Jim Koepke
11-04-2021, 6:41 PM
My Veritas 20ppi Dovetail Saw arrived yesterday afternoon. Today it seemed like it would be worth comparing it to some of my other saws used for cutting dovetails.
The Saws:
467541
From the left is the new Veritas purchased during the Lee Valley Seconds Sale. Next is a Ron Bontz Kit Dovetail Saw at 15ppi. In the middle is a 14ppi saw plate from Ron Bontz used to replace a saw plate in a Jackson Dovetail Saw. (Jackson was a Disston second tier brand, it has a Warranted Superior medallion)
From the Disstonianinstitute:
Disston never carried an open-handled backsaw in its catalog, with the exception of the "Jackson" brand backsaw in the late 19th century and the "Davis" in the early 20th century. Jackson was a second-line brand with lesser quality in materials and finish than the Disston brand saws. It is shown with an open handle in the 1890 catalog. Later the Jackson saw was made with a closed handle only.
Next is a 13ppi saw with a Disston brand on the back. The handle is shop made.
The last saw is a 13ppi Corsair by Great Neck Saw Co.
All of the saws have been sharpened by me except the Veritas. All have rip teeth at 9º rake except the Veritas (factory rake) and the Disston which has 5º rake and 5º fleam. It is the most aggressive (fastest cutting) of the saws.
As expected the finer the teeth the less fuzziness at the exit:
467539
The plate thickness, which saw was used and the ppi was written by each kerf.
Of course, the thicker the saw plate the wider the kerf.
The heel of my hand must have brushed agains the Veritas kerf. Fortunately an image was taken before that happened:
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Images were also taken of the faces of the cuts:
467540
This is from the 14ppi Bontz saw plate. Surprisingly the faces of the kerfs all looked pretty much the same. My saws all have pretty much minimal set.
It appears the roughness of the sawn face may have more to do with all of the teeth being properly set and being smooth from use. In the past being careful to make a single stroke cut it has been possible for me to use the face of the kerf to locate an over set or burred tooth and correct it.
How one handles the saw may have more to do with this in a rip cut than with the tooth count in the relatively narrow range tested here. All the kerfs had fairly smooth surfaces. IMO one would be hard pressed to tell which face was made by which saw.
jtk
The Saws:
467541
From the left is the new Veritas purchased during the Lee Valley Seconds Sale. Next is a Ron Bontz Kit Dovetail Saw at 15ppi. In the middle is a 14ppi saw plate from Ron Bontz used to replace a saw plate in a Jackson Dovetail Saw. (Jackson was a Disston second tier brand, it has a Warranted Superior medallion)
From the Disstonianinstitute:
Disston never carried an open-handled backsaw in its catalog, with the exception of the "Jackson" brand backsaw in the late 19th century and the "Davis" in the early 20th century. Jackson was a second-line brand with lesser quality in materials and finish than the Disston brand saws. It is shown with an open handle in the 1890 catalog. Later the Jackson saw was made with a closed handle only.
Next is a 13ppi saw with a Disston brand on the back. The handle is shop made.
The last saw is a 13ppi Corsair by Great Neck Saw Co.
All of the saws have been sharpened by me except the Veritas. All have rip teeth at 9º rake except the Veritas (factory rake) and the Disston which has 5º rake and 5º fleam. It is the most aggressive (fastest cutting) of the saws.
As expected the finer the teeth the less fuzziness at the exit:
467539
The plate thickness, which saw was used and the ppi was written by each kerf.
Of course, the thicker the saw plate the wider the kerf.
The heel of my hand must have brushed agains the Veritas kerf. Fortunately an image was taken before that happened:
467542
Images were also taken of the faces of the cuts:
467540
This is from the 14ppi Bontz saw plate. Surprisingly the faces of the kerfs all looked pretty much the same. My saws all have pretty much minimal set.
It appears the roughness of the sawn face may have more to do with all of the teeth being properly set and being smooth from use. In the past being careful to make a single stroke cut it has been possible for me to use the face of the kerf to locate an over set or burred tooth and correct it.
How one handles the saw may have more to do with this in a rip cut than with the tooth count in the relatively narrow range tested here. All the kerfs had fairly smooth surfaces. IMO one would be hard pressed to tell which face was made by which saw.
jtk