In me efforts to learn how to do hand-cut dovetails I ended up disabling my saw. I rented Rob Cosmans DVD on 'Mastering the Dovetail Saw' and followed his advice on tuning the saw before using it. Greta DVD by the way. I ended up over-flattening the set of my saw.:BangHead: Tried the fine screwdriver method to reset the teeth but no success. Now my dilemma is do I send it out to get professionally set, find someone with a tooth setting tool, or debate over the Lie-Nielsen vs. Adria saws? :dontknow: Any help would be appreciated.
Dovetail saw teeth setting
- Thread starter Jim Hancock
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Jim,
There are a couple of sharpening places that are often recommended in this forum. Raleigh Saw is one of them. I think you could drop your saw off at Klingspor or Woodcraft and they will send it out for you.
But the really important thing is that you really need to buy that new Lie-Nielsen... really. And then post a photo when it arrives.:gar-Bi
Ray
There are a couple of sharpening places that are often recommended in this forum. Raleigh Saw is one of them. I think you could drop your saw off at Klingspor or Woodcraft and they will send it out for you.
But the really important thing is that you really need to buy that new Lie-Nielsen... really. And then post a photo when it arrives.:gar-Bi
Ray
I have the Lie Nielsen, and will say it is one sweet saw, but with where you are today, I would get a saw setting tool. It sounds like you are close to having it down pat (albeit a few mistakes), but still, you are close, and it would be a shame to stop now and start with a new saw after as far as you have come.
I didn't know if Raleigh saw did tooth setting on hand saws or not. I will give that a try. The saw I have now is a mid-range quality saw, but it is a 12 PPI, and I'm not sure if I am doing myself a disservice by practicing with it, since 15 PPI is the recommended count. I am in the early stages of building a blanket chest and machine cut dovetails simply will not do it justice.
I went over to Woodcraft today and they no longer do saw sharpening or have a relationship with Raleigh saw. Roger, I will take up your offer on the saw sets. I would not be able to get up to Durham until next weekend. I will PM you with my contact info.
The Adria website recommends:
Cooke's Sharpening & Grinding, Inc. Here is the contact information:
Cooke's Sharpening & Grinding, Inc.
3331 W. Market St.
York, PA 17404
Phone: (717) 793-9527
Regards,
Bill
Cooke's Sharpening & Grinding, Inc. Here is the contact information:
Cooke's Sharpening & Grinding, Inc.
3331 W. Market St.
York, PA 17404
Phone: (717) 793-9527
Regards,
Bill
I would not recommend sending a saw out to be sharpened because I think it would be too much money, and because very likely only a traditional saw maker would be able to do a good job these days, if they had the time. Sharpening a dovetail saw is pretty straightworward. You really do not need much if any set to the teeth for this type of work. The appropriate selection of a triangular file, a good saw blade clamp are about all you need. I use sight black (Dixie Gun Works) to blacken the teeth before I start filing, that way I can easily see where I have been. Also, alternating which tooth you work on (every other one, then turn the saw around for the others) is important because it is very easy to introduce a consistent error when working from only one side, even with rip teeth. I have a head lamp magnifier as well!
If you did decide to get a sawset (useful for the other, coarser saws), then a Stanley 42 or 42X would be best. I would try to get two of them. You can file the anvil down on one so that the saw set will work with finer teeth (they only work well to about 12 ppi or so). Very likely you will pay $25 or so for one (on Ebay).
Saw vises are very available on Ebay as well. I think the Wentworth vise is best. Look for the ones that have a jaw width of over 11 inches (most have only 9 inches). I think this is a No. 1 or No. 2 Wentworth. You can get these pretty reasonably, but the shipping is usually just as much as the sale price!
Just as an aside, I will be teaching a workshop on hand saw sharpening later on in the year.
If you did decide to get a sawset (useful for the other, coarser saws), then a Stanley 42 or 42X would be best. I would try to get two of them. You can file the anvil down on one so that the saw set will work with finer teeth (they only work well to about 12 ppi or so). Very likely you will pay $25 or so for one (on Ebay).
