Ok ladies and gentlemen, we now have our June "What's it" live and ready!

 

The image(s) below is a MWTCA "What's It" image for you to research, and tell us all here in this topic post, just what the heck is it!

Remember, the first accurate answer wins a one year membership to the awesome organization MWTCA!

 

If an accurate answer cannot be arrived at by the end of the current calendar month this project is posted, a random drawing will be held to include anyone who participated in this months What's It. One winner will be chosen to receive a calendar year membership to MWTCA and all of it's wonderful benefits of membership. Compliments of The Patriot Woodworker Community.

 

For a run down on this project and the rules, please see this page at "The Patriot Woodworker and MWTCA "What's It" project"

 

A different "What's It"

This is a unique What's it. Since we already know what it is, there is a specific question regarding this saw.

What we are looking for is a specific answer to the following question.

 

 "I picked up this old Disston at a yard sale and I can't find anything like it.....it has a copper blade. It is magnetic, so I assume it's copper coated. Do you have any information on why a saw would be copper? Should I sand it to find the etching?"

I am wondering if someone, at some point copper plated it for some reason

42 minutes ago, Chips N Dust said:

I am wondering if someone, at some point copper plated it for some reason

And it's magnetized Kelly, could it have been stored around magnets? Can magnetism transfer?

It could be some "decoration" someone had to hang messages for the family on, using magnets and they copper plated it to make it look better rather than paint it

Copper plated to avoid SPARKS

I go with Stevens answer, copper plating tools was to prevent sparks when working in an explosive atmosphere. Might have been used in coal mine, oil fields, petroleum refinery, any confined area that might have combustibles or contestable fumes, another thing comes to mind, an ammunition bunker.

Herb

13 minutes ago, steven newman said:

Copper plated to avoid SPARKS

 

Saw teeth would still create sparks with the steel showing from sharpening and use.

Does it show any signs of wear?  Plated or no, if it were for actual use I would expect the teeth to have the plating worn off as well as scratch marks, etc.  Without evidence of use my vote would be for decorative purposes.

Is the saw itself magnetic, or that magnets stick to it?

You asked if magnetism can transfer, sure.  You can get a screwdriver to be magnetic for a short while by storing it with a magnet.

Cal

Reading the question again, it appears they are saying even though it looks like copper, a magnet can stick to it, indicating that it's not solid copper, only copper coated.

I just had a change over to a New Server, and I see it wiped out some of the posts on this thread.

Herb

4 minutes ago, Dadio said:

I just had a change over to a New Server, and I see it wiped out some of the posts on this thread.

Herb

Can you clarify further Herb?

I was posting an answer to this thread and I got a sudden screen that said Sever Change and instructions to clear the DNS.

using command prompts. which I did, and when I got back on TPW all the posts on several threads I made were gone.

I got the same thing Herb. I did not follow the directions, instead, I closed and re-started my computer.

I also had several postings go missing

1 minute ago, Chips N Dust said:

I got the same thing Herb. I did not follow the directions, instead, I closed and re-started my computer.

I also had several postings go missing

Was that you that made the comment on musical saws?

 

The last post I have now is JM talking about copper coating.

Herb

Thanks guys, we did move, but I had it scheduled for later, I was going to post a warning, but the move happened sooner than expected today.

It was my post on the musical saws that went missing.  It even had some likes on it and they are missing too.  Took a while to find these links again.  Musical saws were copper plated and also gold plated.  See link below.

 

http://www.sawlady.com/DifferentSaws.htm

 

This excerpt describes how they were copper plated and some were gold plated.

 

Quote

This was the "cadillac" of musical saws in 1937, selling for $25. How times have changed! Sold at auction in 2002 for $46, $51, $52, $61 and even $172.50. Sold for $102 in 2004, $100 Apr. 2005 Originally copper and then 14-karat gold-plated (a dollar's worth of gold in 1926), the gold has a tendency to either be polished off or evaporate. There is an etching that read "The Musical Saw - Special Temper Process Patented - MUSSEHL & WESTPHAL - Fort Atkinson, Wis." (on some saws an additional line is present - see photos below). Rhinestones are inserted in celuloid washers surrounding the gold plated bolts that hold the handle to the blade. The end 3 5/8" of the 26" blade has an additional rough coating to aid in holding the blade while playing. As the saw was not intended for woodwork, the 8 TPI (tooth per inch) blade has no set or file to the teeth. Mahogony handle. Discontinued in the 1950's.

 

I had an old carpenter play all the saws in my toolbox one time.

Herb

Dan has IT...

 

I got that screen too...

just rebooted...

4 hours ago, Dadio said:

Was that you that made the comment on musical saws?

 

The last post I have now is JM talking about copper coating.

Herb

Not me - Dan the Man

If it does have a set to the teeth it's an oil Derrick saw or coal mine saw.