How to Sharpen a Hand Saw Using Taper File!
mathewjhonson
| Posted in Hand Tools on
Hey This is Mathew
I have various kinds of hand saw in my collection . In this case i had to sharpen those hand saws different way .
Carpenters or woodworkers are nothing without different types of saws. One such very basic sort is the hand saw. These are been around from the very beginning of carpentry. And so is the urge of keeping them super sharp and finding ways on sharpening manually.
So if you have any guide or tips regarding how i sharpen my hand saws using taper file
Thank you
Replies
There are some very good videos on this by Paul Sellers.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UA5DixEaaUo&t=1607s
There's many articles in past issues about sharpening handsaws. Mark Harrell wrote one Nov/Dec 2015 (Issue # 250). It was for a dovetail saw, but the same techniques would apply for a handsaw. You might need a taper file that is big enough to fill the space between teeth. The angle you use to sharpen for a rift saw is 90 degrees and for a cross cut saw its 25 degrees. Mark Harrell has a method to help you from losing track of where you are by marking every other tooth with a sharpie pen. That really helps. Also use good lighting and be careful not to over file. Stoning is important after filing and Harrell covers that in depth. I also prefer the least set possible as Tage Frid suggested in an old article about saw sharpening. If you are confident that you can saw to the line, you may not need the recommended set. Then you have a cleaner cut.
I was going to say Sellers, too. I don't care much for him as a person (a bit arrogant) but as an experienced hand tool person he's quite knowledgeable.
The method for sharpening crosscut saws is very similar to the one used to sharpen rip saws. Below I have broken it down into an easy to read step by step guide.
Step 1: Secure The Blade
Clamp your saw blade in a vice with the teeth pointing upwards. Don’t forget to use a file block!
Step 2: Level Off Teeth
Run your mill file across the top of the teeth of your saw & applying light pressure. It will create a series of flat spots that will shine when the light hits them.
Step 3: Sharpening
You’ll need to switch over to your taper saw file. Grip the point of the file with the thumb and forefinger of your non-dominant hand.
Step 4: Evening Out
If any of your teeth still have a wide flat spot on the top, file the back of them until they come to a point.
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