Jim Koepke
10-11-2009, 4:59 AM
There was a mention of using a rip saw for making cross cuts in another thread. Having done this in the past, it did not make a lot of waves in my brain.
Thought it would be worth a try to see if there is much difference. After all, it is much less work to file a saw for rip cutting than it is to file cross cut teeth.
So, just recently filed an 11 ppi D-8 that came with cross cut teeth. The other saw used in this test is a 13 ppi Corsair back saw filed rip.
I was surprised that the etch actually shows in the image:
129824
Before you laugh at the lettering, let me explain that it was late and I was writing upside down. Yeah, that's the ticket.
The piece of pine was marked for cutting only with a pencil. A line marked with a knife will eliminate the tear out to some extent if the piece is marked all the way around and the sawyer saws to the line on both sides. Hey, isn't that where we are supposed to be aiming?
The rip saw cutting across the grain left a bit fuzzier edge on the exit side of the cut. The cross cut saw left a slightly better surface.
The small cutoff piece for the rip saw has the exit side away from the viewer. The bottom edge of the cutoff is the entrance side of the cut. The cross cut cutoff has the exit side at the top front of the image.
129825
129823
The cross cut felt a little better during the cut and also was easier to start the cut.
If the pieces are going to be cleaned up with a shooting board or the ends not showing, then it really does not make a lot of difference.
For myself, my saws will likely continue to have rip and cross cut filed teeth.
Another thing that the jury is still out on:
Just for the heck of it, on one of my recent saw sharpening adventures, a three cornered India fine stone was used on the teeth after the file. Not sure if it made things any better. Maybe after the D-8 has been used a bit giving it a touch up with a stone will be tried and see if there is much of a difference.
jim
Thought it would be worth a try to see if there is much difference. After all, it is much less work to file a saw for rip cutting than it is to file cross cut teeth.
So, just recently filed an 11 ppi D-8 that came with cross cut teeth. The other saw used in this test is a 13 ppi Corsair back saw filed rip.
I was surprised that the etch actually shows in the image:
129824
Before you laugh at the lettering, let me explain that it was late and I was writing upside down. Yeah, that's the ticket.
The piece of pine was marked for cutting only with a pencil. A line marked with a knife will eliminate the tear out to some extent if the piece is marked all the way around and the sawyer saws to the line on both sides. Hey, isn't that where we are supposed to be aiming?
The rip saw cutting across the grain left a bit fuzzier edge on the exit side of the cut. The cross cut saw left a slightly better surface.
The small cutoff piece for the rip saw has the exit side away from the viewer. The bottom edge of the cutoff is the entrance side of the cut. The cross cut cutoff has the exit side at the top front of the image.
129825
129823
The cross cut felt a little better during the cut and also was easier to start the cut.
If the pieces are going to be cleaned up with a shooting board or the ends not showing, then it really does not make a lot of difference.
For myself, my saws will likely continue to have rip and cross cut filed teeth.
Another thing that the jury is still out on:
Just for the heck of it, on one of my recent saw sharpening adventures, a three cornered India fine stone was used on the teeth after the file. Not sure if it made things any better. Maybe after the D-8 has been used a bit giving it a touch up with a stone will be tried and see if there is much of a difference.
jim