Galloway dovetail saw

[matt rutkowski]

Anybody ever come across a D Galloway & Co Lynx saw? Cast Steel Edinburgh Warranted. Beech handle, split brass sawnuts. It seems completely different than the new Lynx saws. Blade has come slight bend and needs sharpened. Is it difficult to sharpen a 15 TPI such as this or would it be better to send it off to someone?

Thanks,


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[george wilson]

That is am impossible question to answer. How skilled are you with a file? If in doubt,I'd send it off. I saw so many saws that we made in Wmsbg. get their teeth ruined by incompetent craftsmen(?), I had to institute a rule that all saws,except the cabinet shop's saws(which were sharpened by Marcus Hansen,who I trained for 16 years),had to be sent to the toolmaker's shop for sharpening. No sending them to outside sources,either.

[Chris Griggs]

If you've sharpened saw before the small teeth aren't much harder to sharpen - just a bit harder to see. If you haven't sharpened before send it off. Also take into consideration the condition of the teeth. If they are severely misshaped, and you aren't confident reshaping, then send it off. If they are pretty even (often hard to tell until after a jointing), then a touchup isn't very difficult. Go slow, use a methodical process, a rake guide, marker, magnification, extra light, anything that will make it easier to keep track of which teeth you've filed, and how much filing each tooth needs.

Any oh yeah. Nice looking saw!

[Rob Paul]

Nice saw Matt.
D Galloway & Co were hardware merchants in Edinburgh from about 1878-1939, and generally had saws made for them by others, in this case your lynx is the trademark of sawmakers Charles Garlick & Sons of Sheffield (variously stated as operating 1872-1911, or 1892-1919)
Saw sharpening is not really difficult, (although its easier to practice on the larger teeth of a full size handsaw), and even a rough effort will usually still make the saw cut better. Read a few saw sharpening instruction notes on the www and have a go, before giving up and sending it out

[matt rutkowski]

Amazing! I picked up some other saws which need sharpened, so I would like to learn. I feel better about spending money on files and tools rather than paying someone, however it would be nice to know what a sharp saw should feel like. Who are some good saw sharpeners? This saw actually cuts somewhat, but binds and has a small section near the handle with some mis-shapen teeth. I suspect it needs reset. Are there any particular saw sets that work well for these size teeth? Are there are any types to avoid?

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[Mark Dorman]

Nice looking group of saws. +1 on what Chris said. I bought a pair of cheap 3.25 magnification glasses made my 12 point look like 6. members.cox.net/wcrittner/sharppage (http://members.cox.net/wcrittner/sharppage.htm) has some good info here and links to more such as Vintage Saws.
If you list your location someone might be close enough to offer help.

Mark

[Mark Baldwin III]

I have a Stanley no. 42 saw set that works ok. I'm not sure if they're available new. Lee Valley and Wenzloff & Sons both carry saw sets as well. Somax, I believe. I don't know much about the Somax, but if Wenzloff is offering them, they can't be too bad. If you look up Norse Woodsmith, he has some good sharpening info on his site. Lie-Nielsen has a good sharpening video (also shows a nice shop made saw vice). If you have some antique stores near by, check around for saw vices. I see them around quite a bit during my own hunting. Those hand saws look good! Nice scraper as well, I just got one of those over the summer.

[Peter Cobb]

Hey Matt,
the info is available on the web,
Tom Lie-Nielsen's saw vise you can copy off his youtube channel (you will need a vise) and he'll walk you through the process (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orPgaoF31ZQ) (link to rip filing, 2 other parts on cross cut and jointing)
Mike Wenzloff over sets his teeth and then reduces the set (http://www.popularwoodworking.com/article/get-a-consistent-set-on-your-saw-with-paper) by virtue of squeezing the teeth wrapped in paper (it doesn't compress) in a smooth faced mechanics vise.
If you want a more complete visual reference may I suggest Ron Herman's tutorial video, and definitely learn with lower tpi saws :D.
Cheers and let us know how it goes,
Peter

[Terry Beadle]

You asked about who to use to sharpen or set up a saw. I used Daryl Weir to rehab my 1800's dove tail saw ( 15 tpi rip ) and I couldn't be happier. It's like a whole new saw ( new being relative..hoot! ). Highly recommended and his prices are very competitive.