Saw sharpening - Style v Substance

Re: Saw sharpening - Style v Substance

mikew


>Hi Mike,

My personal method is to position the saw in the vise with the handle to the right, file towards the toe with the file in my right hand and the file pointing to the left [meaning I am filing the teeth set to the right side of the saw]. When I get to the end of the vise, I work back to the handle for the teeth set to the other side [away from me, the left side of the saw].

This means I am more or less facing the handle for the second side. I then move the saw in the vise if longer than it and do the same procedure.

In short, do what ever produces the intended result and feels comfortable to you. Just watch the tops of the jointed teeth as you go and you'll be fine.

Take care, Mike

Re: Saw sharpening - Style v Substance

thomd coralseacat@yahoo.au


>I think I do the reverse of that, handle left, file in right hand. It might mater about burrs and such, the best result would be no burrs. I have often thought it might be fun to study what the race guys do which seems to involve stoning the teeth also.

It's always good to have a routine for speed and efficiency.

Re: Saw sharpening - Style v Substance

Joe Rogers, Northern Virginia


>I wonder if the sound the file makes would change when filing the tooth going from the opposite directions. Loud screech one way and softer noise the other. May account for the different flavors. I may try my next one both ways to see. I know one thing...a first attempt at sharpening a back saw was WAY superior to a dull saw! I bet no one gets worse at sharpening by doing it more.JR

Re: Saw sharpening - Style v Substance

Moses Yoder in White Pigeon, MI


>I think Pete Taran's argument for filing the front of the tooth pointing away from you is valid. (I am writing from memory, and have not filed any saws since I was in PA <:( ) That is that a file will work better when it is adressing the metal at a slight angle away from the file, and will not work as well when the metal is pointed slightly towards the file. I would say that the reality is it probably will not make a noticeable difference in the saws performance. I think it is very important to maybe experiment a little at first then develop your own routine based on your preferences and then stick with it come hell or high water. This will improve your sharpening with time.

Re: Saw sharpening - Style v Substance

paul womack


>There appear to be enough experts and good reasons on both sides of the argument that I'm fairly sure the difference is minimal - in short it doesn't matter.

Therefore...

For the purposes of sanity (and muscle memory), pick one and stick with it.

BugBear

Re: Saw sharpening - Style v Substance

Miles


>Does anyone use a more refined abrasive than a file to 'finish' a saw when sharpening? We see so much discussion of abrasives and technique in all other areas of sharpening, it is interesting to compare the assumed sufficiency of filing in this case. No one would suggest that a chisel would be adequately sharpened with a file!

Refining the edge of the tooth somewhat using a finer abrasive (e.g. a triangular ceramic rod) would possibly have some beneficial effect on edge life as it seems to when honing edge tools - smaller scratches means less likely fracture.

Or is saw steel so much softer than edge tool steel (52Rc vs ~60 ) that the failure mechanisms are different - primarily abrasion rather than chipping?

One very good way to extend tooth life is not to saw into a buried hard steel screw with a nice new saw - makes a horrible mess of the teeth. DAMHIKT :-(

Re: Saw sharpening - Style v Substance

Warren in Lancaster, PA


>Mose

I always file the teeth that are leaning away (every other tooth) and then turn the saw around and file the other teeth from the other side. The file cuts smoother in this direction and is not so prone to chatter. Some times if you accidently file a tooth that is set toward you, you can feel the difference right away and realize your mistake.

A man who uses a saw filing machine once told me that the reason machine filed saws often have longer teeth on one side is that they are all filed from the same side. Even though the machine gives uniform strokes on each tooth, the teeth leaning away cut more efficiently.

Re: Saw sharpening - Style v Substance

mikew


>Hi Miles,

"Or is saw steel so much softer than edge tool steel (52Rc vs ~60 ) that the failure mechanisms are different - primarily abrasion rather than chipping?"

In part that is an issue. Maybe even a large part. I think mostly Western saws are actually meant to be touched up--a light pass--frequently with nominal use and so why bother refining the edge.

fwiw, you can achieve a fairly smooth finish of the tooth by just using a file with a smoother/finer cut for touch-up or a final pass. But I have never seen it extend tooth life to the point it is worth the hassle.

And yep, hittin' foreign objects isn't good. Really can make a mess for resharpening!

Take care, Mike