straightening a hand saw

Re: straightening a hand saw

L. Hanson - N. Idaho

>Straightening handsaws is a bit of a black art IME - by that I mean that some people seem to "get it" and some don't. Then - even some that do "get it" can't always repeat their successes... (myself included!)

If it is a slow curve, sometimes you can just bend the blade against a bench and straighten it out. For kinked blades, the best luck I've had is using an anvil with a large, somewhat heavy and large faced flat hammer (NOT a ball pien!). Place the blade on the anvil with the kink facing up, and work the highest kinked area repeatedly with smaller taps of the hammer, working cautiously and checking often. Once it's pretty close, then sometimes the act of jointing the teeth a ways and re-setting them is enough to bring the saw back to straight again. The real trick is just to work slowly and cautiously, IMO.

Of course - YMMV. If Todd Hughes answers and his advice contradicts mine, I would defer to his. He has a lot more experience with a hammer and anvil than I do.

Leif

www.norsewoodsmith.com

Re: straightening a hand saw *LINK*

David Miller from Iowa

>I have always liked Bob Brode's site - scroll about halway down for some straightening comments.

Good luck, David


Bob Brode

Easy

Todd Hughes

>If the saw just has a bend and is not kinked it can be straightend very easly and in just a few minutes, I do them all the time. What I do is lay the saw on a anvil with the top of the bend facing up.To make this clearer look at the bottom of the saw sighting from handle to tip if it bends toward your right you should lay it on the anvil with the teeth toward the right, etch side down. I have a few Saw Makers anvil but they are stacked up with my other anvils and i just use my Big 250 lb. fisher. I think any hard metal surface like a table saw table would probably work.Then with a small [maybe 6oz.?] hammer with a smooth polished face I tap along the back side of the bend while lifting up on the saws handle and pressing down on the blade.Don't have to hit it hard just in the right place, middle of where the bend strats.What you are doing is spreading out the steel which in turns straightens the saw.You are NOT trying to bend the blade to straighten it like many people seem to think. After a few or more taps sight down the blade to make sure you are at the right place and that the blade doesn't start bending in the other way.I straighten the saws befor cleaning them with a sanding block and never have problims with marks on the blade. Like most things if you try not to think about it to much but just try it and do it you will be most succesful.Practice some on a junk saw and it will be no trouble to do a good one.Once learned you will never worry about getting a saw with a bend in it......Todd

Re: Easy

Ralph Johnson Mansfield Tx

>Todd

will this work on backsaws too

thanks

ralph

Re: Easy

wayne

>One thing I have found with backsaws is sometimes they are just loose in the spine, and a sharp tap on a wood surface (spine down) will straighten them right out. That's if the whole edge appears wavy, not bent. Wayne

Eventually Easy

Christopher Schwarz

>Make sure when you try Todd's technique that it's on a dogmeat saw. Todd is an accomplished blacksmith. I am not. The first few saws I "smithed" became banana-like for a time....

As to Wayne's tip, that's a good one I'll have to try.

Chris

must clarify

wayne

>...a sharp rap on the TOE end of the spine. I haven't it anywhere else.

Wayne