Saber saw ? Mystery tool

[JoeCB]

I have this mystery tool,  Manning-Bowman, model 73532 2000- 2400 strokes per min. by Mc graw Edison Co. Boonville, MO . I sure looks like a version of a saber saw but the end of the ram is nothing that will accept a blade that I Know. The ram has no opening slot or hole. Cross drilled and tapped and has two locating pins, one on each side. If the threaded hole is intended for a clamp it would only work with ins of the pined sides of the ram.
Any ideas?

Joe B

[john k]

Looks like it takes a Sawzall type blade, and the clamping piece may be missing

[bill300d]

Why is the trigger in the wrong spot and what is that handle underneath the body of that thing for. Are you sure that is a saw.

[JoeCB]

Well it's some kind of reciprocal stroke tool, either a saw, filer or nibbler. The business end of the ram is not of a configuration that would accept a conventional saber saw blade, that's what has me puzzled. An old tool catalog would tell the tail.

Joe B

[Bill Houghton]

Multiple companies made reciprocating saws - think Sawzall - in this configuration.  I owned a Sears version for a while, but the ergonomics didn't work as well as the D-handle-kind-of-drill shape of the Sawzall and its competitors.  If you're not familiar with the sawzall:


I abandoned it as soon as I got a Makita (and later, a Milwaukee) sawzall-style reciprocating saw; not sure which thrift store was blessed with it.

I agree that the clamp is probably missing.  It's possible, of course, that McGraw-Edison used proprietary blades of a peculiar size, as Wen did with the Allsaw.  If you've got a friend with a reciprocating saw, borrow a blade and hold it against the end of the shaft.  If it fits, it might not be hard to fabricate a clamp; only you can say whether it would be worthwhile.

The two pins and two threaded holes look to be for mounting the blade vertically to the saw (when it's upright) or horizontally.  It might be awkward holding that saw sideways (particularly in comparison to the sawzall), and changing the blade would let you hold it upright regardless.  That said, when used for its highest woodworking purpose, demolition, a sawzall gets twisted around to all kinds of angles as the cutting proceeds, and having to stop and switch blade mounting would really slow down the party.

[lptools]

Hello, Joe. Bill got me thinking, and you should check out the WEN Zipp Saw , Ebay item number   282390769876. Regards, Lou

[Bill Houghton]

Hello, Joe. Bill got me thinking, and you should check out the WEN Zipp Saw , Ebay item number   282390769876. Regards, Lou

Yep.  That's Wen's sawzall version of the Allsaw, which is configured more like a saber saw.  Wen used blades that were midway in size between the then-standard 1/4" saber saw shank and the then-and-now standard 1/2" reciprocating saw blade.  The Allsaw is a lovely tool

but the difficulty in sourcing blades (one source that I know of) and limited range of sizes makes it a toy, not a tool, in my opinion.

[JoeCB]

Well guys thanks for the suggestions. I do have both a saber saw and a Sawzall and neither style blade seems to be compatable with this strange gizzmo. I'll keep searching. Maybe someone will come up with a catalog cut at some point.

Joe B

[Catch22!]

It is a saw.  Here is a picture of one with the blade.

[JoeCB]

Yep' that's the one Thanks "catch22" ... and sorry for the late thank you, I haven't checked this thread in a while

Joe B

[bill300d]

HeHe I've got it now how you use it. For some reason I was thinking it was held the opposite way.