Resharpenable saws or throw away saws?

[AndyT]

A hardpoint handsaw can be a revelation - properly, reliably sharp. As others have said, ideal for chipboard and plywood.

But when it comes to backsaws, if you only buy hardpoints, I think you are missing out. Unless I've only been looking in the wrong places, the range on offer seem to be flimsy, short, with uncomfortable handles. Also, where there should be a heavy bit of brass there's plastic or steel so thin it's almost a strip of foil.

When I first acquired a nice old 14" Disston D5, I found out what it means to "let the saw do the work." The weight of the blade is enough to make the cut, without needing to bear down at the wrist.

If you limit yourself to modern saws, you'll miss out on the pleasure and satisfaction of using a real quality tool.

 

[Jameshow]

Agreed to all of the above.
Hardpoint saws are great for chippies being paid by the job where speed if of the essence however for us hobbyists the enjoyment is as much journey as the destination.

On the matter of saw sharpening how often do you set the teeth obviously not every sharpen but as you file them down the set becomes less. Just occurred to me as I was restoring a saw tonight.

Also on a rip saw the teeth are files diagonally but at what angle ??

Cheers James

 

[Nigel Burden]

On a saw with large teeth it will probably only need setting every four or five times, but I would imagine that a saw with 16 tpi or more would need more frequent setting.

That 1960s Spear and Jackson saw seems to have quite small teeth. The file that you show in the photo looks very large for teeth of that size, if that is what you're using. Theylook smaller than my Spear and Jackson cross cut that I bought when I left school in 1967. That has 9tpi. I can't remember the file size that I use on my saws with larger teeth, but Paul Sellers has a guide to file size in one of his blogs.

https://paulsellers.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/SawFiles.pdf
Nigel.

 

[Ttrees]

Andy Lovelock has probably the best video that anyone is likely to come across,
if they want to sharpen or re-tooth saws.

 

[Jameshow]

I brought 2 saws for about £10.

Ones 6 you and that one us about 10tpi.

I'm guessing ones cross cutting and the other Rip sawing. The cross cutting one I've sharpened with a straight cut. The other one awaits sharpening.

Thanks for the info.

Cheers James

 

[Jameshow]

Helpful page of terminology and numbers here :-

https://www.renaissancewoodworker.c...is the angle across,weaker you make the teeth.

Cheers James

 

[pe2dave]

I learned a lot from Paul Sellers - he explains the different cuts.

 

[Awac]

I try not to buy something disposable, it bothers me to throw something away which could have a long service life. I don't like waste (you should see the off cut bin....!).
A saw that can be sharpened, can be tuned to fit your needs, and becomes an experience in itself. This is the real case for having a saw that can be sharpened. Rake, fleam, slope, set & PPI/TPI all change how a saw behaves, and all are variable.
You can learn to sharpen or have it sharpened, and then the effort or cost will make you take care of the tool (saws are too often just slung in a box and damaged) and then you start to see what a good saw really can do. Warning, when you start to use various saws it can become obsessive....
Japanese saws are indeed wonderful and I do own some, but they were designed to work traditionally without a bench and use of the foot as a clamp whilst pulling to cut. I enjoy working at a bench and find (for me) a western saw cutting on the push stroke suits me better (a pull cut works great on overhead work such as timber frames though!)
Could I ever advise a hard point? If pushed and working out in the rain, perhaps!
When you use an older quality branded saw, well tuned, it just feels, well, right. The weight, grip, hang, taper all add up. A new cheap saws feel like a child's toy.

One tip to saw straight. Hold your hand stretched out and make a circle with your index finger and thumb. Look with both eyes on a distant object inside this circle. Then alternatively close one eye and then the other. The object will disappear and reappear depending on which eye is open. The eye which keeps the object in the circle is the dominant eye.
For example, I am right handed, but left eye dominant, so I tilt my head to allow my left eye better command, the usual stance would favour the right eye and I was always a little off, but after discovering which eye is dominant the brain seems to make allowances. Well it worked for me...

Christopher Schwarz makes the case if you have a sharp saw and learn to cut to a line, you save so much time in cleaning it up.

All the best.

 

[Racers]

Saws are like women, you don't want one with black teeth...


Pete

 

[Awac]

I learned a lot from Paul Sellers - he explains the different cuts.

When do you not learn something when watching Paul eh? The man makes great videos!