December 16, 2012

Early Foley Saw Filer

Recently a reader sent photos of a very early Foley filer that came from his great-grandparent's homestead in the American West around 1900.  He believes that it was used to sharpen butcher's saws in the ranch's slaughterhouse.  It will accommodate a saw blade up to 1-5/8 inch wide and uses approximately a 4 inch file.  He disassembled, cleaned, and lubricated the filer, and says it cranks smoothly.  The filer is missing part of the saw vise, but it shouldn't be difficult to make one.  As the last photo shows, the name plate lacks a model or patent number, indicating it's probably the first filer Foley produced.  Link to Google Patents for patent application for this machine.           

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