Hi Dwight, I'll take a stab:

>>Blade has general pitting, but I'm going to use it anyway. <<

I'm sure it will work just fine, but it will cut more easily and holding
a square line will be easier if you make a new polished saw plate (using
the original back. You can get .020 or .022 1095 spring-tempered steel
from McMaster or MSC. Might be fun. I haven't done it yet but am looking
forward to it (already picked up some steel)

I just redid a old Jackson that had a bit more pitting in the back, but
less in the blade, than yours so I kept both. I used Birchwood Casey
Plum Brown (a product used sold for "browing" reproduction
muzzleloaders) on the back and the back turned out great. All actual
rust is gone but it really looks like an original patina. Polished the
blade itself as best I could with 400 grit.

>> I managed to separate the shaft of one screw from its base.
Relatively clean break (sorry, no pics.) Do the assembled porch members
have any suggestions about reattaching the shaft and screw? <<

I wish you luck with any soldering. There will be a pretty good bit of
stress on the shaft when tightened. You might want to try new split
nuts. Very nice split nuts are available for what I consider a very fair
price from Wenzloff & Sons at:

http://wenzloffandsons.com/saws/kits.html

I am almost certain your saw handle is beech. This is based on zooming
in on your very nice hi res photo number 2 of 14 and looking at the bare
wood inside your open saw nut holes at:

http://picasaweb.google.com/dwb1124/WBGregoryCoBacksaw#529430946-
3675556754

What do the rest of you think? Very distinctive beech-like ray fleck on
the middle hole. To get the best match to your patch and a lovely old
color, try a good scrub or even taking it down to bare wood (settle down
boys, he's got a mortised-in patch to match). When all your patching is
complete and you have fit your saw nuts and filed them flat and flush
with the wood, give it a few days soak in BLO well thinned with turps.
Then dry and hand buff it and let it dry completely, at least another
week. Then a couple rubbed out coats of amber or garnet shellac, follow
up with some wax and it will have that "hundred year old beech" look all
over again. The handle on the Jackson I did was so ugly I almost tossed
it and made a new one. Instead, I took it down to bare wood and then
extensively reshaped it to give it a much classier profile (like yours
already has, BIG TIME), did the above, and it looks great.

Good luck. We want to see pics when you're done.

Rex Carpenter

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