Woodworking Hand saw

[JCKelly]

An Englishman named Paul Sellers has a fine book and a series of blogs on the use of various handtools - planes, scrapers, &c. I'd say he's the early 20th century version of that early 19th century guy on PBS' Woodworker series.
If you inlet your sliding wood patchbox lid with a milling machine you will NOT find this of interest.
Here is how to sharpen a woodworking handsaw. As I have a couple of Grampa's that have become dull, it is of interest to me.

https://paulsellers.com/2016/04/28348/

[mfharper]

I've been following Paul Sellers for a good while. He has lots of stuff posted up on YouTube now as well. Great information there on sharpening chisels too.

[WKevinD]

Mr Sellers has a series of videos showing sharpening and selection of spokeshaves. These have opened up a whole new direction for me in shaping the whole front end on rifles/ fowlers. A sharp spokeshave removes thin ribbons of wood from the curliest of maple and splintery walnut leaving a smooth surface. It is faster and does less damage to the wood than rasps and files.
Kevin

[WadePatton]

Me too as well. Paul has taught me lots.

I built the workbench as he did (older series)-the one he did out in the yard.  Will use same techniques for any next one too.  Simple, solid, low materials cost, yet not too difficult to disassemble for moving.

I've been following Paul Sellers for a good while. He has lots of stuff posted up on YouTube now as well. Great information there on sharpening chisels too.

[Pukka Bundook]

An old friend back home, (Joiner and cabinet maker) always maintained the best hand saw was a Henry Disston D8.   Made in the USA.  :-)
He was a joiner in the days when if you wanted sash windows, you ripped the wood down and planed it before you started.

Ken Roberts. a very fine man.

[WadePatton]

An old friend back home, (Joiner and cabinet maker) always maintained the best hand saw was a Henry Disston D8.   Made in the USA.  :-)
He was a joiner in the days when if you wanted sash windows, you ripped the wood down and planed it before you started.

Ken Roberts. a very fine man.

Even the Disstons need setting and keeping sharp.  Paul Sellers teaches all that. Even how to set teeth without a setting device. This sharpening and truing/set, methinks, is the most important aspect of hand-saw use, same as chisels and planes and well, anything hand-powered.  It's just that most folks think they know how to sharpen a plane iron or chisel (and plenty can).  Saws and drills are a bit more complicated, but just as important for satisfactory work.

I sharpened an auger in the field one day as I happened into the work (holes in a post) after one hole had been drilled.  As the fresh person, I took over and looked at the bit-woefully dull.  Having no proper file, I pressed a chainsaw file into service and cleaned up the leading edges as best I could.  Then drilled the hole without much thought about it as the bit worked well-enough. It might have taken a minute or so at the most.

I then looked up and there stood two folks with jaws on the ground (full agape).

AT that point they commented about the first hole taking half-an-hour to drill.   

It was a Kodak moment for sharp tools, no matter the job.   

[Pukka Bundook]

Wade,

I didn't say Disstons didn't need sharpening. I said he reckoned they were the best saws.

My own Disston needed to be stripped and re-toothed, as they were all 'cows and calves" when I got it.
Sharpening these saws with a regular saw-set has to be done right, as you can knock the teeth out of them very easily otherwise. Set them from only half way down the tooth, don't set from the base.
I  have set against wood with a cross -peen hammer.  a good even job can be done................. as long as the teeth are big enough to see!

[Ted Martens]

"Sharp solves 'most all problems" is an old but accurate truth for hand tools.

http://www.vintagesaws.com/library/primer/sharp.html

This is the best article I've found on filing; good explanations of tooth angles, rake, and fleam, plus file size recommendations.

[Tim Crosby]

"Sharp solves 'most all problems" is an old but accurate truth for hand tools.

http://www.vintagesaws.com/library/primer/sharp.html

This is the best article I've found on filing; good explanations of tooth angles, rake, and fleam, plus file size recommendations.

 Maybe I should post this under "get a life" but I thoroughly enjoyed that. Learned how to sharpen a saw as a kid from my maternal Grandfather who was a Millwright for the NYC from the mid 20's to early 60's. Thanks for posting.

  Tim C.

[Karl Kunkel]

Dumb luck - the thread above rang a bell. 

A few years ago we were cleaning out my wife's Uncles house, I picked out an old saw, because it looked like a well cared for old saw.  I just looked at it again, it's a Henry Disston D-8 Lightweight Skewback, probably from the 1940's.

You learn all sorts of stuff on this forum.

[KC]

I've been having fun picking up cheap old saws at flea markets and fixing them up. You can get them as low as $2-$4 many times and even though mid-century Disstons aren't the most collectible, they're better than most modern saws. You only need so many saws, though.

[Pukka Bundook]

Interesting on the Henry Disston, Karl!  :-)

My only rip-saw is a Joseph Peace. Very fine saw.  Likely made around 1900 at a guess.  Used it to cut out the stock for that snapping matchlock last.

[JoeyStyles]

Paul Sellers?  It's shocking for me that he's still active. One of the most useful blogs that I have ever read. Paul really helped me to deal with all possible woodworking problems. I remember that I liked his reviews about saws as well as guides about making chairs from the scratch. This was quite entertaining to read as this guy really knows how to attract reader's attention.

And thanks to him, I was able to discover such an amazing instrument as a scroll saw. He also shared a useful article on https://mitersawjudge.com/best-scroll-saw-reviews-and-buying-guide/ that eventually helped me to choose the best scroll saw on the market.

[buck conner]

Joey I agree with you, Paul is still alive and looks good for his age.

[MikeW]

Ironically, I've spent more hours this week than I'll admit to watching Paul Sellers Utube videos on saw and chisel sharpening. He's taught me more in a short amount of time than I'd picked up in my lifetime prior. Highly recommend him.

[David R. Pennington]

My grandfather knew how to file and set saws and I watched him but really didn’t learn it till I taught myself how a few years ago. I have a couple now need done. A nice rip saw and a couple panel saws, oh and my back saws need work.

[rmnc3r]

Din't see this in the resurrected thread, but here's Seller's "Poor-man's saw tooth setter" Tutorial

https://paulsellers.com/2017/07/poor-mans-saw-tooth-setter-tutorial-video/

[snrub47]

Is this a saw tooth setter?

[David R. Pennington]

47 that is a saw set.

[WadePatton]

It is good to see a saw set and I should set some saws surely, but still set saws-even without such saw set here seen.

 

I used one of Paul's tricks of a punch and bit of softwood to set the last one.

And I used to think I was doing pretty good sharpening my own saws--then came into possession of (another) old saw recently which was about 1/2 again better than my sharpening and setting. I'll be examining that saw under magnification to see what was done differently in the tuning/maintenance thereof.  It's probably the set of the teeth. Nothing like a fresh saw.

[Tenmile]

Disstons were good saws, the hallmark being the D12. D8 may have been the most common. Atkins also made very good saws. Most saws made before WW 2 had brass screws and were in general better than later ones. The better saws were ground so that the back edge was thinner than the teeth edge. This cut more easily with less set. They were made of good steel.

[Pukka Bundook]

Tenmile,
You are quite right about the taper on the blade.
The normal hand-saw is 8 teeth to the inch, hence the D-8  the D-12 at 12 teeth is for thinner work, ply and such.
The thinner work needs a thicker blade, ...less whippy.
A whippy blade is fine for heavy / thicker work.

[Tenmile]

Just as you can quickly tell a Beck rifle from a Fordney, collectors can identify a handsaw by the carving on the handle, the handle shape, screw pattern and such. Old tools are like old guns. I love working with antiques. Nothing like a screaming sharp chisel made with good carbon steel.