Bought a few handsaws today

Holy cow.

Now you need a bucket o' files.

If you paid a million dollars, that's only $1 a saw.

Re: Bought a few handsaws today

Hi Dick,

What an assortment!!!!!!!  I have re-habbed  a number of handsaws over the years.  I really enjoyed it, but the eyes just aren't able to handle the sharpening anymore.  Good luck and keep us posted on your progress regarding procedures, etc.

  Ron

Re: Bought a few handsaws today

Re: Bought a few handsaws today

Tom Law was the 'sawman' for many years.  He bought old handsaws for 25 cents, rehabed them and sold many at the PATINA tool sale every year.  BTW, if you are in the DC area, the PATINA sale this year is scheduled for March 11 (2nd Saturday in March) as it had been for many years, pre-COVID.  

Re: Bought a few handsaws today

This will make filing easier.

Saw sharpening and a question

Mr. Law did not just sharpen a saw, he sharpened the saw to fit a need.  When he sharpened a hand saw for me he asked what kind of wood it would mostly be used for.  My need fell in the category of "moderate hard hardwood" and he prepared the teeth accordingly. He sharpened a second saw for pine.  

My question: is the tooth geometry for various needs documented and available?  If someone is cutting pine, can the optimum tooth geometry be looked up somewhere?

I think the hook angle is what makes the difference

I still haven't used my filer, but from reading my manual it seems the hook angle, or rotation of the file in the machine) is what makes the difference. I haven't seen a chart yet, but will post when I find it. The manual only says, "Some carpenters prefer a  little more than standard hook on saws."

I did find this, but not specific

A 20 degree positive hook angle is used on rip blades to pull the wood into the blade. Standard hook angles range from 5 to 15 degrees positive. Steeper angles, from 18 to 22 degrees, are most effective for ripping and cutting softer materials. Hard materials require a shallow angle such as 6 degrees. And more specific to a style of filing here. https://www.badaxetoolworks.com/Filing.php

Re: Saw sharpening and a question

You should probably talk to Chris Schwarz for the most recent down-low on sharpening angles. Back in '09, you may recall, Dan Donaldson and I resurrected Charles Johnson's "Saw Dictionary," a 1907 treatise on exactly this question. I still have a few copies if you are interested. ($20, incl. postage.) Johnson was the official sharpener for a battalion of sawyers who ripped literally miles of 8/4 oak for log flumes in the Pacific northwest, so he understood the nuance pretty well.

You might also find this web page useful: Blackburn Tools

Ellis

Re: Bought a few handsaws today

If you decide to offer the sharpening service to other users update your plans here.

Joe

Re: Bought a few handsaws today

Considering the scarcity and cost of saw-sharpening files, you might want to sell those saws "as is", and let the purchaser deal with the costs and labor of making them useful.  

Re: Bought a few handsaws today

I haven't seen that many hand saws in one place since the day we moved the Dead Horse Forge out of the suburbs of Price, MD.