How to Sharpen a Saw

Although saws are tedious to sharpen, you don't need to do it more than once per season, and the time spent will make your cutting chores much easier. You need a round file and a vice - and of course, a dull saw.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Linseed Oils
• Lubricating Oils
• Round Files
• Vises

1. Lock the saw blade into the jaws of a bench vice, teeth pointing up.

2. Use a round file to sharpen each individual tooth. The teeth have a beveled side and a straight side; sharpen the beveled side.

3. Run the round file between the teeth to sharpen. You should see a new, shiny edge as each tooth becomes sharp.

4. Continue sharpening the teeth until you have done them all.

5. Turn the saw over in the vice and sharpen all the teeth on the other side of the blade.

6. Spray the blade of the saw with a light lubricating oil to preserve the finish and prevent rust.

7. Coat the wooden handle with a light coat of linseed oil.

Tips & Warnings

• Watch your fingers! Saws sneak up on you and bite - hard!

[jack-of-all-tra]

on 7/7/2009 Did the good ol' Home and Garden Editor ever actually sharpen a hand saw?!? You need a TRIANGULAR file of the correct length and taper for the number of teeth per inch on your saw, and a flat "mill bastard" file. You need to hold the triangular file in such a way that you have the RAKE, GULLETT, and FLEM angles correct for the type of saw you are working. A bench vise is OK, but you need to make a saw blade vise of two pieces of 1X3 or 1X4 stock as long as the saw blade to securely hold that blade, otherwise it vibrates and your file will not cut. You first joint the saw blade with the mill bastard to even all the existing teeth. Then you need to cut every other tooth at the correct angle(s), then flip the saw end-for-end and cut the the teeth you skipped on the first pass. Old timers used to cold-blue the blade so that they could see which teeth they had cut and to avoid double cutt...

[pmorette]

on 3/25/2009 www.sharptool.com for carbide saw tips

[smogy55]

on 9/25/2008 Yes, Xenobiologista, i use a triangular file. For rip saws, the file is 'run at 90' to the saw; for cross-cut saws, the file is run at 65' to the saw (tip end of file towards the handle). Start at the end and work towards the handle, shapening alternative teeth then turn the saw round in the vice and do the other teeth

[Xenobiologista]

on 1/30/2008 Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't triangular files better than round? And you have to hold the file at an acute angle to the saw blade, right?

on 11/22/2005 use flexible krevlar gloves and never get cut