool, but that one doesn't look right, attachment wise.

 

[Dave Shepard]

Yeah, I can't seem to figure it out. Forestry Suppliers might have them. I'll take a pic of my saw later on and post it in this thread, it has one of those extra handles.

 

[Cut4fun]

Retired one that was painted.

 

[Bounce]

Wow, I sure do like that painting. Did you do that yourself?

 

[Cut4fun]

Did you do that yourself?

Friend of the family did it.

 

[Al Smith]

I've got a buzz saw blade with my picture paited on while I was sitting on a John -Deere A .

 

[MasterBlaster]

I bet those handles had to be tightened routinely.

 

[Tree Reb]

Cool, but that one doesn't look right, attachment wise.

It sounds right. "Hardwood handle, steel rivet and fork."

If it comes with that it should be right.

 

[MasterBlaster]

Ahh, cool. I think I'll order it. I guess I should order two? Isn't that what the other hole at the end of the saw is for? Another handle?

 

[Cobleskill]

Stig,
Do you like the grain in the handle to be parallel to the head or perpendicular?

Imagine the damage you would do to a handsaw if you hit a foreign object. Would mess up your day, I am sure.

 

[Big A]

I have a 6foot 2-man cross-cut here, had to get a new handle turned up by a chap with a pole-lathe thanks to woodworm. This thread has given me a bright idea for the next time Tim (Blue) turns up.