Wood hand saw sharpening question

I would try crossposting to rec.woodworking . I know several people have mentioned attempts/expertise at saw sharpening.

I just completed about 120 handsaws for two of the regional tech schools. I used to machine file them but it made a nicely uniform mediocre job at best. What you want to do is always file in the direction the tooth is set so that the file cuts evenly without chatter. This includes rip saws as well so that you even out any angle errors and the saw cuts true.

Don't go balistic when you joint the teeth- take a swipe across the tops and then file a stroke through the teeth and see how you do.

Try to limit your set to the top 1/3 or so of the tooth, go easy because you can add more set but getting rid of too much is not so easy.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Thanks for your reply, however it is still not clear to me. Take the case of a crosscut saw where the heel (grip) is to your right. Do I file a gullet with a tooth set away to the left and towards you to the right with the file handle oriented 15 deg (say) left a la Lee, or do I file the adjacent gullet with the tooth set away to the right with the file handle oriented to the right so I am filing towards the toe? In both cases the file handle is dropped 15 deg so that the gullet angle is maintained.

Go and try either way- what you will find is that the file feels smoother and chatters less when you are filing with the set. The difference is enough to notice right away with no confusion. If you are just starting out take and ink the teeth up with a marking pen as it will give you a nice visual proof of how the file is engaging the tooth. Trying to visualize the saw in my head just makes it too complicated. If you are dropping the file handle that is to produce a type of sloping gullet which the geezers claim is better in softwoods.

Filing with the set? Now I'm confused. Because, when I file with a triangular file, I find that I'm filing the back side of one tooth and the front side of another - and one of those teeth is set towards me.

As far as dropping the file handle goes, not only does it produce a sloping gullet, but it also gives teeth with a more acute angle. Which, I think, is the real reason some people may like them better for softwoods.

John Martin

Jointing pressure is applied towards the tooth that is set in the direction the file is travelling. In other words you really are not taking an equal amount off of each side when you take a stroke with the file-you are actually removing a bit more from the tooth that is set away from you. It all evens out when you turn the saw around and do the other side.