Chris,
The waves in the blades of those saws can be pretty easy to work out.  The 
quick fix in older days was simply to raise the toe end of the saw up, with 
a block of wood supporting it at the toe, and tap the spine from the 
top--driving the front end of the blade more deeply into spine.  This 
usually tensions the blade enough to straighten it out.  It also explains 
why so many back saws seem to have less depth under the spine at their front 
ends (no--they haven't been sharpened down).

Of course, you can also tap and bend the blade to bring it back into 
alignment.  Perhaps the best way to do this is to remove the blade entirely 
from the spine before working on it.  After removing the handle, this isn't 
hard to do either.  Just grip the blade, upside down, in a vise with padded 
jaws, and tap the underside of the spine (use a piece of hard wood, or a 
well padded pin for this) until the spine is off the blade.  Then straighten 
the blade and return it to the spine.

The best way to keep a good saw in good condition is to use it--not hang it 
on a wall!

Best regards, and welcome to the porch.

Sandy

Chris Kuehn has a couple of back saws:

>  A quick jaunt
>up to Cookes sharpening in York Pa and a wonderful visit with Steve
>yielded knowledge that I own two fairly special saws from the late 1800's
>and very early 1900's, unfortunatly they both have a wave in them that
>destins them to ornament status.
>

Chris,
The waves in the blades of those saws can be pretty easy to work out.  The 
quick fix in older days was simply to raise the toe end of the saw up, with 
a block of wood supporting it at the toe, and tap the spine from the 
top--driving the front end of the blade more deeply into spine.  This 
usually tensions the blade enough to straighten it out.  It also explains 
why so many back saws seem to have less depth under the spine at their front 
ends (no--they haven't been sharpened down).

Of course, you can also tap and bend the blade to bring it back into 
alignment.  Perhaps the best way to do this is to remove the blade entirely 
from the spine before working on it.  After removing the handle, this isn't 
hard to do either.  Just grip the blade, upside down, in a vise with padded 
jaws, and tap the underside of the spine (use a piece of hard wood, or a 
well padded pin for this) until the spine is off the blade.  Then straighten 
the blade and return it to the spine.

An old master cabinet maker in Saybrook, Ct told me about 40 years ago that 
the best way to keep a good saw in good condition is to use it--not hang it 
on a wall!

Best regards, and welcome to the porch.

Sandy

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