Has Anyone Ever Used a Cross Cut?

Scotty · 10-22-2012, 09:37 PM

I was down at the barn looking around after we had started renovating the barn and found my Dad's old cross cut saw. He hadn't used it in years and it was just laying around in the tack room. It's still in good condition but it needs to be sharpened. I'm not going to use it but I may hang it in the house somewhere just as a reminder of how hard things used to be.

Hikenhunter · 10-23-2012, 12:38 AM

I used one once at a Boy scout camporee. Can't say it was any fun but it was different and I does make you appreciate what pioneers had to endure as they built this country.

ppine · 10-23-2012, 12:40 AM

Scotty,
When I was 12 a large oak tree fell in our yard during a windstorm. Dad went to the hardware store and bought a 2 man buck saw (misery whip). We cut the tree up and split it to heat the house. A cross-cut saw refers to any saw that is used to cut across the grain like a carpenters handsaw, as opposed to a rip saw, with the grain.

Recently my Dad gave me the saw after 50 years. It is still sharp. Always remember to set the teeth on a buck saw to increase the width of the kerf and make more room for the blade.

edit- Before the advent of chainsaws around WWII, large trees were felled (cut) with a buck saw. The front cut was usually made with an axe, but the back cut was made with the saw. The buck saw was also used to cut the logs to length (bucked).

Grandpa · 10-23-2012, 01:42 AM

Yes, I still have 3 carpenters crosscut handsaws, and 3 of the newer metal crosscut bowsaws. We use the bowsaws when we go Christmas treeing. It's easier to a carry a bow saw through the snow even though the chain saw cuts faster. I have always wanted an old crosscut whip saw but never had one.

wvbreamfisherman · 10-23-2012, 10:14 AM

I have some of my grandfather's saws. He was a carpenter (housebuilder) he had a whole collection of saws and planes and other tools, but my worthless uncle grabbed almost everything (and probably drank it all up). I found a couple of old saws and his toolbox stashed up in the back corner of the garage loft.

I very rarely use the ripsaw, but the crosscut saws are still good to go and I use them pretty often. They teeth aren't as agressive as modern saws and they are a lot easier to start a cut in soft wood. With care they should last another couple generations

Pathfinder1 · 10-23-2012, 11:35 AM

Hi...

Yes, I've used many types of crosscut saws (and many other types of saws), mostly when I was a carpenter.

As a lad-to-teen, I used them (two-man saws) to fell trees with farmers, who cut them in the Winter not only only firewood, but for fence posts. Chainsaws were not available for personal use at the time, nor were farm tractors. Horses were used for logging by farmers then, and also were used for plowing, cutting hay, pulling 'stone boats', etc.

Every dairy farm back then had a team of work horses.

I've seen many of the one and two man saws cleaned up and had scenes of various outdoor life painted on them, and hung in the owner's walls as art.

Barney · 10-23-2012, 11:51 AM

I use a small folding version of these know. But I do have multiple variants in the garage and I use them all the time. Folding one is for the field, very handy.