The Crosscut Saw Manual by Miller History is available as a free PDF download, thanks to Lehmans.
Download or view the pdf here. Alternatively, visit Lehmans for the download link or to buy a printed copy for only $10.
This is what you’ll find in the manual.
GLOSSARY
INTRODUCTION
THE CROSSCUT SAW
HOW A SAW CUTS
SAW VISE
FILING THE SAW
- Cleaning the Saw
- Hammering or Straightening
- Jointing the Saw
- Short Jointer
- Long Jointer
- Raker Fitting
- Fitting Straight Rakers
- Fitting Swaged Rakers
- Repairing Bent Rakers and Cutter Teeth
- Broken Raker Tip
- Pointing Up Cutter Teeth
- Setting
TESTING A SAW
CHOOSING AND USING A SAW
HANDLE POSITIONS
STORING SAWS
FINDING SAWS AND TOOLS
Here’s an excerpt from the history section:
The two-person crosscut saw was evidently known by the Romans, though it was little used by them. It wasn’t until the middle of the 15th century that the crosscut saw came into fairly common use in Europe. Records indicate that crosscut saws were used for cutting logs in the United States between 1635 and 1681. Around 1880, Pennsylvania lumbermen began felling trees with crosscut saws. Before that time, all trees had been felled with axes and then cut into lengths using crosscut saws.
Until the 15th century, the two-person crosscut saw featured a plain tooth pattern. The “M” tooth pattern appears to have been developed and used in southern Germany during the 1400s. Even as late as 1900, most European crosscut saws still used the plain tooth pattern, with only a few exceptions incorporating the M tooth design. It was not until relatively recently that saws with a raker, or “drag,” were developed.
And from “How a saw cuts”:
The cutting teeth of a crosscut saw sever the fibers on each side of the kerf. The raker teeth, cutting like a plane bit, peel the cut fibers and collect them in the sawdust gullets between the cutting teeth and the raker teeth, carrying them out of the cut. A properly sharpened crosscut saw cuts deep and makes thick shavings. On large timber, where the amount of shavings accumulated per stroke is considerable, a large gullet is necessary to carry out the shavings to prevent the saw from binding.
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