Originally Posted by
James Waldron
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.