Donald M Do you mean when sawing? I start on a tangent to the circumference, and only alter that for ease if the saw gets clogged with sawdust as the cut lengthens
THANK YOU!! I watched other videos that didn't explain anything at all. Your video was very informative. Now I can tackle the job with confidence, knowing what actually needs done and why. Many thanks! 😎
Great video! I do have a question though. The blade i have is WAY rusty. I think its an old blade made of good steel but I wonder if its worth working on. The rust seems to grab the wood and make it hard to push and pull. should i try to remove the rust or just toss it for a new blade? Do you have suggestions on how to remove the rust or suggestions on new blades? Thanks!
+Nathan Bright Hi Nathan, You can try a bath of white vinegar to remove the worst of the rust - the blade, obviously ;) The idea of having sufficient set on the teeth is to prevent the saw plate from binding, so if you remove the worst of the rust and it still binds, you should increase the set a little. They're not very expensive to buy, so you might prefer to start with a new one and look after it. It will also give you a feel of how well the blade should cut - this should be the minimum that you aim for after resharpening. If you opt for new, I would encourage you to invest in a decent blade. Hercules use Swedish steel, which is good.
Thanks for the video, a shit load of lumber fell from a bunch of trees around my house during a windstorm a few weeks ago and I need to take care of it but my saws pretty dull 👌🏻
WillEyedOney It's not induction hardened. It's the original blade from some twenty odd years ago (same with all three of my bow saws). They don't get that much use to be honest, and there are plenty of sharpenings left in them!You might do best looking at car boot sales, etc. and picking up an old one, if you are finding it hard to purchace a new one.If you have an induction harnened one already - and I haven't tried this myself - you could try annealing it before sharpening, and tempering the teeth again. Just a thought. Might even try that out on a cheap handsaw myself.
Use a cheap diamond file, such as the pen-like fishing hook ones (flat profile, not cone profile, ~£2 on ebay) or a cheap set of jewellers diamond files (~£4). That's what I used to sharpen my induction-hardened Hercules Swedish bow saw blade this morning, it worked a treat. However, the problem for my blade was lack of set, rather than sharpness. I reset it first, as I suspected lack of set was the problem as it kept binding at a particular point (the blade had probably been pinched there in the past), and sure enough it starting cutting well again, even before sharpening.
I gather that you are using a triangular saw. If the teeth of my bow saw are triangular and about 7mm high, what should the the width of one side of the triangular saw ? Thanks.
Great vid Mitch. Can you please tell me what kind of file that is? I'm a newbie to bow saw blade sharpening and hope I need to only buy one universal file.
Thanks. You'll need a triangular saw file. They are usually sold as either as single or double ended, and come in a range of sizes. For a bow saw a large one will be best, the idea being that the file sides are twice as wide as the teeth are long and so the file can be reversed and used twice as long before it's worn out. You can use a standard double cut triangular file from a big box store to keep initial costs down, but you'll probably find it dulls a little quicker.
Hi Mitch, that was a lovely video - informative, comprehensive, clear and tight! Well done and thank you! Could I just ask you if you would happen to know, is it possible to straighten a bow saw blade?? Or is it even the blade which gets twisted, but in fact the bow saw frame maybe?? I just ask because I am sick to death of having good blades becoming useless after getting twisted somehow. They could have plenty 'sharpness' left in them, but are now 'binding' and cutting 'S'-shaped cuts through the timber making it extremely difficult to cut bigger logs...I cut all the house's heating requirements out of dead-wood, and would dearly love to know what exactly is going on, and if possible, how to remedy it. Thanking you :)
+Sionnach1601 Thanks. I don't have too much experience with bow saws and the problem you are experiencing. My guess would be that either the blade attachment points aren't coplanar, causing the blade to be twisted in use, and/or there isn't sufficient tension to stop the blade following the easiest path through the wood, rather than a straight cut. Hopefully someone more experienced than I might respond here. Cheers, Mitch
I'll answer my own question. For fine woodworking, my sharpening book & Paul Seller's videos suggest, using minimum set - however, for big teethed, course cutting and greenwood, I believe considerable set is called for. I set my bow saw this morning using the popular Eclipse saw set tool, using the 3rd largest setting (can't read the numbers on mine due to rust damage in the past) and that is working fine for me, a setting or two either way would likely work ok too. [I now use the lowest setting for my tenon and dovetail saws and, as Paul Seller's shows, I hammer out some of the set if the saw binds.]
