Filing in new teeth on a Disston No.77 no-set.

[Daryl Weir]

Hey Rick,

Here's a picture of a 8ppi gauge.



I have these that go from 17ppi all the way to 3ppi if I remember right. They were punched on a CNC turret punch in 28" long strips of galvanized sheet metal. I only use them to initially file a mark to get my spacing started and then remove it from the vise.

[RickW]

Thanks, Daryl!
I appreciate the picture and the information.
Rick W

[Christian Castillo]

Daryl, what kind of ink product do you use to mark the teeth for filing?

[TobyC]

I usually have more burrs than that. How do you make it look so clean?

[Daryl Weir]

Hey Christian,

I've always used Dykem layout fluid. I guess that comes from my machinist back ground.

The bottle comes with a brush and is easy to apply. It comes off easy with alcohol.

[Daryl Weir]

Toby,

I just use good files. Bahco's are my choice with Grobet coming in second.

BTW some saw steel just files better than others too. The plates on these no-sets are harder and I think that helps. Tougher on files but files cleaner. I wouldn't even attempt to file a No.77 or an Acme 120 with the new Nicholson's.

[TobyC]

Thanks Daryl. I'm using K&F files, had any experience with those? I'm not having any real problems, I just noticed how good yours looked.

[Isaac S]

Gorgeous saw, and you certainly did it justice.

Daryl Weir said:

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Disston clearly said to file with saw held vertically and the file at 90° to the side of the plate. These no-sets will cut sweeter when there is a bevel on the front and back of each tooth.

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In my copy of the 1907 Disston handbook, they say: "In filing the No. 120 saw for cross-cutting, the saw should be placed in a clamp that is set at an angle of about 45 degrees."

I always took that to mean that you are filing teeth with sloped gullets, which would give you little or no bevel on the back of the tooth IF you used a triangular saw file. But since they say to use a safe back file, you can create a bevel on the back of the tooth. I see no point in sloping the vise/saw, since using a safe file allows you to manipulate all of the bevels and angles independently of each other.

I'm convinced that as much as these old-timers knew about filing saws, a lot of the information was lost by the time the writers and illustrators were done doing their job.

Daryl Weir said:

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I just use good files. Bahco's are my choice...

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Where are you buying your Bahco files? I can find them singly, but buying a dozen at that price is almost breathtakingly expensive.


I started using the Dykem after I saw you recommend it, and it is perhaps the biggest aid for me in sharpening. It is so easy to apply, and it makes it so easy to see if you have missed any faces or tips. Thanks again for sharing it.

[Washita Red]

Thanks Marv,

Between the two of you, I think it's gotten through my thick skull. I am more of an OJT type. Bro Hal

[Daryl Weir]

Hey Isaac,

The very first Acme 120 I did for myself, I roughed the shape in with a regular cant saw file then tilted the vise and use a safe back cant saw file. This actually creates a little centered knife edge in the bottom of the gullet which the original teeth don't have. I really believe the procedure that Disston had was intended to make it easy for the filer to somewhat retain the original factory filing using the safe part of the file to avoid the adjacent teeth.





After seeing the original Acme teeth I changed that. I roughed the initial shape in with a regular cant saw file and then bevel filed them with the same type of file at 30° and no tilt to the vise. This filed the front and back of the tooth.

Now I rough shape them in with a severe sloped gullet and a regular tapered saw file. The correct tooth included angle can be acheived with the right slope and bevel. Tapered saw files are less expensive than a cant saw file. Then I finish them up with a cant saw file or a Bahco Wasa, with no slope.