Tips and tools for filing /setting saws ?

[EdK]

Right so I bought a saw. I'm keen to 'rejuvenate' it now and was after some advice on what to do and what kit I need to do it with.

This is it :

The blade is 26" long and about 7 1/2" at the heel and 2 1/2" at the toe. No kinks and no rust (bit of mild pitting).

It says Disston D-7 on the etching and from looking at the disstonian site it looks to me like a war time (steel nuts - erm that sounds strange now) D-7 maybe 1945 ? I thought it was later like 50's but am not sure. At any rate I got it for use rather than looking pretty.

It's got '8' stamped at the heel and I think it is an 8tpi crosscut but looking at the teeth it looks more rip to me ? (But the Disstonian site says that rips of that period would have gone up to maybe 7 ?).

Well, anyone know where I can get a saw file from ? I'm guessing it's tricky to cut teeth properly but you have to start somewhere - was going to follow this guide : http://www.vintagesaws.com/cgi-bin/fram ... brary.html

Wasn't planning on jointing it but will have a read - presumably you only do this if teeth are broken ?

Was planning on leaving the handle the way it is - but there is a split in the top where the loose blade has wiggled in use (have tightened the nuts now - arrived loose and split)

Thanks for any advice,
Ed.

 

[Paul Chapman]

Not the same saw as yours Ed, but Tom Lie Nielsen gives a good saw sharpening demo on the Lie Nielsen channel (some other good stuff as well) http://www.youtube.com/user/LieNielsen# ... lJMdpkcn5s

Cheers :wink:

Paul

 

[matthewwh]

Hi Ed,

The 8 may refer to PPI (points per inch) which is always 1 more than TPI (teeth per inch).

Either way, you will find an appropriate file here, and if you check my new blog there is a pdf about saw filing available for download, this is really aimed at backsaw users but the principles are the same.

Looking at the pictures I reckon you'll get away with just sharpening the teeth, you won't need to set them.

A very nice saw.

 

[Paul Chapman]

if you check my new blog there is a pdf about saw filing available for download, this is really aimed at backsaw users but the principles are the same.

All good stuff, Matthew 8) Didn't realise you had started a blog.

Cheers :wink:

Paul

 

[woodbloke]

I'll add that to my linky list on the Blokeblog :wink: - Rob

 

[head clansman]

Hi

but you have to start somewhere

as we all did many years ago , that is a nice saw reasonably good condition you yourself say it's not for looking at so when you use it you want it to work properly .

my advice pick up and old dog from the local tip or car booty and practice sharpening and setting on that first make your mistakes on another old saw not that one . its not that dear to get them sharpened by one of the big sheds professionally dare i use that word about the big sheds :?: :wink: :lol: .hc

 

[Tom K]

Hi

but you have to start somewhere

as we all did many years ago , that is a nice saw reasonably good condition you yourself say it's not for looking at so when you use it you want it to work properly .

my advice pick up and old dog from the local tip or car booty and practice sharpening and setting on that first make your mistakes on another old saw not that one . its not that dear to get them sharpened by one of the big sheds professionally dare i use that word about the big sheds :?: :wink: :lol: .hc

Never seen that service offered at my local B & Q :?

 

[bugbear]

Hi

but you have to start somewhere

as we all did many years ago , that is a nice saw reasonably good condition you yourself say it's not for looking at so when you use it you want it to work properly .

my advice pick up and old dog from the local tip or car booty and practice sharpening and setting on that first make your mistakes on another old saw not that one . its not that dear to get them sharpened by one of the big sheds professionally dare i use that word about the big sheds :?: :wink: :lol: .hc

Never seen that service offered at my local B & Q :?

Wouldn't trust 'em on a nice saw anyway!

BugBear

 

[bugbear]

Right so I bought a saw. I'm keen to 'rejuvenate' it now and was after some advice on what to do and what kit I need to do it with.

Thanks for any advice,
Ed.

http://www.geocities.com/plybench/saw_sharpen.html

(for as long as Geocities stays up)

BugBear

 

[Anonymous]

Ed

Don't worry, saw sharpening is incredibly easy - there is loads of info on the web, but at the end of the day, there is almost nothing to it.

Just a have a go, if you have the handskills to cut joints in wood, then sharpening a saw will be a walk in the park.

My only suggestion is get a file from Axminster as a nice sharp file makes all the difference

 

[MIGNAL]

If all else fails send it to Thomas Flynn (Pax).

 

[head clansman]

Hi

Never seen that service offered at my local B & Q

Wouldn't trust 'em on a nice saw anyway

!


no neither have I seen that service being offer by B/Q , big shed meant Travis , jewsons etc merchants of your choice.