Perhaps I'm mistaking the saw set. I thought the Eclipse had a continuously variable, not stepped, adjustment, with graduations marked on the edge of the 'disc' that represented teeth per inch (clearly as a guide only). The best set will be determined by tooth pattern, tpi, angle of saw cut to wood grain, speed of cut vs steerability, etc. Bow saw is simple, since it's designed for quick cross-cutting of green butts and limbs. Other saws can be rip or cross-cut, come in varying tpi, and plates can be parallel or taper ground. If trying to fit off the saw, then minimal set is usually best, the kerf keeping the saw on line, but the finest work is best done by planing and/or paring to fit, in which case the sawing step can be speeded up with a slightly coarser saw. In my opinion, joints fitted straight off the saw are rarely ideal for fine furniture, but perfectly adequate for other stuff. Going back to the bow saw, there aren't that many teeth so it's quick to re-set the teeth and test the performance.
Don't take the diagrams as an indication of blade thickness, mine are very thin too. It's virtually impossible to see, at least at my age, the difference in the bevel angles made when sharpening.
@@mitchwoodwork thanks for the reply but I mean your saw blade, I can actually see the bevel after you filed. Mine is paper this so obtaining a bevel is haaard
Well intentioned but for beginners like me there's not enough information and you're too quick through the process of filing (why speed up the video?) with no explanation as to getting the correct angles for filing. The diagrams of the teeth don't show the angle of the file, 90 degrees to the tooth line, what does that even mean, there's no explanation of this so it's just words to newbies that have no point of reference. You then go straight in to 'jinting' with a file along the side of the blade, why, what is jointing? Most newbs don't have a setting tool nor would want to buy one, a video explaining slower how to check if the teeth are set ok so I presume not having to 'joint' and 'set' and how to file to get the correct angles without needing a setting tool would be far more useful for newbs. There's more information here than some other far more popular videos in terms of views but still falls short for complete newbies. thanks
Thank you for those good points. Hopefully I wouldn't make the same video this many years later (must be about 10 years by now). It is a fine line to pitch a video to a wide range of viewer experience. In many cases my videos will build on techniques that I've previously explained in some depth, but that does need to rely on the new viewer looking back. Anyway, it may well be time for me to update this title and address the issues you have pointed out. Cheers
nice but never never cut wood without gloves or hold it with your hand 1 u can cut yourself 2 you cant hold it very good and 3 u will tire out more quickly
Short and simple, right to the point, thanks
Cheers
Thanks Mitch for taking the time out from your move to do the voice over. Good explanation. Cheers Mick from Downunder.
This is EXACTLY what I was looking for, brilliant. Thank you!
Are saw sets still being made? I found a really old one cleaning an old garage for a neighbor.
Hi Steve. For sure you can still buy new ones, but many appear to be poor copies of old ones. Sounds like you hit the jackpot
Excellent, kerfs and gullets, inspiring stuff, keeping the knowledge alive and passing it on. Cheers!
Cheers!
Thanks, this was just what I needed to know, and what other videos failed to point out. 😊
Glad to help
When measuring the teeth per inch do you count the rakers or just the teeth? Thanks, great video.
Good question. I would count them all but I'm not sure that's right
@@mitchwoodwork Thanks just the same. If you find out what the correct answer is please let me know, I'd appreciate it. Thanks again.
What is the angle to adjust the tool to push the cutters?
Donald M Do you mean when sawing? I start on a tangent to the circumference, and only alter that for ease if the saw gets clogged with sawdust as the cut lengthens
No, it is when you sharp your saw with the tool to setting teeth; you must to able adjust this tool???
Donald M Ah, I see. The saw set tool has a calibrated adjustment, based on teeth per inch. I use the 6tpi setting.
THANK YOU!! I watched other videos that didn't explain anything at all. Your video was very informative. Now I can tackle the job with confidence, knowing what actually needs done and why. Many thanks! 😎
Cheers. Hope it works for you
Awesome video!
Cheers
Great video sir, to learn how to sharpening bow saw.
Thanks!
