Saw Sharpening
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- This topic has 10 replies, 5 voices, and was last updated 7 years, 10 months ago by Thomas Angle.
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17 November 2016 at 12:38 am #142460
I bought some small honing files for my saws. They make a big difference after I sharpen up with my bahco files. They put a micro bevel on the teeth but I like to think of it more as a polishing step, kinda similar to the stropping step after sharpening chisels or plane irons. My saws now cut a lot smoother. The teeth seem to glide through step downs I create when sawing tenons. The saw teeth don’t grab the wood which for me use to sometimes cause my saw to jump over the step down and mar the knife wall. This marring caused the tenon after glue up to look like there was a gap. Thanks Paul. I gave this step a try and I’m happier and more confident when sawing tenons.
18 November 2016 at 1:06 am #142484Sure. The Bahco files I bought online from Lee Valley Tools. Just type in Bahco files on their search engine. The small honing files I also bought online from Woodcraft. Actually, they are more like small diamond plates. Use Woodcraft search engine and type in Mini Honing Kit. Look for the blue, red, and green kit made by DMT. The size is 2.5. Hope this helps. I’m typing this on a tablet which doesn’t allow me to copy and paste links.
Tony
The DMT – type honing paddle is available in three’grits’. Medium, fine and x-fine.
Whilst they work fine there are two things to note if you are using them to back-bevel saw teeth:First, they need a lubricant – they tend to clog when used dry. Can be a monumental pain in the sphincter to clean.
Second, especially for saws, the abrasive part is a small flat bit of metal with the diamond grits impregnated to the surface. It is then mounted on a thickish bit of plastic to form a paddle arrangement. As such, the sides tend to be too fat to get into small teth so I’ve needed to trim the plastic edges back a little on the sides, just a few mm, to expose the straight metal edge.
Works well for getting into tight spaces.
18 November 2016 at 11:51 am #142491A. Joyner,
Is there a different one you use? I would like to give it a try. I haven’t used them enough to experience them clogging but I know what you mean with the sides. The plastic sides when honing smaller saws can sometimes catch on the adjacent tooth. I’ll try trimming them.
Tony
@greitzera
I use the Medium paddle, sometimes followed by the fine, but not always. After all, the rest of the tooth has been filed with a second-cut file, so you don’t need to beat yourself up about the finesse of the paddle.What I meant was that using them exclusively for putting a back-bevel on saw – a la Paul Sellers technique – will eventually result in a build-up of minute filings on the first 2 – 3 mm of each edge. The paddles are long lasting but doesn’t have an infinite life; in a long time’s use, there will be premature wear on that spot.
There have been lots of opinions on Diamond Plate lubricant on this forum – so you take your pick.
For what it’s worth, I use a 50/50 mix of water and Methylated Spirit, all shaken up in a kitchen spray bottle with a few drops of wash-up detergent as a surfactant.
Good luck
18 November 2016 at 7:20 pm #142505Thanks. Would glass cleaner work as well? I use glass cleaner for my diamond stones.
19 November 2016 at 12:53 pm #142526I use glass cleaner or water, whatever is at hand. On diamond plates with a steel base, I would make sure to wipe them dry after use, to minimise the chance of rusting.
I got the impression, that this subject is a bit like the discussion about sweet or salty popcorn 😉
Dieter
19 November 2016 at 2:35 pm #142534I do the same as Dieter.
There is no question that sweet and salty popcorn is the way to go. You can have it both ways.
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