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Handsaw Reshaping and Sharpening Service
$35 per saw
Jointing The Teeth on a handsaw by filing them level.
When reshaping a handsaw, I start with jointing the tooth line to ensure that it is straight or properly breasted, as appropriate. No mater how often I do this, I dislike filing off teeth but it must be done – the teeth must all be the same height. I lay a file flat along the tooth edge and file them down until they are all the same height.
The Breasted Saw
- The teeth on many handsaws are in a slightly convex arc instead of a flat plane. This may have been done to reduce friction as the teeth run through the wood. Some saws don’t have breasting, and in some cases it was removed in the process of refiling the saw. The breasting effect is quite obvious on a one- or two-man crosscut saw for felling trees. On a hand saw it is much less, the blade is wider by about the height of saw tooth in the center of the blade. Backsaws never were breasted.
Filing Appropriate Rake and Fleam Angles
Rake angle is the angle between the face of a saw tooth and an imaginary line perpendicular to the baseline of the saw teeth or front of the saw, seen when viewing a saw from the side. It is generally 12 to 15 degrees on a crosscut saw, and zero to eight degrees on a rip saw.
After the toothline is properly jointed, the teeth are filed to the appropriate rake and fleam angles. Unless the customer specifies otherwise, the rake and fleam angles are set to original specifications for the type of saw.
Fleam or bevel is the angle of the intersection between an imaginary line perpendicular to the saw blade and the plane of the saw tooth, seen when viewing the saw’s teeth face-on.
Uneven tooth spacing is also adjusted during the reshaping process. The teeth are then set, if necessary, to provide an adequate kerf to prevent the saw blade from binding in the cut. After setting, the teeth are re-jointed, sharpened to their final edge, and the saw is tested and adjusted for a perfect cut.
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