Help: What is this used for?

[Gary Hodgin]

This object has been in my possession for about 4 years. It came from an uncle's estate and could have belonged to my grandfather. I found something similar on ebay and it was described as a hand saw alignment jig. Can anyone clarify to me what it is and what it was used for? I do have an saw filing vice left in the estate, but I'm unfamiliar with this tool. I know my grandfather used cross-cut saws and I'm thinking it may have been used to sharpen or something or something similar.

[Gary Hodgin]

Sorry, but left out photos.

[Jim Koepke]

It is a tool for large crosscut saws. They have raker teeth that are of a different height than the teeth that do the cutting.

When cutting trees and large logs that are usually green, there needs to be some extra room and method to remove all the sawing debris.

jtk

[Gary Hodgin]

Jim,
Thanks for the reply. Does the jig attach to the saw when in use or is it used as some sort of gauge in the sharpening process? I know a little about the teeth on cross-cuts, but have never used one other than to cut a few tree limbs with a one-man cross-cut just to see if it would cut. My grandfather had one of those and a couple of two-man saws, which I inherited when my uncle passed away.

I have the saws but they're dull and rusty now. Some day I'd like to clean them up just for the sake of it. I'm embarrassed when friends see them and they're so rusty.
Gary

[Marv Werner]

Gary,

Jim pretty much describes the larger tool. The center part is adjustable up and down that determines how much is filed off the raker teeth. You set the tool so it sets on the cross cut teeth, then file straight across on the center part and that's how the raker teeth are file so they are all the same height in relation to the height of the cross cut teeth.

The smaller tool is used to set or bend the cross cut teeth. The bending is done using a hammer. The raker teeth are not set.

Marv

[Gary Hodgin]

Marv and Jim,
Thanks, I doubt I ever use it but at least I know what it's for. I do plan to clean up the old saws but probably will never sharpen them. I don't have much use for a two-man saw. Even if I needed to bring down one of my trees, my neighbor's would think we'd cracked up if they saw my wife and I working on such a saw.
Gary

[Mike Siemsen]

I have a similar one that works fine as a saw jointer.
Mike