How to Re-tooth a Hand Saw - Hand Tool Woodworking

[@kfujillama9548]

You took the mystery out of tooth spacing and filing. Very well done. I have a Diston No 12 that someone tried filing long before I hit it from my grandfather. Big tooth little tooth, angles all over the place… text book how not to file a saw. It is a keepsake so I’m rehabbing it. Thank you again

[@roberthodge7802]

And the hand filing producing a less binding stroke. I can remember my Grandfathers hand filed crosscut and it seemed impossible to bind up. A subtle rake space management, subtle lower actual friction surface, etc. Very interesting.

[@haroldschultz5864]

Thank you sir . Your transparency on this matter was extremely helpful . I have a carcass saw in desperate need for this attention . Again thank you and keep your videos coming . Bless you .

[@rolandkuhn9066]

Thanks for the clear explanation of the retuthing process. I watched a couple of your sharpening videos today and was impressed with your description of the process. I think this may be doable. Have a couple of saws I was thinking of sending out but think I may just give this a try. Thanks again.

[@paulhanger7242]

Thank you Bob. This is a great explanation. You are very skilled so thanks again and all the best

[@jcoul1sc]

Great video. Dont think I have the confidence to do it like paul Sellers, but yours seems so much more do-able. Thinking 14 or 15TPI will be much easier to file but harder to see

[@roberthodge7802]

Robert's Rule! Great vintage knowledge from a guy who's obviously done it before. I will give a couple of oldies (hand saws) a trial run.About the smoothness, I can remember my Grandpa's saw and it seemed to never bind up. A subtle raking space or something. Very interesting. Thanks Man! Excellent informative video completely on subject. Gotta look at your prequels now.

[@dokbob5795]

I thought that the block of wood on the end of the file to keep the angle correct was a brilliant idea. Thanks for that.

[@steveeaton9126]

This was really neat. The idea of slight pitch variations making smoother running makes sense. I think maybe "variable pitch" hole saws (a bad name, because they're not adjustable) and whatever the custom is for number of flutes on rotary bits or cutters follow that principle to avoid telegraphing/amplifying chatter.

[@bentontool]

Excellent video and advice. I am now in the process of restoring multiple old saws, and very frustrated with one that has terribly spaced teeth. As you said, I was unable to correct one otherwise excellent saw with two attempts at resharpening. I will now take your advice and re-cut the teeth properly. On the other saw, an older Tyzack with a brass back, has an apparently "crystallized" plate, and will not allow setting the teeth. The metal has become so hard that the teeth snap very frequently. I am going to replace the plate with blue "shim stock" (the plate was also very rusty & pitted), unless you have another recommendation. P.S. I went online and downloaded free graph paper. It is available in many grid patterns: 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16 TPI... for me, easier than trying to re-learn Sketch-Up... 😀

[@rogersbros]

Thanks for the advice 🤘

[@andrebrazeau-te9ng]

Where did you get thé paterne ? Thank you . André

[@80dale]

Hi Bob : I restore older saws and wonder why a few teeth break when I’m setting the teeth ? When I was younger the older guys would say the blade has lost its temper . I never understood that . Any ideas ?

[@BRFineWoodworking]

Could be a couple things. If you’re setting in the opposite direction of the original set, that can cause them to break. Most of the time, my experience has shown that when the teeth break, it’s due to the corrosion making the teeth weak and brittle. Usually, if you can file past the corrosion the brittleness goes away and the teeth don’t break off anymore, unless there’s a lot of pitting right near the tooth line. Pitting also makes the teeth weak. A saw can’t lose its temper unless it’s heated up. And even then, if it loses its temper it will get soft, not brittle. The only way that heating would make the teeth more brittle is if the blade was heated red hot and then quenched to cool it quickly. This makes the steel very hard, but very brittle. Steel is tempered to soften it down a bit from its hardened state to make it less brittle. So unless the blade was hardened, it would not become more brittle by “losing its temper”. It’s more likely due to the corrosion, which is a chemical change in the steel, making the teeth more brittle.

[@petermarsh4993]

Dear Bob, if I were to sharpen a blade for dovetails at say 18 TPI, how do I set the teeth? My saw set only goes up to 12 TPI.

[@BRFineWoodworking]

Peter Marsh Well, you’ve got a few options. You can file or grind down the wood plunger on your current set so that it can do smaller teeth. You can get yourself another set that can handle smaller teeth. Or you can try hammer setting them with a small hammer, a nail set and a hardwood anvil.

