This restoration was on a 1940s "The Model" swing saw made by Irvington Machine Works of Portland, Oregon, USA. I was unable to locate a specific patent related to this saw, but swing saws were popular even in the late 1800s in sawmills and lumber yards for quick cross-cutting.
The swing saw was sent to me by a viewer after he purchased it in an auction in Minnesota, USA. Once I saw it, I knew I had to have it. The danger level is too high for it not to be mine!
For this restoration I needed to remake a brass angle indicator through acid etching. I also had to create a custom bushing for the saw blade as the saw arbour is an odd size. The machine tags on both the saw and the original electric motor were left alone with only a little clean-up. All other parts were completely disassembled, de-rusted, sandblasted and painted.
The saw arbour had more modern roller bearings whereas all other bearing surfaces used babbitt. Luckily they all seem to be in good enough shape as to not need repair or replacing.
The new saw blade for this tool is one with a negative rake. This means the teeth of the blade are hooked in a backwards direction in relation to the the direction of spinning. Negative-raked teeth on circular saw blades are the safest choice for swing saws, radial arm saws, and sliding miter saws as they have less of a chance of grabbing the wood and driving saw toward your body and face.
Personally, I find this tool to be one of the most terrifying to use out of all the ones in my collection.
I would like to thank Evapo-Rust for sponsoring this video.
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Podcast (with Jimmy DiResta and Andrew Alexander) - anchor.fm/fitzall
Needs one safety upgrade: A big brass tag "Days since last amputation"
It would just be a counter that trips every time you swing.
SAFETY SUZIE :p
Prudence would not approve
😂🤣
Just engrave a big zero on it.
Perfect gift for that special someone with too many fingers.
or arms... legs...
🤣
Or intestines which are just too long.
Or for the guy that borrows and doesn't bring back.
LMFAO
The last guy who took that down probably breathed a sigh of relief that it will no longer take any victims.... And you resurrected it...
My 3 year old son and I recently bonded over watching your videos, happened to watch this one about a month ago. He's now referenced this about a dozen times at random by AGGRESSIVELY whispering "THE MODEL" at me when I least expect it, cracks me up every time. Thanks, and keep up the great videos 👍
Hahahaha!
You got yourself a good kid there...!
The fact that this absolute Jiggsaw trap of a machine is just simply called "THE MODEL" makes it so much better, it's like they knew the customers wouldn't survive long enough to buy the next model lol
You only buy it once and it can kill people for years to come!
Fasen Erik dig ser en överallt när de finns gamla grejer 😂😁 vi verkar ha samma intresse 😉
@@HandToolRescue Yeah! Talk about efficient!
@@2strokepower803 Ja det verkar så! Man har ju ett rätt stort tycke för just gamla maskiner o så😃 Vet ju att du verkar ha en hel del trevliga grejjer! Alltid kul med likasinnade!
At a guess, they didn't have enough space between 'the' and 'model' for the word 'amputation'. I know from personal experience how dangerous a modern chop saw is.
I'll be honest. The testing stage gave me legit anxiety. That thing is HUNGRY for human flesh.
You wouldn't want to be in the same city with this. One day that spring will break free.
It's hunger must be satiated with human flesh or it will break it's bonds to feed.
@@iddqds that spring ain’t stopping anything if it locks into something in the wood. That things flying right at your face!
@@iddqds That spring would just allow it to take repeated swipes. Egads.
@@dimesonhiseyes9134 most underrated comment I've personally ever seen
This is downright terrifying. Exposed belt, no safeties. One wrong move and you lose a finger, your hand, or your scalp. Brilliant.
This was back when you were accountable for your own actions. You want safety you best be safe.
@@Happy357mag Yeah I remember back when if you cut off your own wrist they just told ya you shoulda known better and put a bandaid on the gushing artery
@@Happy357mag Oh yeah the good ol days where half the tradesmen you met were missing fingers or limbs and their bosses told them "yer on yer own champ!"
@@BaronCreel Well back then there was a lot more laborers and tradesmen then there is today. Also having good hospitals help a lot too. My comment wasn't about the "good old days" rather having more responsibility about your own health. Common sense also helps a lot.
@@Happy357mag You do realize safety guards on tools has nothing to do with personal responsibility? We don't hire children to run around unjamming industrial fabric machines anymore and they had massive amounts of the kind of "personal responsibility" you're talking about. Saws are already dangerous. All of these old designs aren't used this way anymore for the very reason of unnecessary danger.
That wasn't rust....that was blood! I love this channel!
When I picked that the previous owner said it never hurt anyone because it scared people so much they were always careful. Also it’s got a serious kick when it turns on, it gets, and keeps, your full attention
I bet! Thanks again for finding and sending this my way.