Mitch, Thank You So Much
Superior Excellent Content
Cheers
Love your channel mate I’m a bushcrafter myself
Thanks mate
Great video! I do have a question though. The blade i have is WAY rusty. I think its an old blade made of good steel but I wonder if its worth working on. The rust seems to grab the wood and make it hard to push and pull. should i try to remove the rust or just toss it for a new blade? Do you have suggestions on how to remove the rust or suggestions on new blades? Thanks!
+Nathan Bright Hi Nathan, You can try a bath of white vinegar to remove the worst of the rust - the blade, obviously ;)
The idea of having sufficient set on the teeth is to prevent the saw plate from binding, so if you remove the worst of the rust and it still binds, you should increase the set a little.
They're not very expensive to buy, so you might prefer to start with a new one and look after it. It will also give you a feel of how well the blade should cut - this should be the minimum that you aim for after resharpening.
If you opt for new, I would encourage you to invest in a decent blade. Hercules use Swedish steel, which is good.
Excellent
Thank you! Cheers!
really easy to understand. and the setter. that's what I needed to learn. 😎
Great, hope it works for you
Thanks mate your a saint
Cheers!
Great instructions, thank you.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Ahhh...much better version. Thanks.
Thank you for video!
You are welcome!
Very good. Green saw blade though and you tested it on dry wood and it still cut great lol
Video has been out years and you're the first one to comment on the dry test. Well spotted
Thanks for the video, a shit load of lumber fell from a bunch of trees around my house during a windstorm a few weeks ago and I need to take care of it but my saws pretty dull 👌🏻
I hope it helps. Sounds like you'll get plenty of exercise anyway
Is that a non induction hardened blade? If so, where do you purchase them? :)
WillEyedOney It's not induction hardened. It's the original blade from some twenty odd years ago (same with all three of my bow saws). They don't get that much use to be honest, and there are plenty of sharpenings left in them!You might do best looking at car boot sales, etc. and picking up an old one, if you are finding it hard to purchace a new one.If you have an induction harnened one already - and I haven't tried this myself - you could try annealing it before sharpening, and tempering the teeth again. Just a thought. Might even try that out on a cheap handsaw myself.
Use a cheap diamond file, such as the pen-like fishing hook ones (flat profile, not cone profile, ~£2 on ebay) or a cheap set of jewellers diamond files (~£4). That's what I used to sharpen my induction-hardened Hercules Swedish bow saw blade this morning, it worked a treat. However, the problem for my blade was lack of set, rather than sharpness. I reset it first, as I suspected lack of set was the problem as it kept binding at a particular point (the blade had probably been pinched there in the past), and sure enough it starting cutting well again, even before sharpening.
@@tonyy5482 can you throw in a link? Don't wan't to get the wrong ones
I gather that you are using a triangular saw. If the teeth of my bow saw are triangular and about 7mm high, what should the the width of one side of the triangular saw ? Thanks.
Measure the length of the tooth side and multiply that by two. I think it will be around seventeen mm, if my trigonometry is right😉
That is a quick reply ! Many thanks.
Very good video
great info thanks
Cheers!
Great vid Mitch. Can you please tell me what kind of file that is? I'm a newbie to bow saw blade sharpening and hope I need to only buy one universal file.
Thanks. You'll need a triangular saw file. They are usually sold as either as single or double ended, and come in a range of sizes. For a bow saw a large one will be best, the idea being that the file sides are twice as wide as the teeth are long and so the file can be reversed and used twice as long before it's worn out. You can use a standard double cut triangular file from a big box store to keep initial costs down, but you'll probably find it dulls a little quicker.
Thanks so much for the advice!!
Hi Mitch, that was a lovely video - informative, comprehensive, clear and tight! Well done and thank you!
Could I just ask you if you would happen to know, is it possible to straighten a bow saw blade?? Or is it even the blade which gets twisted, but in fact the bow saw frame maybe??
I just ask because I am sick to death of having good blades becoming useless after getting twisted somehow. They could have plenty 'sharpness' left in them, but are now 'binding' and cutting 'S'-shaped cuts through the timber making it extremely difficult to cut bigger logs...I cut all the house's heating requirements out of dead-wood, and would dearly love to know what exactly is going on, and if possible, how to remedy it.
Thanking you :)
+Sionnach1601 Thanks. I don't have too much experience with bow saws and the problem you are experiencing. My guess would be that either the blade attachment points aren't coplanar, causing the blade to be twisted in use, and/or there isn't sufficient tension to stop the blade following the easiest path through the wood, rather than a straight cut.