[@n.j.r.fisher4257]

Very interesting & informative, thanks for posting this. I’d like to watch the other videos you refer to at the end but, for some reason, can’t find them in your library. Would it be possible to post links to them please, either in the comments or in the video description? Thank you. Keep up the great work!

[@BRFineWoodworking]

I’m assuming you’re referring to the saw sharpening video. That’s here kzbin.info/www/bejne/gaewlWiDg9eqgJo. Not sure what the other video is you’re referring to.

[@jcnruad5810]

So informative, but the graphics just 320p best... It's outrageous.

[@588158]

how do you make and set up your rake angle guide?

[@BRFineWoodworking]

588158 Just bore a hole the size of the top of the file, use an adjustable bevel to scribe the desired rake angle tangent to the hole, then stick the tip of the file in the hole, aligning the flat of the file with the line you drew on the block. That’s it.

[@588158]

@@BRFineWoodworking Thank you so much Bob!

[@BRFineWoodworking]

588158 You bet! I believe I probably talked about making these blocks in my original saw sharpening video as well. Just check back in my channel feed. Saw sharpening was one of the first videos I ever did, about 10-12 years ago. I’m pretty sure I went into more detail on rake angles and such. It probably time for a redux on saw sharpening on my channel actually. I do things a little differently these days.

[@ryannebaisas3716]

Sir, may i ask what length is the gap line on the paper pattern that you used? TIA.

[@BRFineWoodworking]

Ryanne Baisas I don’t remember on this particular saw. But you can make it whatever spacing you want. If you want 13 teeth per inch, then the lines are spaced 1/13” apart. If 10 teeth per inch, they’re 1/10” apart, etc.

[@leejensen2574]

@@BRFineWoodworking if you want 12 teeth per inch space them 2 millimeters apart. I like the marked paper it looks a lot easier than the method I've been using

[@nelsonmosquera3153]

How many teeth in one inch

[@melaniewestberg2886]

-4cwes, to adjust or correct the spacing, clamp a hacksaw blade of the same tpi next to the blade and use it as a guide. This is the easiest way to re-establish the correct tpi. For a coarse blade, you don't have to use every tooth.

[@BRFineWoodworking]

The hacksaw works OK if you're just starting out and need a physical guide for your file. However, I've retoothed and repaired hundeds of saws and have never felt the need to use a hacksaw. Their tooth spacing is too limited for the work that I do. I need to be able to retooth or repair to any spacing, not just a multiple of what is available in a hacksaw. The paper pattern allows me to create any tooth spacing I want, including a progressive spacing that is finer at the toe and more aggressive at the heel. Can't do that with a hacksaw. And the paper pattern costs pennies compared to buying hacksaw blades. For me, using a hacksaw as a pattern is more trouble, not easier.

[@armandosedenobonet6311]

Todos son muy buenos Paúl es la excelencia de la carpintería, qué pena no sé nada de inglés.

[@SkylersRants]

I have tried to do this before. I’d rather buy a new saw. Just the noise alone is a good enough reason!!

[@SkylersRants]

But I am fascinated by how it’s done. Thanks for showing your method.

[@gbwildlifeuk8269]

However did they do this before a CAD print out was available?

[@BRFineWoodworking]

gbwildlife uk You can just measure it if you really wanted to. A divider can fairly easily step off just about any spacing you want.

[@588158]

great video! what size files should i get to shape the teeth? what to the pattern would i use for a dovetail saw; rip 4 crosscut?

[@BRFineWoodworking]

588158 You can shape the teeth with the same size file you sharpen with or one or two sizes smaller. Just google saw sharpening files and you’ll find a chart of recommended file size based on PPI. For dovetail saws, I like rip teeth.

[@588158]

thank you so much!

[@expertpc2007]

What type of planner is that?

[@BRFineWoodworking]

Not sure I follow. I didn't use a plane at all in this video. Are you referring to the Sargent saw jointer that holds the file for jointing the teeth?

[@andreicharpentierquesada4530]

Woooooow faster that i thougth

[@RichardMuenzer]

Thank you,,,, yes I hosed myself.... This is bad timing for me.

[@BRFineWoodworking]

I doubt it’s completely ruined. That’s almost impossible to do. Can always file all the teeth off and start over.

[@agnieszkalebera8598]

rozajewski ? polskie nazwisko ?

[@BRFineWoodworking]

agnieszka lebera Pół polski. Prawdopodobnie Rozajewski. Wiem, że obecna pisownia jest prawdopodobnie nieprawidłowa.

[@nelsonmosquera3153]

😂not so clear, i ask how many teeth in 1 inch