Low-Tech circular saw sharpening jig!

Plans at www.stevemaske...
This jig handles all sizes of blades in my workshop, from my little biscuit jointer blade (100mm) up to my SCMS blade (12"). It also handles all the various rake angles, too. And the best bit, it is quiet, gentle, and doesn't fill the air with tungsten carbide dust. What's not to like?

[@jordanadams4595]

Thanks for all your generous vides, Steve. Your woodworking channel is one of, if not the most informative on KZbin and deserves many more subscribers. Keep up the great work!

[@SteveMaskery]

Thank you very much indeed. It's taken 16 years to get to 18K subscribers...

[@davidpitts9086]

Off to the shop I go...Thank you

[@martinlouden9005]

Great info Steve. That's the only jigajig I'll get these days!

[@MCsCreations]

Thanks for the tip, Steve! 😊 Stay safe there with your family! 🖖😊

[@ryanlemons7831]

Ah this is great sir! Thank you!!

[@Woodgate425]

Yet another great jig Steve and one l will definitely be having a go at. I wonder how many swipes I’ll get singing the first few lines of Dad’s Army 🤔🤣

[@MrPatdeeee]

As always, Steve KNOWS how to do it! Thank you. For you are one of the Best DIY'rs! Keep it going in! 😀

[@frankherring6253]

Very nice Steve! Thank you!

[@eduardo_2805]

Nice and simple! Thank you

[@crossgrainwoodproductsltd9230]

Some very good tips within your video. As simple as it may seem to other's, the use of a magnet to mark your stating tooth is brilliant to me. Yes you can use a permanent marker or even a dot of enamel paint and re-use that same dot for every sharpening, but eventually it will wear off. A magnet solves that issue and can be stored with the jig so it's not lost when stored. I also like the different spindles/ arbors you made for each size blade. A clever idea. The rest of the jig for me, just seems over built. If sharpening with a diamond file, all you need is two pieces of wood to clamp the blade between to keep it up right. You can add a hinge at one end and hook and eye to keep the 2 boards tightly closed around the blade. You could take it another step by using a router circle jig and route grooves deep enough so as you spin the blade to the next tooth it will move freely. For me, I modified a pretty beat up, antique handsaw clamp. I paid $5 for it at a flea market, knowing it was not in good enough condition to restore and sell as I do with most acquired Antique tools if not for my personal collection. I remove the rust from the frame and parts, then repainted it to prevent further rusting. I added strips of wood to the jaws to prevent any damage to the teeth and added to partial round grooves in the strips for each size blade I sharpen. The smallest being 115 mm or 4.5" I will be tapping a drilled hole in the frame to accommodate your various sized wooden spindles so the blades will have something to spin on.

[@magnatimberworksclinthurst6209]

Great video Call me tight but I’ve been sharpening jigsaw blades. Had a load of vinyl click flooring to lay, hammers the blades.

[@andreasbentz6106]

Excellent Jig Steve. But please wear a mask and wash your hands - even if the air is not filled with dust, there will be toxic tungsten-carbide debris around. BTW - what sort of file do you use? Did I miss that in the video? Cheers Andreas

[@SteveMaskery]

Hi Andreas, good advice about the handwashing. The file is a flat diamond file. I don't know the brand, it's not labelled and I've had it for donkey's years. I did mention it in the film but it would be easy to miss, I guess.

[@andreasbentz6106]

@@SteveMaskery Thank you for the info on the file, Steve. In addition to washing hands, I would also put that file now in quaratine and use it only for this particular purpose. I am maybe a bit nervous about cross contamination (since I am a microbiologist), but better safe than sorry. Have a nice weekend! Andreas

[@DavidEdgeTripeBroadcasting]

Splendid! Now what do you use for getting resin off sawblades? I can't believe there isn't something better and cheaper than the Axminster stuff which seems to be ethanol at a higher price than Calvados

[@SteveMaskery]

I don't have much trouble with resin, TBH, but when I do I use WD40 and a toothbrush. Oven cleaner is popular, but someone told me it doesn't do the welds any good.

[@DavidEdgeTripeBroadcasting]

@@SteveMaskery I'll give it a go, thanks. Thinking about it, I don't suppose you can weld carbide, so perhaps it's brazed. And if there's aluminium in the braze, caustic will certainly get up to no good.

[@davidpitts9086]

Just wondering, what is the name of the file you are using, please and thank you.

[@SteveMaskery]

I thought it was unbranded, but there is a very faint embossed name on the side - DMT Duofold. It doesn't say what grit it is.

[@davidpitts9086]

@@SteveMaskery Thank you

[@LarryB-inFL]

ARE YOU KIDDING????? Every blade I own varies in the set and rake of the carbide tips, plus *many* blades are ATB, where there are THREE different angles. Your jig wouldn't work on ANY of my blades.

[@SteveMaskery]

I don't understand you. The top bevel is irrelevant, this only touches the face. Now if you have alternate FACE bevels, and such blades do exist, then this would not be the jig to use (although making a bespoke sliding fence for an AFB would be very straightforward). I don't think you understand what this jig does.

[@rafezetter8003]

You don't need to sharpen the top bevel. As for alternating face bevels, you can add a removable guide to the correct angle for both faces, then sharpen all the faces of one angle, then swap angle guides and then do all the opposing faces. This entire jig can be altered to suit your needs, just a little 3 dimensional thinking required so I don't see a problem here, but feel free to move along to your next YT video and keep paying to have blades sharpened.

[@gcarson19]

Lacks the ability to understand the jig so leaves a whiny, griping comment instead...