You are a true hero. Thanks for finding and sharing!
Awesome
It made me think immediately of "The Pit and the Pendulum." What heinous acts have been committed with this gruesome tool?
Interesting, I was just about to say that might be the scariest thing ever on this channel, and i think i'd stay well away from it.
The suicide saw aka "the model"
Should have just called it "The Murder".
@@HandToolRescue Yep indeed HAHA XD
was just about to say "what a dangerous saw" but you beat me to it
I was thinking that "Riders on the Storm" should have been playing while we watched it operate.
Safety is not your number one priority ! lol XD
Clearly, a death machine. And yet- it has all kinds of adjustments, even an angle gauge. Apparently, it was important to know at exactly what angle it was going to cut your arm off...
LMFAO
Could I please have 17° of death today?
Six degrees of limb separation
There is something so special about the sound of steel scraping against cast iron, you captured it quite perfectly.
Designer: 'Hey, don't forget to put the model on the body of the saw" Guy: "Got it!" 0:33
LOL - best comment.
Ahhhh hahhaaha oh shit damn near pissed muh britches lmao def the best comment.
😆😂🤣
I’m glad I was able to be apart of the “Great changing of the wire wheel. 2020 AD”
I really appreciate the reverence given to the wire wheel change. The lighting was perfect for such a solemn event.
😂😂
mom: what would you want for christmas Kid: (in a deep and quiet voice) "The Model"
This week on Murder Tool Rescue...
Try living out in the boonies , machinery equipment like this exists . more than others lets just say.
imagen he is a real murder
OK taking all bets how long till he has a video with only 9 fingers
Pendulum execution.
Remember Dexter? I would think that this would get the "Dexter Approved" seal of quality.
Damn, 1940's playground equipment was hardcore. I assume one kid rode it and the other kids had to dodge it?
This
And to think.... This awesome restoration of......"The Model"......could NOT have been completed without using legendary Canadian sandpaper!!! I, sir, am amazed.
That sandpaper on a screwdriver trick is genius. I'm stealing that.
Great video Eric as usual, love the whispered " The Model " and especially the changing of the wire wheel had me in hysterics. Well done sir, well done.
Glad you enjoyed it!
It's like "The leg" from A Christmas Story
Well that is a truly frightening machine! Nice method for making the brass scales 😉
Thanks! If only there was a good video on brass acid etching...
@@HandToolRescue if there's one thing the internet needs it's more brass etching videos!
@@SwitchAndLever agreed!
Sorcerers! The whole lot of you!
@@SwitchAndLever I know you already made a brass etching video, but maybe you could upload another? We miss you and need a fix.
He changed the wire wheel this is a truly sacred moment...
What do you mean?
Time stamp?
@@rykermartian 9:43
@@rykermartian how can you miss that?
@@DaleDix uhhhh I’m not sure
Your narration adds 100% to your videos.
Someone looked at a radial arm saw and said "that thing is too darn safe"
The wire wheel scene is Oscar worthy
By far one of the most flesh hungry tools you have restored.
My favourite bit was when the wood cracked when you screwed the spring in place 😍😍😍
9:50 this happens every 200 years, luckily we were able to appreciate it
....and where were you when the wire wheel was changed?
@@HandToolRescue Many of us were the abject wildest dreams our forebears imagined, when last such an occasion occurred. They thought The Sun revolved around The Earth, and that fluorescent-colored slap bracelets were the only things worth knowing.
In the name of the Grainger, and the Dewalt, and the Ho-Lee Valley...
@@HandToolRescue In the toilet at work, where I usually watch these videos.
I would totally watch an hour long video of him doing mundane maintenance random tools around the shop like this lol
The nice man from OSHA would wet his pants and faint if he saw this running!
Haha there would be so many fines!
@@JackHudler yeah, cause the giant spinning saw only held by a spring is no problem Ahah
Luckily HTR is in Canada and only has to deal with the Government of Saskatchewan. My condolences to HTR's family.
🤔🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
🤦🏻♂️😂😂
Small wonder the old timers retired with stubby hands! Tenacious restoration none the less, great job.
Hand Tool Rescue's mantra: "let me find and restore the most dangerous and terrifying tools known to mankind"
I'd ditch the screen door spring for a nice counterweight on a pulley, look neater, be easy to tune and might even work better
There seems to be a common thread among some of the more recent videos ... “If you’re operating on the wrong side, you’re going to die.” I love!
The part where you changed out the wire brush was absolutely hilarious! I love how you put little bits of comedy in your videos.
