Replies

1. 
   eddiefromAustralia | Dec 21, 2004 09:49am | #1

   David,

   No real need for any set - the saw I'm using has a tiny bit, but the burr from sharpening is enough to give the blade clearance.

   If you must, use an older style saw set, or a brad hammer and a block of fairly hard wood and just hand-set the teeth. Less is better here.

   I use a gent's saw to cut dovetails - it's probably cut about 200 sets since its last sharpening.

   Cheers,

   eddie

   
   

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   Edited 12/21/2004 7:06 am ET by eddie (aust)

1. 
   DavidxDoud | Dec 21, 2004 10:09pm | #4

   I use a gent's saw to cut dovetails....

   I am not familiar with 'gent's saw' - is this a brand or type or ?

   I have a feeling that sometime,  someone must have 'borrowed' my dovetail saw (just a small backsaw) for something inappropriate - it was bad -

   after filing,  I could sight down it (with magnifiers) and the set was visually uneven,  made for conservative sawing and too much chiseling - -

   thanks - -"there's enough for everyone"

1. 
   eddiefromAustralia | Dec 21, 2004 11:22pm | #6

   Hi David,

   Take II at a post here, so if there's a double post, I apologise.

   The gent's saw is a type of saw - here's one

   View Image

   As well, the side of a saw blade is honed if the saw is tracking off the cut. If its tracking to the right, you hone about 5 strokes off the right side of the teeth.

   Cheers,

   eddie

2. 
   Peter36 | Dec 21, 2004 02:04pm | #2

   I personally have not done it but I have seen people take saws and lay them flat on a fine diamond stone a remove 1 light pass for each side and then test the saw. They continued to do this, normally it seemed for 1 to 3 passes per side until they had a tight kerf, with about 2 thou. set. They said you could do this on a waterstone but you would take a lot of life out of it. I would be nervous about doing it but it sure looked easy. Good luck.

    

1. 
   DavidxDoud | Dec 21, 2004 10:12pm | #5

   ....lay them flat on a fine diamond stone a remove 1 light pass for each side....

   are they honing the teeth before filing? - you would remove the cutting point if this was done after filing,  would you? - - "there's enough for everyone"

1. 
   Peter36 | Dec 22, 2004 02:10am | #9

   This was done on my already sharp saw, from someone who learned directly from Tom Law, who is a renowned saw sharpening expert.

2. 
   VomSorb | Dec 21, 2004 11:32pm | #7

   I personally have not done it but I have seen people take saws and lay them flat on a fine diamond stone a remove 1 light pass for each side and then test the saw. They continued to do this, normally it seemed for 1 to 3 passes per side until they had a tight kerf, with about 2 thou. set. They said you could do this on a waterstone but you would take a lot of life out of it. I would be nervous about doing it but it sure looked easy. Good luck.

   This is what one does to REDUCE the set of a saw.  To initially set the teeth of a dovetail saw one uses a fine saw set (Garrett Wade, Highland Hardware, toolsforworkingwood.com) or by simply twisting a small screwdriver between the teeth.   A saw does not need setting at each sharpening.

   A reasonable alternative for those who use a gent's saw (I do) is to simply buy another saw when your current one is too dull to cut well.  The best gent's saw is only $40 or so and lasts a long time.  The spent gent's saw makes great fodder for a scratch stock so no great loss.

   Stoning the side of the teeth to remove set is done after the saw is sharpened and set and after one determines if the saw is tracking properly.  If the saw is pulling to one side that side is stoned very lightly for two or three strokes from the fine stone (Arkansas and ceramic stones work best for this). Otherwise it's left alone unless the saw exhibits too much overall set for your taste.  A minimal set obviously helps the saw to track well, but very fine set implies virtually no room for small adjustments at the beginning of the cut. 

   FWIW, I prefer a crosscut gent's saw over supposedly nicer L-N and Adria dovetail saws.  The xcut gent cuts a little more slowly allowing me time to make sure I have the saw level and to stop the cut right at the shoulder line.  L-N and Adria saws, filed rip, cut very quickly - too quickly for my taste.  If I need to make up time on a project, I'll find another place to do it besides cutting dovetails.  I also find that the gen't saw is easier to orient when cutting half-blind dovetails.  The L-N and Adria saws require an unusually light touch at the beginning of the cut or they become difficult to start and 'grabby' on the endgrain.  You don't have this problem with the finer toothed, xcut gent's saw.

   I wrestled around with the L-N.  Some days I loved it, but most days I found myself picking up my Pax gent saw.  The L-N just sits in the drawer now.

   Edited 12/21/2004 3:47 pm ET by cstan

   Edited 12/21/2004 4:33 pm ET by cstan

3. 
   IanDG | Dec 21, 2004 09:11pm | #3

   I have seen it done with a hammer and pin-punch on a hardwood block but generally for the fine-tooth saws, set isn't so necessary.

   IanDG

4. 
   RickW | Dec 22, 2004 12:24am | #8

   How fine are the teeth of your saw? If they're 16 tpi or less, you can modify one of your saw sets so that it will work.
   Take the plunger (the part that bends the tooth) and grind it so that it is triangular in cross-section.Most plungers have a small flat at the top, which prevents them from being used on very small teeth.
   I modified one of mine, and I find that it works better even on coarser-toothed saws.
   It doesn't take very much set to work well, so try setting the teeth a minimal amount, and go from there.

   Hope this helps.
   Rick W.