Just bought couple cheap saws on e bay to practice sharpening / setting teeth before I try it on my better saws. What comes first - set or sharpen?
Saw sharpening / setting
- Thread starter sneggysteve
- Start date
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Corneel
Established Member
On an old neglected saw i reshape the teeth first, then set them and finally a light jointing and one last sharpening. I believe that setting mangles the teeth a bit and reduces their sharpness.
Depends how bad they are - I've done most of my practice on basket cases.
Assuming the saw plate doesn't need straightening (this is a bit of a dark art that I haven't mastered, I straightened one with a couple of taps and turned another into corrugated iron with about a hundred) I tend to start with jointing to get a common level for the teeth, then shape, then sharpen, then set.
Assuming the saw plate doesn't need straightening (this is a bit of a dark art that I haven't mastered, I straightened one with a couple of taps and turned another into corrugated iron with about a hundred) I tend to start with jointing to get a common level for the teeth, then shape, then sharpen, then set.
Argus
Established Member
.
I don't think that setting is required every time you sharpen - just when needed, and set to the minimum needed to clear the kerf and prevent jamming.
Personally, if in doubt about the set, I always tap the teeth flat from both sides on a flat metal plate (back of a vice will do), then do my sharpening, followed by setting as required. I have heard of it done the other way round, though......................
If you have old saws that are probably uneven, you will need to flatten the teeth to a straight line with a file after tapping the teeth. If it is really out of line, you will need to flatten, then file the high teeth down, then flatten again, repeating until all the flat tips are the same, then do your sharpening. A magic marker is ideal at this stage to see where you have been withe the file.
Two tips:
1 - If you start a new file, mark the edge you are first using with a marker at the tip or handle end and use it until blunt, then move on to a new face, mark it and carry on. This way you know when the file is really worn out
2 - A little chalk on the file edge prevents snagging and jumping in the groove so you get an even stroke on each pass.
Hope that this helps. Basic sharpening ain't rocket science until you treat it as such!
PS: There's a consensus that saw sets never work straight from the box! Search this forum - there's plenty written over the years on fettling saw sets to work properly.
.
I don't think that setting is required every time you sharpen - just when needed, and set to the minimum needed to clear the kerf and prevent jamming.
Personally, if in doubt about the set, I always tap the teeth flat from both sides on a flat metal plate (back of a vice will do), then do my sharpening, followed by setting as required. I have heard of it done the other way round, though......................
If you have old saws that are probably uneven, you will need to flatten the teeth to a straight line with a file after tapping the teeth. If it is really out of line, you will need to flatten, then file the high teeth down, then flatten again, repeating until all the flat tips are the same, then do your sharpening. A magic marker is ideal at this stage to see where you have been withe the file.
Two tips:
1 - If you start a new file, mark the edge you are first using with a marker at the tip or handle end and use it until blunt, then move on to a new face, mark it and carry on. This way you know when the file is really worn out
2 - A little chalk on the file edge prevents snagging and jumping in the groove so you get an even stroke on each pass.
Hope that this helps. Basic sharpening ain't rocket science until you treat it as such!
PS: There's a consensus that saw sets never work straight from the box! Search this forum - there's plenty written over the years on fettling saw sets to work properly.
.
bugbear
Established Member
KevM":2rewfpwn said:
The Father Ted school of straightening?
BugBear
bugbear":pq2lwq5s said:
Spot on!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mdwAkWvWMw - rubbish quality video, but it still made me laugh(again) - thanks for the reminder!
Many thanks to everyone for the tips.
