Hi,
Does anyone know if Adria dovetail saws are shipped all ready sharpened? Are they Ready to use right out of the box. I assumed they were.
I used mine for the first time today to cut dovetails with little success. I’m assuming it needs to be tuned up/sharpened.
Wanda
Replies
If it was bought new and you haven't used for more than a year (and haven't been sawing knots), Eddie does a great job sharpening.
Unless yours is one that might have slipped through a crack, I suspect you may just need to get use to the saw.
Take a moderately easy to saw wood species and draw a bunch of lines across an end and down the near face and saw away. That's also a good practice for DTs--make a practice corner a day for a month.
Take care, Mike
Hello Mwenz,
I clamped a piece of scrap board in my vise and drew a reference line with my gauge across the face of the board.
Not like I haven't used handsaws before. I wasn't forcing the saw. The teeth skip across the endgrain. I placed my thumb and index finger against the blade to steady it and took short slow strokes across the endgrain. once the blade cuts into the wood the depth of the teeth you can tilt the blade to cut down the waste side of the tail. But I wasn't able to do that. after taking a few initial cuts the saw should slip through the wood like butter. Well that didn't happen. Shouldn't have any problem cutting a straight line.
I've watched Rob Cosman's video on how to cut dovetails. He made it look easy. Just pick up the saw and start cutting.
This saw shouldn't have any problem cutting pine. user error maybe? but doubtful.
Wanda
Hi Wanda,
The problem in responding to forum questions, of course, is that the respondant doesn't know much about the person to whom they are responding to.
A few things in your reply would have been helpful in the initial inquiry--species of wood, etc.
Contact Eddie. He'll make it right...but don't go by Rob Cosman's video as to how well a saw should cut--he's a very accomplished sawyer and Rob tunes his LN saws for his own purpose and thoughts on sharpening/set. He's cut one or two DTs.
fwiw, don't be tentative about starting the saw ("took short slow strokes across the endgrain").
Take care, Mike
"I've watched Rob Cosman's video on how to cut dovetails. He made it look easy. Just pick up the saw and start cutting. "
If it makes you feel any better, my carving gouges don't work like Leonid Zakurdayev's seem to.
Hi mwenz,
I tried a few more practice cuts today with my new Adria dovetail saw. Is it normal for a sharp dovetail saw to produce very very fine sawdust? I know table saw blades that produce fine dust are blunt. But I'm no expert when it comes to dovetail saws.
Wanda
Hi Wanda,
Depending on the wood it will be fine dust to extremely fine "savings," which is used loosly.
Point is that say for 5/8" to 3/4" Pine stock, once the teeth are fully engaged in a board's end, a DT saw should be capable of cutting down to or near the spine in 20 strokes or so. (Give or take. This depends on the amount of pressure applied to the saw when cutting.) The resultant expelled waste is of little consequence.
On a firmer board of saw Oak or Beech, the expelled waste will be coarser, firmer, with agressive sawing.
Obvisouly more than the waste product or speed of the saw (number of strokes to achieve a certain depth of cut) is whether one is capable of following the line. Short of a saw drifting without being able to correct the cut line, speed of cut is over-rated.
As regards to cut-correction, the finer the set the more imperitive starting parallel to the cut line is. The finer the set the more accurate one must be. "Too much set" is an easily altered end-user thing--we all make compromises in filing/setting whether for widely available and even custom made saws (i.e. there's guess work and assumptions for even custom made saws). However, a wider set never affects the ability to cut to a line.
So as long as the saw can track to (whether so-called automatically or steerable) a line and the cut speed is acceptable, a saw is performing as intended. If not, the maker/retailer needs contacted for possible remedies.
Take care, Mike
I had no problems with mine - it cut great from the start. I have been using it for several months now so I sharpened it last week (first time ever sharpening a saw) and it works like new again.
Regards,
Randy
hi,
Do you have any helpful hints on how to sharpena 15tooth dovetail saw? I have a cheap Sandvik dovetail saw and it needs to be tuned.
What type of file do you use?
Wanda
Wanda,
To learn how to sharpen my saw I watched Tom Law's video available here http://www.toolsforworkingwood.com/Merchant/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=toolshop&Product_Code=AQ-1019V.XX&Category_Code=VV
and followed these instructions on Eddie's website here http://www.adriatools.com/handsaw/tool_care.html#sharpening
There are several online articles that are helpful - just do a google search. Also, there are some articles on sharpening on the finewoodworking website - Chris Gochnour wrote an article and there is also a video.
The Adria saw will not start if you push down on the saw. Use a light touch and let the weight of the saw define the kerf. In one quick stroke with the saw against my thumb I define the kerf.
I did not find sharpening the saw difficult - I watched the video and followed Eddie's instructions and the result was great.
Regards,
Randy
Edited 2/16/2008 6:11 pm ET by walkerwr
Hi Randy,
Thanks for the link. Ok I've read the instructions on the Eddie's webpage. This time I'll start the kerf using a forward motion using light pressure see if that does the trick. I think with a bit more practice I'll be able to cut a straight line with this dovetail saw.
Where can I find a 5" double extra slim taper file to file teeth? I bet most hardware stores don't carry them. I'd probably have to check Leevalley, Woodcraft, Woodhaven..... Where did you find yours?
Wanda
Edited 2/16/2008 8:41 pm by Wanda200
I ordered mine from Lie-Nielsen but I am sure Woodcraft and the like have them.
Regards,
Randy
Hi Randy,
I found the file listed under the heading Triangular files on the Lie Nielsen webpage. Believe it was only $7.00 for the 5" double extra slim taper 12-14Ppi.
