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+-- Thread: Disston Hand saw sharpening (/showthread.php?tid=7368252)
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Disston Hand saw sharpening - Hal Mann - 03-18-2022
What's up with this saw? It's got to be 60 yrs old, inherited from my dad, and hardly ever used since I've had it, because it DOESN'T cut. In viewing several YouTube sharpening videos it seems all the teeth are supposed to be the same height. But every other tooth on this seem to be consistently shorter. Is this supposed to be this way or just badly sharpened lo some many, many years ago? It's 12 tpi and 26" long.
Do I need to file all the teeth to the same height and then go about sharpening?
thanks,
hal
RE: Disston Hand saw sharpening - bandit571 - 03-18-2022
That "pattern" is known as "Cows & Calves".....and ....bad. even the shape of the teeth are wrong...
RE: Disston Hand saw sharpening - Rob Young - 03-18-2022
(03-18-2022, 12:49 PM)Hal Mann Wrote: What's up with this saw? It's got to be 60 yrs old, inherited from my dad, and hardly ever used since I've had it, because it DOESN'T cut. In viewing several YouTube sharpening videos it seems all the teeth are supposed to be the same height. But every other tooth on this seem to be consistently shorter. Is this supposed to be this way or just badly sharpened lo some many, many years ago? It's 12 tpi and 26" long.
Do I need to file all the teeth to the same height and then go about sharpening?
thanks,
hal
Cows & calves as mentioned.
Yes, level everything. Then make a pass filing straight across, as if filing rip (just because it is one less angle to keep track of) to re-set the teeth / gullet sizes. You may need to put a little pressure on the back (front) of the adjacent tooth to even out the gullet spacing as you go. Doesn't have to be perfect but do your best.
Joint one more time very lightly and then make your cross-cut sharpening passes. With well sized evenly spaced teeth it should go very quickly.
RE: Disston Hand saw sharpening - ChuckHill - 03-18-2022
It will help to mark a straight line below the teeth showing where you want the new gullet to extend to.
RE: Disston Hand saw sharpening - Hal Mann - 03-19-2022
Thanks everybody,
This is all helpful information. Looking forward to giving it a go.
hal
RE: Disston Hand saw sharpening - Admiral - 03-19-2022
(03-19-2022, 01:24 PM)Hal Mann Wrote: Thanks everybody,
This is all helpful information. Looking forward to giving it a go.
hal
Hal; you have to "joint" the toothline; take a mill file and create flats on each and every tooth, then you have to "re-form" the teeth to a uniform height and "rake" geometry - no 'fleam' in this step (presuming crosscut sharpening); this may take one or two passes, as you may have to joint the tooth line a second time and re-file to achieve a uniform tooth height and shape. Then you would "set" the teeth (you need a saw set), then you lightly joint the tooth line again, and would sharpen the teeth, maintaining the same rake but introducing fleam for a crosscut saw. Then very lightly stone each side to remove burrs. After all of this, the saw should cut properly.
Rehabbing handsaws to user condition is a time intensive process; and you need good files, Bahco (lee valley and Blackburn sell them, TFWW has some quality files as well) or Corradi, out of Italy, but shipping can be a bear. But when you are done, you'll have a saw that is much easier to maintain, light 'freshen up' sharpening is easy, but its the getting of the saw to proper condition that is the time consuming part.
Download and print Taran's saw filing primer in link below, i've been filing saws for almost 20 years now and i continue to refer to it often. Good luck, this is worth doing.
http://www.vintagesaws.com/library/primer/sharp.html
RE: Disston Hand saw sharpening - adamcherubini - 03-19-2022
Looks to me like someone filed this x-cut then someone later cam back to "sharpen" it possibly with the wrong size file and didn't know what they were doing. Step one, buy good files and make sure you get the right size. If in doubt go one size shorter. Then the others all had the right process to rehab. Only other point I'll make is, once you fix this saw, don't wait till you forget how, to resharpen it. Once a saw is filed properly, resharpening is a breeze. Right file, single pass across each tooth.
Oh And I don't agree with the line for the gullets. The gullets will take care of themselves. Joint and file rip teeth. I think a lot of guys are finding if you want x-cut, you can live with a pretty high (near 90) rake angle. These appear to be laid back a little farther than many of us like.
Here's one more. I'd joint before changing to x-cut. (maybe someone else already mentioned). And when you are filling for x-cut, preserve the tip. The face is less important. The person who filed this seems to have been concentrating on making an angled face. Don't do that. You file until that snow cap is gone and no more. Not sure how big these teeth are, but t might be one stroke to go from rip to cross cut. Maybe 2. Right file, right angle, and watch the tip.
Hope this helps
RE: Disston Hand saw sharpening - Tony Z - 03-20-2022
My advice is contrary to other’s already posted. First, do you have other hand saws? Do you think you’ll be using hand saws to the point of acquiring more? Have you used a hand saw, so as to know how a well sharpened saw feels?
Because of the need of acquiring basic equipment for the first ride at this rodeo, you might want to locate a sharpening service for this saw, before buying a saw vise etc.
RE: Disston Hand saw sharpening - bandit571 - 03-20-2022
How close is the OP to Piqua, OH? Out on South street.... there is Chuck's Sharpening Service.....who usually does most of the saws I have....that aren't big toothed Rip saws....Charges me about $10 a saw.
RE: Disston Hand saw sharpening - ChuckHill - 03-23-2022
Just a note that Highland Hardware has good prices on Grobet saw files.