Hopefully someone more experienced than I might respond here.
Cheers, Mitch
I would observe that the bow saw blade appears to be secured between two narrow boards which are (I assume ) clamped together. Good idea.
Thomas Wills That's my shop made saw vise - should be a video on it in my back catalogue and plans on my website
Thanks! I'll look for that.
Thanks, useful but how much set to you apply (e.g. which setting on the popular Eclipse setting tool)?
The greatest set is what I use. On the eclipse I think that is equivalent to the 3tpi mark.
I'll answer my own question. For fine woodworking, my sharpening book & Paul Seller's videos suggest, using minimum set - however, for big teethed, course cutting and greenwood, I believe considerable set is called for. I set my bow saw this morning using the popular Eclipse saw set tool, using the 3rd largest setting (can't read the numbers on mine due to rust damage in the past) and that is working fine for me, a setting or two either way would likely work ok too. [I now use the lowest setting for my tenon and dovetail saws and, as Paul Seller's shows, I hammer out some of the set if the saw binds.]
Perhaps I'm mistaking the saw set. I thought the Eclipse had a continuously variable, not stepped, adjustment, with graduations marked on the edge of the 'disc' that represented teeth per inch (clearly as a guide only). The best set will be determined by tooth pattern, tpi, angle of saw cut to wood grain, speed of cut vs steerability, etc. Bow saw is simple, since it's designed for quick cross-cutting of green butts and limbs. Other saws can be rip or cross-cut, come in varying tpi, and plates can be parallel or taper ground. If trying to fit off the saw, then minimal set is usually best, the kerf keeping the saw on line, but the finest work is best done by planing and/or paring to fit, in which case the sawing step can be speeded up with a slightly coarser saw. In my opinion, joints fitted straight off the saw are rarely ideal for fine furniture, but perfectly adequate for other stuff. Going back to the bow saw, there aren't that many teeth so it's quick to re-set the teeth and test the performance.
well done. All one needs to know, and no fluff.
Wade Patton Thanks Wade
Wade Patton Well done indeed
I struggle to find nice thick blades like you have there. The one I just got is cardboard thin
Don't take the diagrams as an indication of blade thickness, mine are very thin too. It's virtually impossible to see, at least at my age, the difference in the bevel angles made when sharpening.
@@mitchwoodwork thanks for the reply but I mean your saw blade, I can actually see the bevel after you filed. Mine is paper this so obtaining a bevel is haaard
@brimleyhillmassive okay, but don't worry so long as you file how I've shown the bevel, no matter how tiny, will still be there and cut the right way.
@@mitchwoodwork many thanks, you're a good one.
Thank U......i need to sharpen my sven saw :)
Cheers!
anyone know where to get 42" blades
Try www.mltools.com/products/bahco-tools-bow-saw-blades-11-size-available.html if it's for dry lumber
WOW, I'll just buy a new blade.
Good idea
Well intentioned but for beginners like me there's not enough information and you're too quick through the process of filing (why speed up the video?) with no explanation as to getting the correct angles for filing.
The diagrams of the teeth don't show the angle of the file, 90 degrees to the tooth line, what does that even mean, there's no explanation of this so it's just words to newbies that have no point of reference.
You then go straight in to 'jinting' with a file along the side of the blade, why, what is jointing? Most newbs don't have a setting tool nor would want to buy one, a video explaining slower how to check if the teeth are set ok so I presume not having to 'joint' and 'set' and how to file to get the correct angles without needing a setting tool would be far more useful for newbs.
There's more information here than some other far more popular videos in terms of views but still falls short for complete newbies.
thanks
Thank you for those good points. Hopefully I wouldn't make the same video this many years later (must be about 10 years by now).
It is a fine line to pitch a video to a wide range of viewer experience. In many cases my videos will build on techniques that I've previously explained in some depth, but that does need to rely on the new viewer looking back.
Anyway, it may well be time for me to update this title and address the issues you have pointed out.
Cheers
I don't normally saw this but
screw it ill just buy a new one
nice but never never cut wood without gloves or hold it with your hand 1 u can cut yourself 2 you cant hold it very good and 3 u will tire out more quickly
Very true