A Mystery Tool Joined The Fleet & I Wonder What It Is

[PGB1]

Hi All!

Yesterday, I saw the tool (or part of a tool) in a box of machinist's tools at a flea market. It intrigued me, so I adopted it for twenty five cents. But, I sure am stumped about what it is. Do any of you recognize it? It is perhaps a part of another tool or fixture?

The interesting part is the wedge on the top. It kind of looks like the wedge on a nut splitter tool.

I'm stumped on this one.

Thanks For Ideas!
Paul

 

[george wilson]

That is an old fashioned saw setter. You would mount it in a stump,or clamp in a vise. The head was tapped with a hammer to set a saw tooth put under the triangular part. The amount of set was determined by adjusting that screw. The saw blade was rested on the screw every time. We used one of those old devices in Williamsburg when we made saws for the Historic Area. They work quite well. Better than the hand squeezed type if you are setting dozens of saws.

That swivel looking gadget is knocked forward or backwards to accommodate the size of the teeth on the saw you are setting.

 

[dulltool17]

That is an old fashioned saw setter. You would mount it in a stump,or clamp in a vise. The head was tapped with a hammer to set a saw tooth put under the triangular part. The amount of set was determined by adjusting that screw. The saw blade was rested on the screw every time. We used one of those old devices in Williamsburg when we made saws for the Historic Area. They work quite well. Better than the hand squeezed type if you are setting dozens of saws.

That swivel looking gadget is knocked forward or backwards to accommodate the size of the teeth on the saw you are setting.

Exactly! I've got an old hand-squeeze tool somewhere. Works OK, but I can see how this larger tool would be better, especially for larger teeth. I'll bet it's still fully functional; just needs a bit of clean-up.

Doug

 

[PGB1]

Thank You George & Doug!
I sure appreciate the time you both took to share information.

After reading your posts, I held it next to my hand squeeze saw setting tools & I sure see what george meant about using this type if you have dozens of saws to set. I'll bet that in the field, a tool-tender could work in production line fashion.
This one's going in my 'mini museum' of older hand tools. (After I use it on a couple of saws, of course!)

Thanks Again & Enjoy This Day!
Paul

 

[george wilson]

Your hands can get bloody if you set enough saws,using the regular squeezer type,especially if they tend to have a lot of small teeth. We found that out when we made dozens of saws in the toolmaker's shop for use in the museum's Historic Trades Shops. Here is one batch. I did not get pictures made of the crosscut and rip saws. One is represented at the front of the 16' bench. Nor did I get pictures of the numerous special saws we also made.

Punch the picture 3 times to really magnify it. One of each type saw is laid out nearest the viewer. The earlier styles of saws look quite undeveloped in their handle designs. The earliest type have square head nuts instead of inlet brass saw screws,which were in use up to the late 19th. C.. You had to have a forked screwdriver to adjust them.

Counting from your left,numbers 4 and 6 across are the earliest style from about 1750. Only one known original is around these days. We were loaned it to copy as that brand was known to have been popular in Williamsburg in the 18th. C.. White was the maker. They have folded steel backs. The later ones had brass backs. You can see the low-domed heads of their saw screws,which had the square head nuts on the other side. To me,they look like standard carriage bolts. Later on,special brass saw screws were developed.

#5 from the left is a later saw style from about 1770. It has brass saw screws,a somewhat less bizarre looking handle,but still has the cheap looking steel back. The brass backed saws with good looking handles are Kenyon styles from the unused(Seaton) tool chest. They are about 1780.

 

[Rbeckett]

George,
That is a nice looking lot of various saws. Outstanding craftsmanship too.

Bob

 

[george wilson]

THey are all close copies of 18th. C. saws that were found in an UNUSED set of 18th. C. tools. Some rich person bought himself a complete set of cabinet maker's tools. He intended to dabble in cabinet making,but apparently did not get around to it. Even his pencils were never sharpened,and the hand cut triangular saw files were never used. The chisels are still wrapped in paper. A real time capsule from the later 18th. C.

We finished the saw handles to the same degree that the originals were: They were not as slick as those made in the 19th. C.,when machinery became more common in manufacture. Original 18th. C. saw handles still had scraper marks,and perhaps some remaining rasp marks. You can really see them better when the old tools have never been used. Those marks got smoothed over through use or by the craftsmen by the time you see original tools that were actually used hard for many decades. Also,original saws came with teeth punched,but not sharpened. We sharpened ours,but back then,the craftsman was expected to sharpen his own saws,and make handles for chisels and carving tools as they were sold unhandled. Makers were quite frugal back then,and I guess craftsmen wanted tools as cheap as possible. They never had much money.

Due to your interest,I have added much info to the initial post if you'd like to go back and re read it.

 

[PGB1]

Wow George! What a great write up you shared with us all!

You must have had a great time doing projects for the historic area. Those saws in the photos are amazing. Real craftsmanship, to be sure. When viewing a tool of the age, I love to ponder about who made the item, where, why, when & especially how it was made.
I also love to think about how, after so very many years, people can still enjoy work crafted by that person's hands.

Someday I hope my wife & I can visit the area & see those wonderful tools of the day!

Thanks again for sharing!
Paul

 

[george wilson]

Most of the saws and planes now being used in the Historic Trades shops are ours,except molding planes,we made a few. We also made a few 6" wide molding planes for reproducing the large cornice moldings around a kitchen building the HouseWrights made by hand behind one of the buildings.

I wonder if those planes will be replaced in the museum when they wear out? I have been retired since 2009.

Here's a picture of a batch of planes. It won't enlarge,sorry. That's me on the left,and Jon,my journeyman,on the right. Same 16' bench as the saws were on. But,there are 2 -4' x 8' sheets of plywood under them.

I never made pictures of "ordinary" tools we made before this picture,because they were what I considered as just ordinary. I made pictures of retirement gifts since they were nicer. Someone accused us of "Only making retirement gifts" when they saw the pictures. Just jealousy,which was very common in the museum. We had the very best job in the whole place. After that,I began to get pictures made of ordinary planes,saws,and other things.It cost money to get the company photographer out there,is one reason we did not get more pictures made.

P.S.: Found a larger picture,but it needs rotating,which I don't know how to do. Perhaps Bill Gruby or someone who is more computer savvy can fix it.

 

[gregg]

Would this fit in a( harde )sp hole in a anvil???
Love your pictures from Williamsburg.