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Thread: Saw sharpening input

  1. #31
    Join Date
    Feb 2011
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    Carlsbad, CA
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    Quote Originally Posted by James Waldron View Post
    Regarding the uneven gullets: I think as you go on with the effort, you'll find this a problem, as the undersized gullets won't hold much saw dust and cause the saw to rise up on each stroke, slowing the cutting action. I've seen this a couple of times on yard sale treasures.

    I don't know how others do it, but with a saw in bad shape, I always shape the teeth first, filing straight across at the appropriate rake angle to get even spacing of teeth and (mostly) uniform gullets. Then I sharpen. Then I set. Until I have (mostly) uniform teeth, I can't really get a really well-behaved tool. It's a bit more work, but the result is worth it. YMMV!

    Edit: on a cross cut saw, I ignore the fleam "as found" on a garage sale saw when I go to work on it. After shaping the teeth, I pick my own fleam angle and slope angle.

    Phil, thanks for posting this thread – learning to sharpen handsaw's is a fundamental hand tool woodworking skill IMHO, and something that doesn't come easily the first time around.

    +1 to James comments. FWIW, working from one side of the saw plate (with a guide block on the file) to establish uniform spacing, rake angle and profile is an essential first step to achieving your end goal of a sharp saw. In my experience, if you try and skip this step two move right into filing fleam angle etc., it always cost you more time/results than you think you are saving.

    Often a irregular sized teeth/gullets are the result of using a dull file. In re-profiling a tooth line like yours that needs a significant amount of work, I typically go through 2 quality files (Bahco, Grobet, etc.). Once the file starts to dull, it's a lot easier to get the fundamentals out of wack.


    I also think your idea of learning to file crosscut teeth on larger 5 PPI teeth is a helpful way to actually see how the "tooth profiling" step fits with establishing the fleam angle, and subsequent steps of sharpening. I have a couple 5 PPI crosscut saws and they're great for fenceposts and other outdoor/softwood construction. Otherwise I think Stew is right that for typical furniture and construction trim work a seven – eight PPI pitch is this course as you'll ever need to go.


    Fight the good fight, you are deathly making progress. There's no substitute for experience. You will be amazed how much better the next saw is than the first one you worked on.


    All the best, Mike

  2. #32
    Join Date
    Mar 2015
    Location
    SE Michigan
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    3,222
    Thanks Mike. I am actually using the nice 5.5 rip I purchased from you as my benchmark. Comparing the two certainly shows how out of whack this saw is, and how well you can sharpen a saw!

    I'm probably taking a big leap, but have decided to joint it flat and re-tooth. Because of that, I think I am going to keep it a bit more simple and file this rip...probably 7ppi just for yucks. I suppose once I have the teeth right, I could change it to a crosscut?

    Anyway, nothing like just getting after it to get a feel for things. Thanks for the vote of confidence!

  3. #33
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
    Location
    Australia
    Posts
    2,534
    FWIW, working from one side of the saw plate (with a guide block on the file) to establish uniform spacing, rake angle and profile is an essential first step to achieving your end goal of a sharp saw. In my experience, if you try and skip this step two move right into filing fleam angle etc., it always cost you more time/results than you think you are saving.

    Excellent advise Mike.

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