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Thread: Saw tuning/repair question

  1. #16
    Join Date
    Jul 2015
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    Broadview Heights, OH
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    The big tooth little tooth scenario is very common on a crosscut saw. However, it's not typical on a dovetail saw as those teeth are typically filed straight across and not subject to that issue. If this is a new saw and just purchased, I would send it back to Veritas for rework. If it's used, then who knows what might have happened to it since it left the factory. Filing a saw like this in rip profile is not hard.

    PS. If you have an iphone, take a close up of the teeth from the side and post it here. The macro feature is very good for this sort of thing.

  2. #17
    Join Date
    Apr 2019
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    Madison, Wisconsin
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    Hi Pete,

    Thanks for your input as well. This saw is indeed filed rip. I purchased it new (through my local Woodcraft) and it was my first Western back saw. It did cut like this from the start, but I assumed that I was the problem given my vast inexperience and the very solid reputation of Veritas tools (not that something couldn't slip by their quality control). After I (finally) sharpened it the first time, the tracking got quite a bit better but not perfect.

    Here's some information on how I went about sharpening it, in case that's helpful. In an attempt to keep things relatively even when filing it, I filed the backs of the teeth that were leaning away from me (so, every other tooth) and then flipped the saw around and did the same--the idea was that if my inexperience resulted in an out-of-level and/or out-of-square file then if I could at least be consistently out of level and consistently out of square I'd still wind up with symmetric right-left filing. To keep the file angle (in rotation about the long axis of the file) consistent I inserted the tang into a scrap of wood and tried to keep the angle of the scrap consistent, setting the angle to try to match the factory rake angle. However, I can see how, if I messed this up, I could have ended up with a long-tooth-short-tooth scenario (say, if I didn't quite hit the factory rake angle before/after flipping the saw around and maybe over-filed in one of those two directions even though I thought I was just barely removing the jointing flats). Maybe (probably) there's something else I'm doing wrong. I've filed it once since then, and it's certainly due (probably overdue) to be sharpened again.

    I'll go through the tutorials on your website to see what else I can learn; thanks for posting those.

    Thanks also for the tip regarding the iPhone; I'll see what I can do--only my work phone is an iPhone and it may have photo sharing restrictions built in (because it's a work phone).

    Best regards,
    Michael

  3. #18
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Location
    bloomington il
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    184
    Do you know any other woodworkers that could try out the saw?
    File all the teeth from the same side. Maybe when you flipped the saw you filed down more on 1 side then the other.
    But if you had the same problem since new and not on your other saws... have you checked how flat the saw plate is at the tooth line and at the spine?

  4. #19
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    Apr 2019
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    Madison, Wisconsin
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    Quote Originally Posted by Pete Taran View Post
    PS. If you have an iphone, take a close up of the teeth from the side and post it here. The macro feature is very good for this sort of thing.
    Thanks in advance for taking a look.

    Best regards,
    Michael
    24990CBF-4241-4074-8474-B9B8BD896AAF.jpg

  5. #20
    Join Date
    Apr 2019
    Location
    Madison, Wisconsin
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    Hi Warren,

    You were absolutely correct. Thanks again! The saw works great now.

    Here are the teeth after a light jointing pass. Definitely long on one side.
    57184256-F365-4785-BF3B-B5532893154D.jpg
    And here’s the result after jointing and sharpening (cross cut in a 3/4 thick by ~4 inch wide scrap of maple, no marking of the cut).

    Near side:
    7D4EB246-83BB-4120-9F6C-165D846C62DA.jpg

    Far side:
    A0695D54-123B-4695-B700-FE36A65CB002.jpg

    Best regards,
    Michael

  6. #21
    Join Date
    Jul 2015
    Location
    Broadview Heights, OH
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    711
    Looks hit or miss. That section you took the shot of looks fine to me. However the top view tells a different tale.

  7. #22
    Join Date
    Apr 2019
    Location
    Madison, Wisconsin
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    The top view was of the worst section (toward the toe), which I admit was not the same section as the side view (roughly center, a random selection before I jointed the teeth). It appears that the real problem is that I’m not yet competent at saw filing. The latest results suggest I’m getting better, though.

    Thanks again.

    Best regards,
    Michael

  8. #23
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    Sep 2007
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    Longview WA
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    It appears that the real problem is that I’m not yet competent at saw filing. The latest results suggest I’m getting better, though.
    Don't feel bad about this. My attempts at saw sharpening has been going on for more than a decade and it could still use improvement. Though if the saw cuts well and true, to me that is a win.

    jtk
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
    - Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)

  9. #24
    Join Date
    Dec 2019
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    The old pueblo in el norte.
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jim Koepke View Post
    Don't feel bad about this. My attempts at saw sharpening has been going on for more than a decade and it could still use improvement. Though if the saw cuts well and true, to me that is a win.

    jtk

    Mine too, I can sharpen a saw and it'll work much better than (oops) before I touched it. But I struggle with moving teeth around, and getting misshapen teeth consistent. So, I've doubled-down and bought some cheap saws that I can reshape, sharpen, retooth and go again. I figure this will be the surest way to improve, otherwise I just touch up saws infrequently. I think I saw once that LN sells plates for this purpose, although it's not cheap
    Last edited by mike stenson; 02-11-2020 at 3:57 PM.
    ~mike

    happy in my mud hut

  10. #25
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    Apr 2019
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    Madison, Wisconsin
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jim Koepke View Post
    Don't feel bad about this. My attempts at saw sharpening has been going on for more than a decade and it could still use improvement. Though if the saw cuts well and true, to me that is a win.

    jtk
    Thanks for the kind words. I don’t feel bad about it, really; it would be shocking if I was good at saw filing after a grand total of 5 saw sharpenings under my belt (now 6).

    I do, however, feel good about the saw cut. Maybe I’m overestimating the quality, but to me it looks rather straight, square, and even for just grabbing a piece of scrap, throwing it on a bench hook, and cutting it.

    Best regards,
    Michael

  11. #26
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    Apr 2019
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    Madison, Wisconsin
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    I imagine it’s cheaper to just buy “for restoration” saws off the big auction site and practice on those. Maybe more useful in the long run (and maybe not—perhaps one could take the LN practice saw plates and make saws).

  12. #27
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    Longview WA
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    Quote Originally Posted by Michael Bulatowicz View Post
    I imagine it’s cheaper to just buy “for restoration” saws off the big auction site and practice on those. Maybe more useful in the long run (and maybe not—perhaps one could take the LN practice saw plates and make saws).
    Or find them for a couple of bucks without having to pay shipping at yard & estate sales.

    The LN practice plates might be a good idea for making a saw or two > https://www.lie-nielsen.com/products...ractice-plates

    At the price of 5 for $50 there may be a run on their supply.

    jtk
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
    - Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)

  13. #28
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Location
    bloomington il
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    I see you live in wisconsin, Bad Axe Saws has a 2 day sharpening class in april http://www.badaxetoolworks.com/bad-axe-seminars.php
    Wish I could go.

  14. #29
    Join Date
    Apr 2019
    Location
    Madison, Wisconsin
    Posts
    283
    Thanks for pointing that out. I can’t spare the time this April, even if I hadn’t already planned on spending that money on wood and tools; next year, I might consider it.

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