Dovetail saw sharpening services?

[David Kuzdrall]

I am just beginning my journey in saw sharpening and am not in the position to learn on my Wenzloff dovetail saw...I have other saws for learning but I am just not there yet (haven't even started actually; my files just arrived today and I need to make a vise over the weekend)

I have been using a local fellow who has done great work for me in the past on larger saws but to make a long story short, this one (early Kenyon by wenzloff) has caused trouble. This was the first sharpening of the saw and when I got it back it cut curves to the left, I brought it back and the problem is said to minimized but still exists. I got a full refund but am still left with a premium saw that does not make premium cuts anymore (before the work was done it cut perfectly straight, and yes I know how to use a dovetail saw)

I know that due to workload and other priorities some of the top saw filers come and go, so who are regarded as the best of their trade and accepting new work with reasonable turnaround times (i.e. not Wenzloff)?

hopefully this is the last sharpening that I will have to outsource...

thx

[David Barnett]

Just do it, David. It's filed rip, no? Seriously, try it and only send it out if you fail. lt's a nice saw but you won't ruin it. Practice your cross-cut filing if you must, but you don't send out chisel and plane blades. I'm not trying to be flip, but really, it's no big deal. You'll know that after you've done it.

[David Kuzdrall]

Just do it, David. It's filed rip, no? Seriously, try it and only send it out if you fail. lt's a nice saw but you won't ruin it. Practice your cross-cut filing if you must, but you don't send out chisel and plane blades. I'm not trying to be flip, but really, it's no big deal. You'll know that after you've done it.

I hear you but to be clear, I have never sent out a plane iron or chisel for sharpening.

[David Barnett]

Oh, sorry... I meant one doesn't, not that you had or not that you were intending to do so.

[Andrew Hughes]

Daryl weir fixed up a nicely cutting dt saw I messed up.Took about two weeks turn around.The teeth are so small I don't know anyone can see what's what.

[David Kuzdrall]

Oh, sorry... I meant one doesn't, not that you had or not that you were intending to do so.

No worries, that makes sense.

thx

[Sam Stephens]

it's easier to do than you think. though i wouldn't offer to sharpen someone else's saws, I'm reasonably proficient on my own saws.
if i had to guess w/o looking, i'd say the set on your saw was not even. ime, saw set affects tracking.

[Ron Bontz]

I sent a PM.

[David Weaver]

Get the appropriate file, literally color the teeth with a marker, set the far end of the file in a tooth so it's properly registered against the front of one tooth and the top of the one in front of it. Push the file once with light pressure. Go to the next tooth, do it again. Work from front to back. That's it.

[Winton Applegate]

First off, I sharpen all my saws including changing the teeth on the hunk of bandsaw blade in my big purple people eater frame saw that I been showing off around here too often. I improved the large LN back saws I ordered that were brand new but cut crooked and grabbed and jumped when sawing huge dovetails in purple heart. When I was done with them they both cut straight, cut reasonably fast and didn't jump.

I was pleased.

I was born with a metal file in my hand though.

I corresponded with a high end saw maker, who will remain nameless here. I wanted one stock saw and one custom saw.
five or six hundred dollars worth, I can't remember now it was years ago.
Anyway he refused to resharpen the saws if I sent them back to him.
I said " Your sharpening is a good bit of what I am paying for initially why can't I pay you to tune up the saws when they get dull or damaged" ?
He refused.
I didn't buy the saws.

And yet . . .
I can buy a saw from a little old guy way around the world in Japan and HE will resharpen my saw for me and probably roll his eyes and think I been dropped on my head if I suggest sharpening it my self.

[Chris Vandiver]

If you decide to send it out for sharpening, consider using Daryl Weir. You won't be disappointed. Here's a link;
http://home.grics.net/~weir/Old_SAWS_Restored.html

[Dave Parkis]

Ron Bontz (member here), Daryl Weir and Matt Cianci are all excellent. I'm sure there are others, but these guys jump to mind immediately. In this particular case, it sounds to me like the set was uneven and that's an easy fix.