Don't worry, saw sharpening is incredibly easy

So it maybe but for any beginner i would still recommend an old dog to start on, b*llocks up, nothing lost .hc :wink:

 

[xy mosian]

I recently sharpened and set some saws.
I had read everything I could, having attempted saw sharpening some time ago. In the end the saw has to be sharpened. I have to say that I found the task to be 'easier done than said'.
However I did design a jig thingy to help in sharpening a cross cut saw.. Now I am not sure if I nicked the idea from any one of a number of sites I looked at, if so I apologise. I certainly could not point anyone towards the source.

I was having trouble getting the angles correct, both for the 'tilt' of the tooth front and the angle to the length of the blade, I had decided to have the root of the tooth square to the blade, that is the file horizontal in use. My solution? Take a piece of softwood, 50mm x 25mm x 12 mm. Make a saw cut along the 50mm x 12mm surface in the centre, to a depth of about 12 or 15mm. Now cut a face on one end of the block so that it is flush with the required tooth face when saddled over the blade. To use, slide a side of the saw file down the face and file the face of the tooth. The other end of the block will need to be cut to suit teeth on the other side of the saw. Over time the face will wear, cut another one if necessary or live with the minor differences in the saw teeth.

Sorry there is no image. I threw the one I made away, it will be different for the next saw, and easy to make anyway.

Hope this helps.
xy

 

[bugbear]

Don't worry, saw sharpening is incredibly easy

Perhaps I'm short of talent, or your interpretation of "incredibly easy" is different to mine.

I'd rate saw sharpening at around the skill level of handplaning accurately flat. Both activities took me a little practice, aided by good information.

BugBear

 

[EdK]

Good advice and resources - I'll get tooled up.

Any views on saw sets or are they all of a muchness ? See Eclipse 77 ones come up on ebay.

As for practice, I was thinking of these : http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Hand-Saw-3_W0QQit ... 286.c0.m14

Or are they too good ?

(Just kidding... interesting description ...)

Will get a file or two and then start reading.
Ed

 

[graween]

Hi.

I won't status on the fact that it is easy or not. I think it all depends on what kind you are sharpening (rip xcut), which level you want to achieve, what angles you're aiming at, how bad is the saw, etc etc.

In addition to the other posts here is my collection of links for saw sharpening and maintenance, you might find interesting, to read them:

Restoring the blade (bend, kinks) and also excellent forums (almost the 2 best ones for me :
https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/forums/view ... hp?t=18501
and http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=103313

Saw handles and excellent site also, with tons of patterns and advices:
http://www.backsaw.net/index.php?option ... Itemid=102

youtube ln videos :
http://www.ncwoodworker.net/forums/f30/ ... deo-24641/

sharpening and slopping gullets discussion :
http://www3.telus.net/BrentBeach/sawjig/index.html
and http://www3.telus.net/BrentBeach/sawjig ... llets.html
Plus the links given above really valuable.

Saw making and sharpening :[u/]
http://norsewoodsmith.com/content/backsaw-project
You must also have a look at his tool making section as well as his tool restoration, greats sources of inspiration.

I hope it helps.

But as other have said I would train first on an other piece of saw. Everyone has a saw that is not great that he can tries on.

PS : Note for bugbear, it geocities stops, you'll easily find other places to put your site, of course if you have a backup :wink:

 

[MIGNAL]

I have the Somax saw set which looks to be a direct copy of the Eclipse 77. Works fine.

Saw sharpening takes some practice but the real difficult ones are when the TPI gets high. I know the theory is basically the same for all saws, regardless of the number of teeth but 20 TPI isn't my idea of easy - even with magnification.

 

[bugbear]

I have the Somax saw set which looks to be a direct copy of the Eclipse 77. Works fine.

Saw sharpening takes some practice but the real difficult ones are when the TPI gets high. I know the theory is basically the same for all saws, regardless of the number of teeth but 20 TPI isn't my idea of easy - even with magnification.

Yeah - half a stroke too many is very bad when you're down to tiny teeth.

At 20 TPI, a 1/40" error is half a tooth!

BugBear

 

[ivan]

Most helpful advice I ever found was in an early FW mag. Make a handle for the point (far end) of the file, and do it thus:

Cut yourself a matchbox sized slip of wood, but a bit thinner. Drill a hole in the middle of the striking surface (if it was a matchbox) small enough to hold the point of the file firmly. Cut through the block making sure you clip off 20% of the hole, at an angle (more later) Glue block back together; X section of hole now looks something like this C/ . When you push in the file, one flat of the file is aligned by the flat side of the hole. Arrange to cut the block at the correct angle so that when block is held horizontally, file cuts tooth at correct angle.

 

[MIGNAL]

Just received my 20 TPI Roberts & Lee from Thomas Flynn. Filed crosscut with 0.022 kerf as requested. Don't know how they do it (hand or machine) but it cuts great.