Circular saw sharpening jig

[Lindas]

Hi folks,

I have always known this saw sharpening jig so it is a bit sentimental to me. It was the first thing I looked for when Dad could no longer use his workshops. My question is do people use things like this anymore?

 

[Lindas]

I will try again with the photo later as I see my resized has cut it up. Sorry about that

 

[Lindas]

That's the best the image resized can manage without my taking a further photo

 

[Trevanion]

Truth is no one really sharpens their own saw blades anymore as it’s cheaper and more time efficient to have them ground perfectly by a saw doctor. Also these days pretty much all blades available are tungsten carbide tipped which is a very hard material and difficult to sharpen without proper grinding equipment, in the old days they would’ve used all-steel blades which were easily filed and would have to be filed and set very often by the user since they would dull far quicker than modern tipped blades.

It’s an interesting piece of history Linda, but I’m afraid it’s not particularly useful or valuable. It make for an interesting bit of home decor though!

 

[AndyT]

I know you are doing a great job of clearing an unusually large volume of stuff, but it sounds like this could be of sentimental value to you, so not something to get rid of quickly.

 

[Lindas]

Hi Trevanion and AndyT,

What kind replies.

Yes there is no need to rush into disposing of the jig. Isn't it funny to have an attachment to it!!!!

When the time comes sounds like something for an industrial museum. I've been a few times to the Sheffield museum, and living in Salford there's plenty of industrial/machine/workshop heritage about so it had better go down that line. There are some types who like a man cave too so perhaps .....!!?

Thank you both

 

[whiskywill]

A perfect candidate for a table lamp?

 

[Lindas]

Ah yes. It would look better than those poor wooden planes I've seen made in to lamps. It's a bit on the large size though. But you've given me the idea to keep the curios together and offer for conversions into new lives. Better than the bonfire?

 

[D_W]

Hi folks,

I have always known this saw sharpening jig so it is a bit sentimental to me. It was the first thing I looked for when Dad could no longer use his workshops. My question is do people use things like this anymore?

There are a precious few in the united states, and the ones who use them, here's why that I've seen:

* folks like my FIL have only ever used tools when they're doing a job for their house. Their collection of blades includes carbide tipped, but some of the specialty blades (like plywood) are still steel blades with a bunch of tiny teeth (I would think these would be terrible to use, but he won't buy new)

* There are also folks here in the states who cut reclaimed lumber, and the older of the bunch will not do it with a sawblade with carbide teeth. This group is shrinking because cheap carbide tipped blades probably make dealing with steel blades not worthwhile. Over on the US side, the typical thing to do with dirty lumber that's not more than 8/4 is to get cheap thin circular saw blades and use them in a TS. If they get ruined, sometimes they're 2 or 3 for $5, and the thin kerf makes them easy for an underpowered TS to manage.

My FIL may have filed a blade or two, but more than just a little bit and he dropped them off at a local hardware store.

Cheap diamond tipped electric sharpeners here are making it so that thrift seekers are starting to sharpen their own carbide tipped blades. I'm sure they don't do as good of a job as sending expensive blades back to the manufacturer, but I'd be willing to bet the bulk of spinning blades are cutting lumber less neatly than a guy posting cabinetry on these forums.

 

[Bm101]

Do you think it would sell in the States D.W.

Because if it's not worth money then maybe actually in this case it's a great idea. This one case. Because Linda is attached to it and those are things we should keep.
With a sympathetic job, some suitably old fashioned flex and the right fitting and bulb ...
I know .
I can't believe I'm saying it but I think better summat precious is kept than lodged or left to rot.
Go for it Linda. You could turn it into a project to make your Dad proud of your woodwork skills. Why not? You won't be short of help if you need it.

 

[D_W]

For every 25 that are possessed in the states, probably 1 would sell and it would end up in a restaurant.

Sentimental value is higher than anything else, and as much as I'm perceiving from Linda about it, I would keep it too, were I in her place. "but it's dirty". I get that. I would clean it with oil and wax and keep it somewhere.

My dad has some guns that were his dad's. I have no use for guns, but some day, my dad will no longer be alive, and some of those fed my father and his father 70 years ago. I'll have them once my dad can no longer take care of them as long as it's still legal. They'll probably be too old to use by then, but all the better - they'll be safer if not used!!!

 

[Lindas]

Thanks folks,

It's very interesting. I can't see it as a lamp though. I might take it to show dad at the care home see if he recalls were it originated.

 

[Steve Maskery]

Clean it up sympathetically (i.e. clean it but don't remove the patina), frame it with a little plate that says "I'm retired after years of helping to cut miles and miles of wood". You'll smile every time you look at it.