Kerf's spoiled again. Or a talk about handsaws.

K

Kevin the grey

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Aug 26, 2005
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I have a pretty good handsaw. I think its called a crosscut saw in that it can cut with or against the grain. (I think) Long blade and I have long arms so we are a good match. I think it is a Canadian tire Copy of a Sandvik.


It cut like a power saw when I first got it. I was actually complimented on its cutting ability. I have had it for a few years. Its started to slow down a little bit. Its still doing a pretty good job.

It also has started to vibrate when I get near the tip of the saw. You know what I,m talking about . There must be a vibration or chatter in the blade and as you get near the tip the wave shortens and so must undulate quicker.

What is this caused by? Is it just the teeth getting a little duller or is the kerf slowly misaligning through misuse? Is there something I can do without equipment or a lot of experience?

I always make full strokes and so I,m pretty sure it is not just some teeth sharper than others . I try not to let it waver in the cut though I,m not perfect. I,m also left handed if that makes a difference.
 
they will do that when they start to get dull.....it needs to be sharpened, and the teeth should probably be set as well. You can get the neccessary tools for both opperations from www.leevalley.com or any number of other online dealers. If you like the saw, it's worth it to renovate it. FWIW a crosscut saw is for cutting across the grain and is the most prevalent type to be found all over. A rip saw is for cutting with the grain, and you don't see many of them outside of specialty shops, woodworking shops, or better hardware stores.
 
Is it possible that this is a combination of the two types of saws? All I can say is the teeth are fairly large . The teeth look good in that they are well formed and very distinct . It is not a saw that is so far gone that it needs repair. The teeth look hard. Not that electric blued look. Just good quality steel. Well formed and well treated.

I imagine you are talking about a kerf setter? I may be able to scare one up. Is there a kerf setter for every application or are they fairly generic in that any setter will work on any saw? It must be a fairly thin hard file to use to sharpen a saw. It is the experience I lack.
 
Kevin the grey said:
I have a pretty good handsaw. I think its called a crosscut saw in that it can cut with or against the grain. (I think) Long blade and I have long arms so we are a good match. I think it is a Canadian tire Copy of a Sandvik.


It cut like a power saw when I first got it. I was actually complimented on its cutting ability. I have had it for a few years. Its started to slow down a little bit. Its still doing a pretty good job.

It also has started to vibrate when I get near the tip of the saw. You know what I,m talking about . There must be a vibration or chatter in the blade and as you get near the tip the wave shortens and so must undulate quicker.

What is this caused by? Is it just the teeth getting a little duller or is the kerf slowly misaligning through misuse? Is there something I can do without equipment or a lot of experience?

I always make full strokes and so I,m pretty sure it is not just some teeth sharper than others . I try not to let it waver in the cut though I,m not perfect. I,m also left handed if that makes a difference.
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Yes,but can it chop?:D
 
Kevin the grey said:
Is it possible that this is a combination of the two types of saws?
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No, the teeth are different. Saw which cut with teh grain have square pointed teeth, rip saws have teeth cut on an angle.

Is there a kerf setter for every application or are they fairly generic in that any setter will work on any saw? It must be a fairly thin hard file to use to sharpen a saw. It is the experience I lack.
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The kery setters are variable, generally though you don't need to do that aside from abused saws. You do however need to joint the teeth with every sharpening which just means file them all down to the same height.

-Cliff
 
Kevin, the files are typically triangular shaped. I'm sure a search on the www will give you all the information you need.

It's probably a crosscut saw, and if you've been ripping with it (with the grain) that can dull it.

They make "combination" blades for circular saws, but I've never seen one in a handsaw, typically they are Crosscut or Rip.

Look here for a quick primer.
http://www.diydata.com/tool/handsaw/handsaw.htm
 
Good to know. I,ll get me a good file and give it a try. Is jointing the teeth accomplished simply by sharpening a slightly taller tooth a little bit more than the others?

Why would cutting with the grain dull a saw? Is that true only with hardwoods? I just cut a 4 foot 2X4 corner to corner diagonally. I cut across with against you name it. Am I bad?

Heck I even cut one inch plywood with it. I did it by keeping a good angle and not putting too much pressure on the blade.
 
Kevin the grey said:
Is jointing the teeth accomplished simply by sharpening a slightly taller tooth a little bit more than the others?
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You just flatten them.

Am I bad?
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Rip saws generally won't cross cut much at all, the teeth are actually chisels. Cross cut saws won't do well at ripping either but generally the problem is more for swapping the other way. The wood is much more of a factor, plywood is horrible to cut because it is very dirty and isn't just wood. Generally saws made to cut plywood and such are impulse hardened to give a longer lifetime, or have carbide teeth. These are more difficult to sharpen and almost no one does it.



-Cliff
 
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