Saw sharpening

[Brian Shutter]

It's been a long time since I've posted here or even had any interest in woodworking but I'm trying to renew the hobby. I started working wood 20 some years ago using chisels to chop my mortises and handsaws to cut my tenons. Got more hours on handplanes than I even care to remember.

Anyway, I have a dovetail saw that I've always loved to use. The problem is that it's sharpened cross-cut and I want it sharpened rip. I remember that quite a few years ago I researched how to go about this but now, since it's been so long, I have no idea where to start. I have a saw vise, a saw set and a file. Now I'm looking for a good tutorial. I remember parts of a book or article by Tom Law but don't know how to get a hold of this or if there is something else out there that can help.

I'm hoping you all can help me get my bearings so that I can reshape my saw and hopefully regain some of my interest in my tools. Thanks.

Brian

[Gary Curtis]

This guy, Tom Law, is supposed be the dean of sharpening saws. Maybe his website has enough information for you to perform the job:

http://www.toolsforworkingwood.com/indextool.mvc?prodid=AQ-1019V.XX

I learned sharpening by reading the book on that subject by the president of Lee Valley tools, Leonard Lee. It seemed like I got the concept down about rip/cross, but couldn't translate it hand skills. He does explain how to convert a blade from Rip to Crosscut.

[Andrew Gibson]

Changing a saw from xcut to rip should be pretty easy. Just make sure you have the right file for your tooth count, set your rake angle for rip (5 ish degrees) and file straight across. You might have to joint once or twice.

[Alan Schwabacher]

There is a very detailed and clear video in the Fine Woodworking website that shows you exactly how to sharpen a dovetail saw. It is Chris Gochnour, and it's a companion video to his article on the topic in the March/April 2006 Fine Woodworking. You probably need to register to see the video.

The steps are to joint the teeth, shape them with a file, set the teeth, sharpen, and then hone the sides to remove burrs. You need very little set for a dovetail saw, so you may be fine without this step if you are sharpening a dull saw with teeth already set. Jointing the teeth is important even if you take off only a very little bit because the flats on each tooth guide your sharpening in that you are trying to take off half the flat as you file the front, and the other half as you file the back of the tooth.

[Russell Sansom]

Brian...Just a brief irrelevant comment, and I don't mean any disrespect, but I wonder if hockey people do an extra double take when they see your name? I just did.

[Roy Griggs]

Try these....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orPgaoF31ZQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=flJMdpkcn5s&NR=1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTbFTAQpkA0&NR=1

[Larry Heflin]

Brief informative article titled "Saw Filing - A Beginner's Primer" at
http://www.vintagesaws.com/library/primer/sharp.html (http://www.vintagesaws.com/library/primer/sharp.html) may be useful.

I've got Tom Law's DVD "Hand Saw Sharpening," already mentioned, which covers a lot of information about saws.

Ron Hock's book "The Perfect Edge" has a section on saws.

Googling "sharpening hand saws turned up lots of links.

[Marv Werner]

Brian,

Hands down, the link that Larry just posted "to Vintagesaws.com" is the best written saw sharpening instructions for beginners ever written, in my opinion.

The only thing I do differently than what Pete Taran instructs is, I don't turn the blade around. I do all the filing from the same side of the saw with the handle end to my right.

Don't worry about screwing up your saw. If it's not right, just joint it again and give another pass or two. A 4 degree rake angle is just about right for a rip saw to be used on tenon or dovetail cuts.

[Brian Shutter]

Thanks, guys. That's exactly the type of stuff I'm looking for.

Russell, even though I live in what we like to call "the state of hockey" no one has ever mentioned to me anything about the close coincidence of my name. Although I have always wished they would.:)

Andrew, your sig line made me laugh out loud (then cry a little). You're not the only unemployed history major out there.

Thanks again guys!

Brian