Came here for the epic restoration - Got "the moooodel", The Great hanging of The Wire Wheel, the sour sushi and all the other giggles and laughs! Also, that angle gauge build was amazing!
Love this guy's sense of humour.
As if the machines he restores are not dangerous enough, I'm surprised at how his workbench does not spontaneously combust. It's probably the most flammable substance in the known universe by now.
True I commented once that if it got on fire make sure you have it on tape
It's either going to burst into flames or start growing appendages.
@@jbidinger one day he'll go out to the workshop and the bench will have crawled halfway to the door...
I'm still pissed that "excessively flammable workbench" doesn't get an opening credit. :)
@@MorseB I'll sign a petition for that to happen
"Whispering Hand Tool Rescue isn't real. He can't hurt you." Hand Tool Rescue: T H E M O D E L
I'm so sorry I'm missing this cultural reference, but am I the only one who doesn't get it? Would any kind soul enlight me on this one please?
@@nicolasecarnot look for “ skull cow isn’t real. He can’t hurt you” on google.
@@XavierAncarno Thx Xavier for your answer. I did not know the skull cow meme. But actually, I was mainly interested by the whispering meme. Do you know where it comes from?
Kraftwerk - "The Model" from 1978 "She's a model and she's looking good. I'd like to take her home it's understood"
@@jettcarlburg356 Looks like you're kidding me... Hard time for non-native english speakers!
The mighty swing saw once broken now repaired and only god knows what will happen next with it and great job restoring that thing
The changing of the wheel....Love it!
I don't often comment on videos I watch but I wanted to tell you I enjoy watching yours. You are really talented and do some great restoration work. Your attention to detail and getting as close to perfection as you can is phenomenal. You have a sense of humor that I really do find funny too. Not many can make me laugh out loud but you have several times.
So nice to hear. Thank you.
@@HandToolRescue yah dude. i love your humor too. funny as hell, solid restos. i watch this stuff when i'm avoiding my job. so thanks for that.
A good saw will cut reliably where, when, and how you want it to cut. A great saw will cut anything and everything within a 5 foot radius. This is a great saw.
That exclamation of relief, I felt that in my soul. I am all too familiar with that feeling.
Beautiful restoration as always. A sturdy and well-crafted machine to be sure. One wonders how many fingers it has devoured over the years.
That's the most absurdly dangerous piece of shop equipment I've ever seen.
Apparently you have never seen some one cross cut a sheet of ply on a radial arm saw.
“The Texas Swing Saw Massacre. in movie theaters now”.
Vc e o mecânico mais lambão que eu conheço ,vc não pode dizer que vc e restaurador ,vc e só um mecânico meia boca.
Would be better as a weapon than a chainsaw
id watch
@@tp6335 yup you are rigth
😂😂😂😂
I try to tell people the stuff on the internet is incomparable to the crap on TV. I've told them for years and this is a perfect example. Mr. Toolrescueman is hilarious and at the same time amazing. Keep it up.... I'm referring to your videos, Mr. Toolrescueman.
The previous wire wheel has, for many a turns, given us spotless parts. Blessed be thee
This might be the most terrifyingly dangerous piece of equipment I've ever seen. I have a respectful fear tablesaws and bandsaws when I use them, but this thing? That's a nope from me, dawg.
used in saw mills, to cut boards to length inside larger machinery. These were not 'operated' by a person like a table saw.. they are mounted in much larger wood conveyer structures and operated either by push-button or later, automation, to cut boards passing beneath a gang of these to length. I conveyer might have 6 or 10 of these above the boards on 2' increments
@@jenniferwhitewolf3784 So what he used as a handle at the end would have a mechanical arm on it instead? That makes way more sense because as is this thing is just waiting to jump out toward the 'user' as soon as the blade binds even a little bit.
I was thinking the same fellooww
@Doogie Carpit Burger Good to know that he got away with just that. Sounds like he could have lost the whole hand. Table saws are scary because you can't see the cutting edge, it just kinda pops out of the wood. It does not help that most people remove all blade guards and such off them as well. With that said, the scariest table saw i have seen was an industrial auto feed one. The auto feeder chain had pretty major teeth on it and ran continuously while being hand-loaded. So yeah, don't wear long sleeves around that one for sure!
