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Comments on How to Sharpen a Saw

  • jack-of-all-tra Jul 07, 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...
  • smogy55 Sep 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
  • smogy55 Sep 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 Jan 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?
  • Xenobiologista Jan 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?
  • Nov 22, 2005
    After sharpening the saw, reset the teeth by counting the number of teeth to the inch and setting a saw set to this figure and apply it to every tooth.
  • Nov 22, 2005
    There are some very good gloves out that are specially made to protect your hands from being sliced open when you are working with sharp objects.
  • Nov 22, 2005
    There are some very good gloves out that are specially made to protect your hands from being sliced open when you are working with sharp objects.
  • Nov 22, 2005
    use flexible krevlar gloves and never get cut
  • Nov 22, 2005
    Clean the blade with a pitch remover before you sharpen. You will be able to see the teeth better and may even find that the blade does not need to be sharpened at all.

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