Saw vises are very available on Ebay as well. I think the Wentworth vise is best. Look for the ones that have a jaw width of over 11 inches (most have only 9 inches). I think this is a No. 1 or No. 2 Wentworth. You can get these pretty reasonably, but the shipping is usually just as much as the sale price!
Just as an aside, I will be teaching a workshop on hand saw sharpening later on in the year.
First suggestion is make Willard's class if you are able:
However, depending on how bad you disabled it here are a couple suggestions based on how I do mine (20 tpi).
Recovering the teeth on a fine toothed saw:
If you have overset the teeth, disregard the first step. The condition will be corrected later on in step 6.
1. Set the teeth lightly only if they have no set. One way to do this is to take the .025 blade out of an old feeler gauge set as a backstop (the top edge above the teeth) and a .010 blade as a spacer (between the backer and the blade) and clamp all ion the vise. Push to the backer.
Reverse blade and repeat for opposing teeth.
2. Blacken all surfaces of the exposed teeth. (I use a wide Sharpie. The chisel point ones are better for getting down in the gullets, but takes a little work). Also blacken the sides.
3. Joint the top flat.
4. Using a 6" XX Slim taper file, take one or two passes off each tooth, registering on the bottom of the existing gullets. This will keep the tooth count consistant. If you have destroyed the existing gullets, you will need to scribe a straight line at the base of the teeth or an 1/8" below and mark it off for spacing. If resetting the tooth count, now is the time. I use an office font rule (marked at 10 and 12 pitch) to get the spacing. Best to refer to "First Suggestion" in this case or practice on a cheap saw, as this is difficult. Bright light and good vision is a must..
5. Continue with step 4, however only do the teeth that have not eliminated the flat bright spot from jointing.
6. After all the teeth are sharp, stroke a fine stone (I use a white or gray arkansas) down the sides of the teeth running the same direction as the tooth points (ie, on a push saw, stroke away from the handle) until just a bit of bright shows on the tip of all the sides of the teeth. If some have more bright than others, let it be, as these were set further out. Dovetail saws need very little set unless you are doing green or very soft wood.
The above is assuming you know the differences and angles for your pick of rip or crosscut tooth profile.
Hope this helps
Go
However, depending on how bad you disabled it here are a couple suggestions based on how I do mine (20 tpi).
Recovering the teeth on a fine toothed saw:
If you have overset the teeth, disregard the first step. The condition will be corrected later on in step 6.
1. Set the teeth lightly only if they have no set. One way to do this is to take the .025 blade out of an old feeler gauge set as a backstop (the top edge above the teeth) and a .010 blade as a spacer (between the backer and the blade) and clamp all ion the vise. Push to the backer.
Reverse blade and repeat for opposing teeth.
2. Blacken all surfaces of the exposed teeth. (I use a wide Sharpie. The chisel point ones are better for getting down in the gullets, but takes a little work). Also blacken the sides.
3. Joint the top flat.
4. Using a 6" XX Slim taper file, take one or two passes off each tooth, registering on the bottom of the existing gullets. This will keep the tooth count consistant. If you have destroyed the existing gullets, you will need to scribe a straight line at the base of the teeth or an 1/8" below and mark it off for spacing. If resetting the tooth count, now is the time. I use an office font rule (marked at 10 and 12 pitch) to get the spacing. Best to refer to "First Suggestion" in this case or practice on a cheap saw, as this is difficult. Bright light and good vision is a must..
5. Continue with step 4, however only do the teeth that have not eliminated the flat bright spot from jointing.
6. After all the teeth are sharp, stroke a fine stone (I use a white or gray arkansas) down the sides of the teeth running the same direction as the tooth points (ie, on a push saw, stroke away from the handle) until just a bit of bright shows on the tip of all the sides of the teeth. If some have more bright than others, let it be, as these were set further out. Dovetail saws need very little set unless you are doing green or very soft wood.
The above is assuming you know the differences and angles for your pick of rip or crosscut tooth profile.
Hope this helps
Go
Great news! The Disston saw set I borrowed from Roger this morning worked. My dovetail saw is now cutting true with a narrow kerf. I had to dig up instructions on the web as to how to calibrate it first. Now off to practice with it.:icon_chee
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