@Doogie Carpit Burger Table saws are mostly safe, if you use common sense and follow some simple safety practices. Most people take them off, but those blade guards and riving knives really should be left on. At the very least, the riving knife should be left on. The most common table saw injury is cause by a board twisting and getting pulled (violently yanked is a more accurate description) into the blade. This causes the board to pull your hand over the blade. It happens so fast that you have no time to react. It's over before you ever realize it's happening. A riving knife significantly helps prevents that from happening by acting as a barrier to keep the board from turning/twisting into the blade. The guard mainly serves as a reminder/warning that your hand is getting too close to the blade. It protects the blade from some angles, but if you are being stupid and doing dangerous things, that guard is not a guarantee of your safety. If you are not prepared to use common sense and give that saw the respect it demands (they don't ask, they get it or else), then yeah. Stay away from them and really anything else with moving parts. You don't have to fear them, just respect them.
I feel so blessed to have been able to witness such a rare and sacred ceremony. The wire wheel is dead, long live the wire wheel.
You are a funny man. Loved the Sushi moment. Great videos. Thank you. Paul, Scotland.
I love the 90's sitcom vibes of the intro. this channel is great!
Wasn't this featured in "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade?" Only the penitent man shall pass.
Not the same one. In the movie it was “The Model XXL”
This is The Model from Saw..
@@NicholasMarshall "Most people are so grateful to be alive. But not you. Not anymore. Game Over..."
Of all the machines I've seen you restore, this one has got to be the most terrifying! Great idea having a spinning wheel of death on a free swinging pendulum!
The most respectful and ceremonious, "Changing of the Wire Wheel", I've seen this week. Thank you.
I appreciate his style of narration
I honestly thought the reciprocal chain saw log cutter was the mother of all catastrophes; yet, here we find ourselves with an electrified, swinging dismemberment cutter. Hope you gave the wire brush a decent burial. Best wishes and stay safe....eh!
“Some folks call it a Swing Saw. I call it Kaiser Saw”
It works good for cuttin french fried taters I reckon mmmhhhhmmm
Mmmmhmmmm.
You mean Kaiser Saw-say?
Changing of the wire wheel!!!! Loved it!!!
The motor will now come to you in the bed in the morning. This human needs to be refreshed!!
6:40 Please refrain from fondling bolts. That's what nuts are for.
I'm glad someone else noticed this. I busted out laughing immediately! That shit was so funny
And of course the grease nipples.
Patent applied for, no one is brave enough to try and copy this.
And no one left to receive it
Possibly the most terrifying tool I have ever seen. Good job bringing it back into prime amputation-inducing shape!
Scares the shit out of me BUT I love it. When I see what past carpenters had to use makes me admire and appreciate the older generation even more.
Literally re-watching the 1920's paint sprayer video, only to refresh to a new vid 19 min ago. Nice.
I here restoring Tonka Toys trying to remember what goes where after, and you are restoting this thing that looks more complicated then a space ship!!!👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻🛠🛠🛠
Starting with the next video, this channel will be titled, simply, "Hand Rescue". I wonder how many fingers that monster has claimed.
I love the shop you are putting together. Don’t allow people who can’t think for themselves or they will lose digits. Thanks for letting us see your work
I love the typical 80s-90s sitcom intro
I went and looked it up. Irvington Machine Works was a saw company based out of Grand Rapids, Michigan, who had a factory in Portland, Oregon. In 1969 they merged with the Moore Dry Kiln Company to become Irvington-Moore, and now they make big kilns for drying lumber. Being from Portland, I was curious.
I'd ditch the screen door spring for a nice counterweight on a pulley, look neater, be easy to tune and might even work better
Yup, that would be a nice gesture towards "safety" (I think having one of these in the building would make most heath and safety managers have a heart attack) so letting go swings the blade away from you decisively. For added fun, you could have a spring for it to land against so it bounces back towards you 😁
The name "Swing Saw" sounds absolutely terrifying, can't wait to see how this one turns out.
Some dude from Texas who used to like chainsaws: So, looking for a big ass Saw of death! Hand Tool Rescue: Hold My Maple Syrup!
10:25 this pleases the machine spirit.
01010001000011111010101 (happy binary noise)
no, he did it wrong, you can't tighten a chuck without getting part of your finger stuck in the thing and shredding some flesh from your bones
Your attention to detail is absolutely unbelievable thank you for putting out such awesome videos
I can't believe it...I've finally seen it! I never thought I would live to see it happen in my lifetime! Now I can finally die knowing that this was the pinnacle of my meager existence. I can achieve nothing greater even if I live a thousand years. The Great Changing Of The Wire Wheel - circa 2020 Anno Domini
So at first I was like.. a swing saw? Does that go on one of those helicopter treecutting things? And then at the end I saw the full horror-movie, decapitation, arm-severing, bloodbath waiting to happennyness of the swing saw that surely must have bee invented by an American and the reason there is no patent is that the guy who invented it was buried in five seperat boxes after demonstrating it.
