refiling Veritas saw

[Bruce Mack]

I have a small 16 tpi crosscut-filed molded spine saw by Veritas. This is slow and tends to bind even in thin material. My Japanese saws cut much better. I'd like to refile it to dovetail configuration, i.e. rip teeth, to see if I can make it a user. I'll take out the bevel angles. Should I alter the rake to a more aggressive 5 degrees (currently 15)? Thanks.

[Glenn Samuels]

Do you think that a 5 degree rake will give you a bit of a rough cut? Are you going to add a little fleam?

[Bruce Mack]

I'm new to this. I've sharpened only two old saws with so-so results. The rake suggestion is in reaction to the unaggressive performance of the present configuration. I certainly could keep the rake and see how it cuts.

[Richard Line]

I would suggest keeping the rake at 15 deg, for now. Change to a rip profile and see how it cuts. In my opinion a 16 tpi saw isn't going to cut very fast, except in thin material. After trying it as a rip saw, then you could change the rake. I would (I actually did this to one of my saws a little while back) go to a 8 to 10 deg. rake. Try than, and then consider if you want to go to 5 deg. The change in rake isn't as easy to undo as changing from crosscut to rip.

If you expect to do much crosscut joinery sawing, consider getting the LV carcass crosscut saw (14 tpi) or the tenon saw (12 tpi).

[Bruce Mack]

Thanks Richard. I filed it and kept the rake as it is. Interestingly, not only can it rip straght in material 3/4" or less, but it also cross cuts quite a bit better than when new. Perhaps it was not really sharp from the factory. Anyway it is now a user. I did order the 12 tpi rip carcass from LV earlier this week. I'm lucky to have a Bad Axe sash saw in crosscut configuration as well as quite a few Japanese saws one of which, the Gyokucho 372, rips and crosscuts quite well.

[David Weaver]

A rip filed fine tooth saw with 15 degrees of rake is actually a pretty good crosscut saw. It's probably a better crosscut saw than rip saw.