Saw Set

[custard]

Anyone any experience of grinding down the plunger on a Somax saw set to better handle smaller teeth?

If so how did you go about it and have you any advice?

Thanks

 

[Cheshirechappie]

To save the bother, Axminster sell one with the plunger already ground smaller, as well as the version with the normal-sized plunger. They use the same rotary anvil with the same markings as the coarse-tooth version, which is slightly confusing, but the tool works OK on it's finest setting.

 

[bugbear]

Making the plunger tip smaller is simple grinding. Altering the thing to make less set is much more work, since the amount of set is controlled by the ANGLE on the anvil surface.

Reducing this (and the angle of the front of the plunger) is fiddly.

BugBear

 

[Isaac S]

I have, and it's a pretty trivial matter. Just take a little bit of care to keep it symmetrical, although even that is not terribly important.

Bugbear raises a good point. I, and others, think the set can be improved by reducing the angle at which it sets the teeth. As it is sold, that angle is about 20 degrees. The Stanley 42, 42X, and at least a few other sets, set the tooth at an angle of about 15 degrees. This lets you set the tooth lower (closer to the gullet) for any given amount of set. Unless you prefer, or your work requires, a lot of set, this is helpful. It lets you touch up the saw without greatly affecting the amount of set, and makes it easier to adjust the sawset for the desired amount of set.

I have one or two that I have modified to work at this reduced angle. I began by grinding the tip of the plunger to 15 degrees. I used a belt sander with a toolrest set to that angle, but use whatever you have. Then I narrowed the tip. The anvil took a little more time, but wasn't hard. Rather than trying to regrind the entire bevel, I worked on the backside. Instead of trying to grind a gradually increasing "ramp", I ground a series of facets or chamfers around the circumference with ever increasing widths. Again, I did this on a belt sander with the tool rest set to 15 degrees. When I put the tool back together, I flipped the anvil over so that the former backside became the new working surface. The total time needed to do all of this was about 15 minutes.

I can't claim this was my idea (I think I first read about Pedder doing it on his set), but I can vouch for its effectiveness.

 

[Jacob]

Easier to flatten the anvil as you can take it out and rub it up and down an oil stone. But it's tedious trying to set finer than 12 tpi so I intend next time to have a go with a punch. Sellers says its easy.

 

[bugbear]

I knew this sounded familiar... here's a thread with tips (and diagrams)

post493089.html?hilit=plunger%20angle#p493089

BugBear