If you only think it's American based on how dangerous it is, I recommend watching some of the Absolute History videos on the Edwardian and Victorian "hidden killers" The British spend entire eras making stuff that would kill you while just hanging out at home o_O
I thought the same thing at first
I remember using one of these saws at a joiners shop where I did my apprenticeship. It was used as a docking saw for the larger planks of timber (cutting the timber to rough lengths for dressing to size). Our swinging saw was set well back with the bench being not flat but angled upwards to keep the timber in place against the back fence and to accommodate the swing of the saw. It was commonsense to stand to the handle side of the saw and use your left hand to pull the saw outwards ensuring you were well clear of the saw blade. I do not recall anyone hurting themselves on this saw and I quickly developed arm muscles to pull the saw outwards. Ah the good ol' days...
I'm 65. My Dad would have used that saw in his day as a construction worker before and after WW2. Thank God a pallet of 2x4's fell on his head from a second story and he became a barber before he dismembered himself with that machine. Great barber, terrible carpenter.
A very nice machine, and, as usual, a nice restoration. Regarding many of the comments, the swing saw is no more dangerous than a molder, jointer, table saw, shaper, or many other tools in a millwork shop of a few years ago. I operated all of the machines in the shop at one time or another, and I still have not only all of my fingers, but even the first joint and finger nail on each one. We did not use push blocks, finger boards, or blade guards. It is just a matter of paying attention to the work at hand.
The ferric sushi was awesome! Can't for the life of me understand how I got here, but I'm glad I did. You are not only very talented but very funny too! You manage to keep people glued to the very end!
" oh, you like my swing saw? Yeah its pretty cool, cost me an arm and a leg to operate though" You made a bronze bushing and didn't show it? Would have loved that
Well thats terrifying.... i want one, i think....
Don't die!
Very glad you replaced the Timken Tapered Roller Bearings sticker. First time I've seen that... - From a former Timken Co. Millwright.
That motor was in better shape inside than some much newer ones I saw in the Navy.
*watching that wood split at **23:50** kills me...* *predrill!*
Even more so that it was a support piece holding up one of his staircase pieces it looked like 👀
I saw a gorgeous swing saw just this afternoon at a local antique mall - I never heard of one before - it was fixed to the wall such that I'm abundantly confident that that's where the machine was originally installed and has never moved since whenever (historical town so who knows how many different businesses operated in that building). There was no price tag on the machine...but I'm probably going to call and see if they'll sell it... reiterating what others have expressed...it looks way too dangerous for me to not have one... especially since I live alone.
That is the scariest machine I have ever seen! Good luck. I would count all my fingers after I used it.
Looks like a predecessor to the radial arm saw - work is stationary and the saw is pulled through to make the cut. Gorgeous machine
AFTER using this saw: Look ma! No hands!
Desde Argentina, no soy reparador o restaurador, trabajo en salud, pero tus videos me traen paz al verlos, agradezco que los hagas, sinceramente muchos escuchan música para relajarse, yo mirando tus videos encuentro Paz, Feliz de haber encontrado tu canal. Saludos
Men used to use these daily. Probably less accidents than modern shops. Nowadays people still hurts themselves with all the safeties. The world has gone soft. Very cool machine. Never seen this before
Great job on something I have never seen outside of a commercial lumber yard! SO LUCKY!!
Every time you so much as look at this tool you'll hear the guitar from "Shake Hands With Danger"
A person of culture I see!
It is more "Embrace Danger"
When I started the video I was like "OMG, this man is a genius!" At the end of the video I'm like "well, he's special..." 😂 Very nice video man
As a child of perhaps 5 [1953?] I accompanied my father to the local box factory to pick up some hand saws he was having sharpened. As a treat, he took me into the sawmill area where I saw a huge swing saw in operation cutting big Ponderosa pine logs to length. The blade was perhaps 6 feet in diameter, and the logs didn't have a chance. I was very impressed...
I worked at my stepdads lumber mill and treatment plant for several years. One of my jobs was to work with one of those saws. You really had to put your man pants on to work with one of those. After a couple of tense days, I got the hang of it. Another beautiful saw restoration. Thanks for the content and for bringing back memories!
Thats the way things go in life ... Once you get famous, you get the best models ... Hope she is not a golddigger :) good work
all I can think of regarding the name of this beast is the apprentice asked the expert at the factory "what did you say it is supposed to have on the front here?" and the expert responds with "the model" and the apprentice was having a literal moment
Super restoration your staircase was just fantastic.
I love that as I watch this I get to learn so much about each piece of machinery he restores. I didn’t understand the point of many of the parts to this machine but got to learn as he went along.