Hand book for lumbermen

Henry Disston, the founder of the establishment of Henry Disston & Sons, incorporated, began making saws in 1840. The lumber manufacturing business, at that time in its infancy, has since been brought to a high state of perfection; thousands of feet of lumber per day are demanded, where formerly hundreds were sufficient. Consequently, saws are required which will stand tremendous speeds and the strain put upon them by an enormous feed.

After repeated unsuccessful efforts to procure steel of the desired quality, this firm, in 1855, erected a crucible steel plant expressly adapted to the manufacture of saw steel. Constant efforts and unlimited expenditure of time and money enabled them to produce the steel, which, for general excellence has established an enviable and Worldwide reputation.

The valuable data collected as manufacturers of saws of all kinds and descriptions, together with the experience gained in making steel, has placed the firm of Henry Disston & Sons, Inc., in a position to make steel peculiarly adapted to the requirements of the various branches of saw making. The plant has been remodeled several times, once consequent upon removal, three times after destructive fires, and each time has arisen, Phoenix-like, larger and better than ever, and with the extensive additions now about completed makes it, beyond question, the largest and most modern crucible saw steel plant and saw factory in the World.

The steel being of uniform grade insures a uniform temper in the saws, which, in connection with the system of hammering, grinding and tensioning employed, makes DISSTON SAWS superior to all others. The most skillful mechanics in all branches, tempering facilities exclusively their own, a shop equipped with the finest machinery and a determination to spare no necessary expense to make perfect saws, has gained for the saws bearing the name Henry Disston & Sons, the high reputation they bear.

That this policy is a wise one is evidenced by the fact that DISSTON SAWS are used by the great majority of lumber manufacturers, wood and metal workers throughout the World. The name DISSTON on a saw is a guarantee it is the best that can be produced.

The demand for a book of instruction on saw filing having demonstrated itself to us not only by personal inquiry and letter, but also by the return of fine quality saws, pronounced defective through a lack of knowledge of how to keep them in order, or by the use of extensively advertised so-called saw-sets and other tools, - which pull the saw blade apart or so distort it as to render it unfit for use - has led us to compile this little work for gratuitous distribution for the enlightenment of the amateur and the improvement of the expert mechanic.

Having thus introduced the object of this book, we will endeavor to give in the following pages such practical information as to the proper methods of keeping saws in order and of the tools with which to do so, that will overcome the above mentioned pit-falls to the proper working of the saw. We offer our large experience and the reputation of our goods for the efficiency of this treatise, which has been gleaned from the most practical and oldest saw filers of our establishment, many of whom have been with us two score of years. While we admit there are other methods of putting saws in order, there is no difference in the result obtained; our modes weclaim the easiest and equally or more effective.

We take occasion to thank our patrons for their appreciation of the high standard that our products have attained, - which has been the basis for our constantly increasing business - which shall be maintained, and trust thereby to renew our good will and increase our trade in future.

HENRY DISSTON & SONS, Incorporated.

The saw is either reciprocating or continuous in action, the first being a flat blade and practically straight edge, making a plane cut, as in hand, mill, jig and sash saws; the latter, either a circular or rotating disc, cutting in a plane at a right angle to its axis, a cylindrical or barrel shape with a convex edge cutting parallel to its axis, or a continuous ribbon or band running on two pulleys making a plane or curved cut with a straight edge parallel to their axes of rotation. Practically speaking, the teeth are a series of knives set on a circular or straight line, each tooth cutting out its proportion of wood and kept from cutting more by the teeth on either side of it. Each tooth should cut the same amount and carry out the chip or dust, dropping it to the sides or below the material being sawed. Different kinds of wood require teeth different in number, angle or pitch and style of filing.

The perfection of a saw is one that cuts the fastest and smoothest with the least expenditure of power; to do this, it is evident that each tooth should be so constructed and dressed as to do an equal proportion of the work, for if any of the teeth are out of line or shape, they are not only useless themselves, but a disadvantage to the others. We find many good mechanics who frankly acknowledge that they never could file a saw satisfactorily; the probable reason is that they never studied the principle of the action or working of the tool. There is no reason why any man of ordinary mechanical ability should not be able to put and keep his saw in order, but like all trades, it requires practice and study of the subject.

A careful study of the following illustrations and explanations, will greatly assist in the selection of a saw and the best methods of keeping it in proper working order.

A saw tooth has two functions - paring and scraping. A slitting or ripping saw for wood should have its cutting edge at about right angles to the fibre of the wood, severing it in one place, the throat of tooth wedging out the piece.

In a cross-cut wood saw, the cutting edge also strikes the fibre at right angles to its length, but severs it on each side from the main body before dislodging it.

Fig. I is a four-point rip or slitting saw with the rake all in front, where the cutting duty is. This saw should be filed square across, filing one-half the teeth from each side after setting, which will give a slight bevel to the cutting edge of tooth, as it should be for soft wood ; for medium hard woods a finer toothed saw with five points to the inch should be used and dressed in the same manner; for the very hardest and toughest cross-grained woods a saw still finer, the teeth filed slightly bevelling as ripping cross-grained stuff partakes a little of the nature of cross-cutting. In all cases where ripping 15 done, the thrust of the saw should be on an angle of about 45° to the material being cut, as shown in Fig. 2; this makes a shearing cut, an advantage that can be very quickly demonstrated with an ordinary pocket knife cutting any piece of wood. For ripping thoroughly dry lumber, it will be found advantageous to use an extra thin back saw which will run without set.