need some magnification for saw filing

[lowell holmes]

George Wilson can speak for himself, but he recently said he uses strong drugstore readers when sharpening a saw.

I recently found a set of +3.5 readers and they do bring the teeth into focus without the depth of field issues that I experience with binocular magnifiers.

[Tom M King]

Lowell, Do they not make your eyes "wonky" for a bit after you use them? I don't wear glasses, but do use 2x readers so I can get my face close when doing some types of welding. When I finish, my normal depth perception takes some number of seconds to get back to normal when I take them off, and I'm careful not to try to pick anything up, or touch anything hot. The binocular loupes don't do anything at all funny to my eyes after using them.

[lowell holmes]

Tom, I use safety glasses readers in the shop, so probably my system is used to it.

My problem with the binocular loupes is that the depth of field issue prevents me from keeping track of where I'm at when I'm setting the teeth.

I seem to do better with the high powered readers, but I really have not spent an evening with them.

I probably will go to Frank Klausz's method of setting teeth. He does a screwdriver set. He sets teeth by inserting a small screwdriver between adjacent teeth and twisting.
It sets both teeth at one time and then you skip to the next pair.

[Tom M King]

Yeah, I don't use the magnifiers for setting. I have a couple of 42X's I use-one with a small "pusher". I need the magnification to see exactly when the file is finished right to the point of the tooth on really small teeth. I think it might have taken a half a saw to get used to the loupes, but I was a photographer back when you had to focus lenses, so dealing with keeping the focal plane in the right place is probably done by part of my brain that I don't have to consciously use now.

I guess, there is no one method that's right for everyone. I have a couple of the visors that just didn't work out for me, but buying stuff that you don't end up using is just part of the game.

[lowell holmes]

I also have two 42X's, but both "pushers" are about the same size.

Have any of you used a hammer set?

[Tom M King]

I took one of the 42X's apart and ground down the little pusher for very small teeth. Never used a hammer, but do have a "saw wrest" for big green wood saws.

[paul cottingham]

i have a huge head, so visors dont fit me, and the focallength seems wrong for my eyes. I use a small magnifying desk lamp. works well, doesnt get inthe way.