Retoothing a Dozuki?

[jgourlay]

Many years ago I bought one of the handmade Dozuki's from Japan Woodworker. About a year ago, that saw had a truly unfortunate and unexpected encounter with a piece of purple heart and 10 year old.

It now has fewer teeth than your average factory maintenance man. It's been sitting in my sawtill taking up space. Being guilty of the sunk cost fallacy, I don't want to toss, nor keep it in it's current condition.

The help desk at Japanwoodworker is currently staffed by people that are not anywhere near the caliber they used to be. Thus, they don't even know what the term 'retoothing' means.

Does anyone know an oufit that can retooth these saws? I should I suck it up and cut the plate into scrapers?

[Mike Brady]

My impression is that Japanese saws can't be retoothed or even sharpened. I'm interested in what answers are posted. We have some experts around here, for sure.

[AHill]

The modern, factory made Japanese saws likely have impulse hardened teeth which cannot be resharpened. Handmade Japanese saws usually don't have the impulse hardened teeth and can be resharpened. The correct file for most crosscut saws is a feather file, which is also handy for very fine toothed Western saws.

Mike Brady said:

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My impression is that Japanese saws can't be retoothed or even sharpened. I'm interested in what answers are posted. We have some experts around here, for sure.

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[Wilbur Pan]

There’s a guy in Vermont named Mark Grable who should be able to help you out. You can read about him here: http://www.daikudojo.org/Links/mark_grab...rvice.html

I’d also be willing to give it a try, with the caveat that retoothing a dozuki isn’t something that I’ve done before, but I have touched up dozukis, and I can sharpen crosscut teeth on a Japanese saw. (I’m assuming that your dozuki is crosscut. If it has rip teeth, it will be even easier.)

I’d be willing to do this for free, since I’m mainly curious as to how this process would go. Worst case scenario is that I won’t do a good job, and then you can send the saw to Mark Grable.

As far as whether Japanese saws can be sharpened or repaired, the disposable blade saws have teeth that are hardened to a point where you can’t file them. Those are the saws that can’t be sharpened. Handmade Japanese saws can be resharpened and repaired.

[museumguy]

Back in the early 90's, I had a wonderful Dozuki saw. I was cutting a section of face frame and hit a nail. It ripped (no pun intended) almost all of the teeth off. I threw the saw away. I wish I had kept it because apparently, there is hope !!

To the OP. Please keep us posted, this could be helpful to several members.

[MarvW]

Wilbur, our WN Japanese saw guru is the guy who is most competent to address your questions.

About all I know is they can be filed/sharpened by using a special file. I bought a couple files once with the intentions of giving it a try, but the files are still in a drawer, still unused. As for "retoothing" you would have to find someone who is capable of actually making those kind of saws. And even if you are lucky enough to find someone, I kind of doubt that it is practical to do it, considering how inexpensive it is to buy a new one.

[MarvW]

I see I need to learn to type faster....

[hbmcc]

My preference is to pull a saw blade, so have a collection of "disposable" Japanese style saws. The sharp edges can be incredibly long lasting. The teeth can also fly away in a fraction of a second. But I have had a garden variety paper staple shatter an $80 set of carbide tipped planer teeth far faster than the nails I meet with a ryoba.

It would be nice to think I can do my part for the environment and have a fine Japanese saw without the hardened teeth. But, finding someone to touch up, or fix, one of those saws has made the thought only a fleeting one.

I do have a couple feather files. Does that count?

[Admiral]

When you think about it, why should rehabbing a Japanese saw be any different from a western saw; its just different geometry, different files and different technique!

That, and because it is likely that any saw filing primer would likely be written in Japanese. I betcha such a thing is out there, just needs someone who is fluent to find it, and translate it. But I'm a committed western saw guy now, but who knows, maybe I'll get the bug.

Wilbur: please be sure that if you are taken up on your offer to please tell us how its going. Gory details will be appreciated.

[Wilbur Pan]

Admiral said:

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When you think about it, why should rehabbing a Japanese saw be any different from a western saw; its just different geometry, different files and different technique!

That, and because it is likely that any saw filing primer would likely be written in Japanese. I betcha such a thing is out there, just needs someone who is fluent to find it, and translate it.

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Hi Admiral,

I’ve already done that.