Unfortunately, Leevalley doesn't sell them individually. They sell them as a set of 6 for $57.00 I'm surprised they don't list the size of the various shaped "pencil files".
Wanda
Edited 2/16/2008 9:14 pm by Wanda200
LN charges a flat rate of $6.00 for shipping a tool, regardless of whether it's a double extra slim file of #7 jointer.
Lie-Nielsen only charged me $3.00 shipping for the file.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Product Code Title Qty Price---------------- ------------------------------------------------ --- ----------TF-5XXST-FBH 5 inch Double extra-slim taper 12-14 Ppi with han1 $7.25 Shipping and Handling: $3.00 Tax: $0.00 Total: $10.25-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Regards,
Randy
That's what they advertise, however, inevitably if in their opinion that that is too high, they adjust readily. Not too long ago I ordered a dowel plate, a video (IIRC) a chip breaker etc. and I think my total charge was $6.00. Quite reasonable of them and quite honest.
T.Z.
Hi guys,
Lee Valley charges $12.00 s/h on their orders. I'd probably end up having to pay customs/duties as well. But I"m willing to pay a little extra for the right quality tool.
Saves me from having to drive all over the place trying to find that particular size triangular file. I doubt any regular hardware store carries that type of file.
Wanda
Hi Wanda,
I see you are in Canada. Lee Valley has several stores in Canada, so no duty/customs costs for you. I have a couple Adria saws, they work very well. I would contact Adria before you spent any money on sharpening. The owner (can't recall his name) is always very helpful.
Cheers,
Mike
hello,
Eddie Sirotich is the name of the guy who makes the Adria saws.
I haven't given up just yet. I"m able to cut a fairly straight line down to my gauge line it's the start up I have a problem with. I think it's just going to take some time to get used to the saw.
I bought the saw 2 yrs ago so I can't just send it back. I was foolish enough not to have tried it out. After all it came with a 1 yr gaurantee.
There's a lot more to cutting dovetails than meets the eye! I"m going to follow Gary Rogowski's suggestion.. and start with the 5 minute dovetail. :) 1 step at at time.
Wanda
Sam, Ziggy says there's a 99% probability that its operator error.
(any 80's TV buffs in the crowd?)
Real trucks dont have sparkplugs
o boy.... Tom"Notice that at no time do my fingers leave my hand"
rofl!Real trucks dont have sparkplugs
Quantums of me.
I've an Adria saw and love it. I purchased it after reading a review on dovetail saws. In the article is said that the Adria, although harder to start than some, tracked truer and made a cleaner cut. I found this to be true with my saw. I have a few other dovetail and tenon saws, both inexpensive and less so, and since I have grown accustomed to the Adria, it is by far, my best saw.
If it is, indeed, dull, I would send it back to Adria to be sharpened. I have attempted to sharpen one of my "cheaper" saws ... and let me tell you, there is a REAL knack to this skill. All of my saws are going out for sharpening!! Once sharpened they will keep their edge for quite a long time (if you don't saw metal with them). I would rather work wood than go nuts over making a saw sharp!!
Barry in WV
Edited 2/16/2008 1:53 pm ET by Anderson
Hi Anderson,
Yes, I did have trouble starting the saw. Probably because I was moving the saw backward and not forward. ( I usually begin sawing by pulling the saw backward to start the kerf before pushing it forward to begin cutting) I prefer to start the kerf on the side furthest away from me so I end up angling the saw downward.
I might have mentioned in my earlier post I am only familiar with large rip saws for cutting rough lumber.
Once the saw started cutting I had little problem keeping it straight. The kerf was amazingly small.
No doubt user error on my part. More practice is needed.
Wanda
Wanda200,
I have trouble starting a rip cut on the far side with a dovetail saw too. Philip Lowe's approach is quite the opposite and seems to take into account the design of the saw better and body mechanics. Some of his video clips used to be available here (free)I'm not sure if they still are.
Your technique of drawing the saw back makes sense in crosscutting.
Starting a rip cut with a fine tooth saw is not easy, simply because there are so many teeth trying to have a go, if you are using half inch stock then up to eight teeth are trying to cut when attacking end grain. For this reason I am not sure that such fine blades make sense for general use. Logic may suggest that on stock over a quarter of an inch thick a blade carrying, say, ten teeth per inch may be a better option, but this is just my feeling.
On my old saws I have filed away the teeth at the nose to give a knife style start to the cut, and this makes starts much easier since the following teeth track in the groove.
Wanda,
Maybe you should try what I use, and that's a Japanese Dozuki saw that cuts on the pull stroke rather than the push stroke. Woodcraft sell the Dozuki "Z" (#12F27 in their catalog) for $42, and when it gets dull (if it ever does) you can get a new blade for $25. I doubt that you can get the Adria sharpened for that. The reason you would have to buy a new blade is because Japanese saws are MUCH harder than western saws, and a file won't touch them. (They are Rc61, and they are going to stay sharp a LOT longer.) I find that cutting on the pull stroke is much easier to start and control. The blade is also only .012" thick (not .020") and the total set is only .004", not .006". So, the resulting kerf is only .016" wide with much less slop between the kerf and the blade. There are also 26 tpi, not 15, so the cut will be MUCH smoother. I'm sure you can order one of these saws from Woodcraft, try it, and send it back if you don't like it. (But, you should verify that before ordering.) If you do like it better than the Adria, send the Adria back and get your $115 back from them. Save money and get a saw that you like; a win-win.
This forum post is now archived. Commenting has been disabled