log saw sharpening; help wanted

[Howard Brian]

Purchased this a few days ago and need some infomation as to how I should go about sharpening and setting it.

Log saw 1.jpg

What do you use to set this saw with. Is it one of the bigger saw sets or is it done with a hammer and small anvil to swage the teeth over?

When it comes to sharpening, would I file the inside face of the gullet "U's" or just the 4 inner triangular edges of the tips?
Also, do the front starter teeth get the same set as the main body teeth?

Any and all information would be welcome.

Thanks guys

[Jim Koepke]

The teeth are usually set with what is called a saw wrest. Google is your friend for information on saw wrests.

This saw seems to have a different tooth pattern than I see in other old saws. I would think if the front teeth do not have the same set as the other teeth the saw might tend to bind in the cut.

There are a few saw catalogs, some of which also contain sharpening information, at:

http://toolemera.com/index.html

Most crosscut saws of that size have raker teeth. With yours, the U notches may accomplish the raker function.

Do the teeth currently have any set?

jtk

[Jim Koepke]

This is the catalog that came to mind when I first looked at the picture of your saw:

http://toolemera.com/catpdf/boynton1872CAT.pdf

It isn't exactly the same as yours.

jtk

[Jim Davis]

Google "Saws that Sing."

[Tom M King]

Typically set with a "saw wrest". Mine came off ebay. I don't know how it's supposed to be done, but on mine, I just set the outer teeth of the triplets, and it cut just fine. One cuts going, and the other cuts coming. I didn't do anything with the "U" gullets. Mine looks like these: https://www.google.com/search?q=saw+...MIXxG92zw7M%3A I didn't have a triangular file large enough, so I used a small mill file and hit as much of the top part of the teeth as possible. It cut pretty daggone fast.

I just did a search on ebay for "saw wrest", and a bunch came up.

[Jim Koepke]

I don't know how it's supposed to be done, but on mine, I just set the outer teeth of the triplets, and it cut just fine. One cuts going, and the other cuts coming.
...
It cut pretty daggone fast.

Sounds like your intuition paid off.

I couldn't get my head around a three tooth configuration.

I think you got it.

jtk

[Dan Duperron]

I just found this after falling down a rabbit hole over at OWWM.org. Courtesy of your federal government.

http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/...ions/77712508/

[David Linnabary]

I was doing some research for becoming sawyer certified for trail maintenance, here is a series of very in depth youtube videos about crosscut saw maintenance. In some protected areas of the national park systems don't allow mechanized tools, all the trail maintenance is still done with hand tools and pack animals for transport. This guy covers just about as thoroughly as you could ever want.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kD976NlxrSE

David

[Brent Cutshall]

To sharpen and set great american teeth,as that appears to be,you'll need a mill file,a jointer,a raker gauge,a spider set gauge,and either a small hammer and some sort of anvil or a pair of plier setters, and both works for me. The manual Dan posted explains any and everything you need to know about the process. It's not hard to sharpen and set log saws, it's just time consuming,I do it for people where I live and I'm just 16 years old but don't judge me for my age,I despise others my age and have been accepted into many fine woodworking communities for my works. Oh,and remember every tooth is set in the opposite direction of the last one,don't be fooled by the groups of three teeth. Happy sawing.

[Howard Brian]

thanks for the responses guys.
I'd never have found those pdf booklets. That's my weekend reading sorted!
At the moment it has some set but its quite a tight little curve at the tip of the 'crowns' and the front teeth don't appear to have any at all.
Also, what brand of files do you guys in the states use? As there are next to no makers left here in the UK and an awful lot of rubbish imported from china and the like.

[Brent Cutshall]

I mainly use a fine grit Nicolson mill file. I did it once get a special file from a site called "Traditional Woodworker"and it did fine,that is until Putch sent me a blank saw with no edge or set. You'll probably just end up ordering one. Ebay is a good place to look.