yet another saw thread

[Mario Soldevilla]

hey all, only posted a few times, but have been following the neander forum for some time now. With all the saw talk that has been going on lately it got me looking at my pile of rusty saws I have been meaning to get into working order.
well then I came across this little mitre box at a yard sale I picked up for a dollar. while I think the box itself may not be all that useful for it's intended purpose, the saw seems like it may be just right for a tenon saw. It is already filed rip, is 16 1/2 inches long, and about 12 ppi.

My question is, is this too fine for cutting largish tenons?

Am i wrong about the mitre box, and i should refile crosscut and try to make it work?( though it does seem to lack many of the features that would make it more useful.)

I have sharpened quite a few of my saws with success, but have yet to take on a retooth job.

thanks

[Jeremy Dorn]

As far as using it for a tenon saw I think you'd be fine. I've got a modern 16" Lie Nielsen that's filed at 11 PPI rip and it does an excellent job. I've used it numerous times on 3"-4" long through tenons of late and I find cuts very quickly. 12 TPI's not a whole lot different, worst case you try it out and decide you dont care for it as a tenon saw and then you can refile it to x-cut.

JD

[Marv Werner]

Mario,

If you decide to change it to a crosscut, don't retooth it, just reshape the teeth from rip to crosscut. 12PPI will work fine as a miter saw.

[Jim Koepke]

Mario,

Welcome to the Creek. Your profile does not indicate a location, what part of the world do you call home?

With a tooth count such as yours, the saw will likely work OK for crosscutting. A rip saw will work better crosscutting than a crosscut will work ripping.

I posted the results of using a cross cut saw and a rip saw with similar tooth counts being used for crosscutting. There wasn't much difference for the two saws with about 12 teeth per inch.

If a line is scribed all around the piece being cut, there isn't much break out on the line side of the cut. That is why sometimes my cuts have two lines scribed and the cut is made between them. It helps especially in some of the soft woods I use that are very prone to break out.

jtk

[Mario Soldevilla]

thanks for the replies, I will be filing it rip for use as a tenon saw, I do agree with you jim that if want to use it in the mitre box i can get away with it by scribing my cut all the way around.

by the way I am located in Beaufort NC, pretty much a handtool guy though i have no shortage of tailed helpers.

Now to figure out what to do with the rest of my saws.

I am curious how does one go about cutting down old saws? I am thinking of making a wide blade for my frame saw I use for resawing.

[Jim Koepke]

I am curious how does one go about cutting down old saws? I am thinking of making a wide blade for my frame saw I use for resawing.

I have used a cut off wheel on a dremel for making small cuts. I am sure there are other ways.

Maybe a large three corner file with the blade laid flat.

I know others have mentioned other methods. I think one person recently mentioned using a hack saw with the blade held between two pieces of wood.

jtk

[Mario Soldevilla]

I thought about the dremel, but for some reason I always have trouble with those cutoff wheels coming lose in the mandrel. I have one blade I am experimenting with so I will give the hacksaw method a go tonight.

gonna have to save that three corner file for cutting the new teeth.

mario

[john brenton]

You'd be surprised how well a pair of tin snips work for cutting a saw plate. Once you get it started you just slice right through it...be careful not to slice through your hand of course. Well, you don't really slice, it's more like the snips separates the steel in front of the snip as you go...but it's surprisingly controlled. I have yet to have a bad run at it. You just file off the jagged edge and you're good to go.

Drill your holes for the pins at a low speed using oil as a lubricant on the spot you're trying to drill...you will have a helluva time trying to drill through the saw plate at high speed.


I thought about the dremel, but for some reason I always have trouble with those cutoff wheels coming lose in the mandrel. I have one blade I am experimenting with so I will give the hacksaw method a go tonight.

gonna have to save that three corner file for cutting the new teeth.

mario

[Chris Vandiver]

For cutting the length of the saw plate you might want to try a sheet metal shop in your area. If they have a large enough metal shear, they should have no trouble cutting the hardened saw plate into strips. Should be relatively inexpensive, as well.

If you decide to use grinder(dremel tool)be careful not to overheat the saw plate.

If you use tin snips, you will almost certainly distort the saw plate on either side of the cut!

If you decide to use a hacksaw blade be sure it is fine toothed(32ppi)and made for cutting hardened steel.

A diamond impregnated wire, made for hacksaws and readily obtainable from your local hardware store, works pretty well for cutting the hardened steel of saw plates.

[john brenton]

I'm not trying to contradict you, as I'm convinced that you wouldn't opine if you didn't know what you're talking about, but I have cut many saw blades with snips and have never had an issue. Every blade I've ever cut has stayed dead straight. Is that what you meant?


For cutting the length of the saw plate you might want to try a sheet metal shop in your area. If they have a large enough metal shear, they should have no trouble cutting the hardened saw plate into strips. Should be relatively inexpensive, as well.

If you decide to use grinder(dremel tool)be careful not to overheat the saw plate.

If you use tin snips, you will almost certainly distort the saw plate on either side of the cut!

If you decide to use a hacksaw blade be sure it is fine toothed(32ppi)and made for cutting hardened steel.

A diamond impregnated wire, made for hacksaws and readily obtainable from your local hardware store, works pretty well for cutting the hardened steel of saw plates.

[James Scheffler]

I'm not trying to contradict you, as I'm convinced that you wouldn't opine if you didn't know what you're talking about, but I have cut many saw blades with snips and have never had an issue. Every blade I've ever cut has stayed dead straight. Is that what you meant?

What kind of tin snips do you use? I have a pair of aviation shears that will cut through just about anything (I haven't tried a saw plate), but it does tend to distort the edges of the workpiece. Maybe what I have (and perhaps the other commenter has) isn't the right tool for the job.

Jim S.