Replies

1. 
   roc | Mar 23, 2012 01:54am | #1

   Hi Chris, How's it going.

   http://forums.finewoodworking.com/fine-woodworking-knots/hand-tools/adria-dovetail-saw-0

   I put the saw in my Record quick adjust vise with soft jaws (see photo ) then griped the other end of it with what have you.   A large Jorgensen clamp works;

   http://www.traditionalwoodworker.com/10-Wood-Handscrew-Clamp-by-Jorgensen/productinfo/3%2D110/

   Use a big ol' one

   then twist or bend as needed.  As I said in the thread above I had to go way past what I expected to effect a change in the Lie-Nielsen saw but you , of course, should go easy until you get a feel for the saw you are straightening.

   If you are not really into this you could send the saw off to get it set up the way you want but I have heard it costs a bunch.

   PS: the bend in my saws seemed to be iin the back.  You said your bend is in the plate.  Fixing the actual thiin blade may be a tricky problem.  Could involve an anvil and some super smooth faced hammers.  The Japanese go about it differently yet.  See Toshio Odate's book

   http://www.amazon.com/Japanese-Woodworking-Tools-Tradition-Spirit/dp/0941936465/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1332481923&sr=8-1

   A killer good book to have in any case.

   
1. 
   woodhouse94 | Mar 24, 2012 04:24am | #2

   Thanks for the help

    

   This weekend i will attempt to get the saw in working order. I will try the method you told me and if i can't get it, its not a huge deal. The saw isn't so bad, its just that i would like it to be perfect. So again, thanks for your help roc.

   chris

2. 
   gdblake | Mar 24, 2012 10:05am | #3

   Make sure the back isn't the source of the bend

   Chris:

   Check the straightness of the back before messing with the blade of the saw.  Any bend in the back will transfer to the blade.  Once you know the back is straight you can then deal with the blade.  It is possible to straighten a mildly bent saw by gently flexing the saw to even out the tension on the blade.  With a backsaw, you have to first remove the back from the blade before trying this.  However, kinks in the saw blade can be fixed by hammering without removing the back.  Here is a link that should help.

   http://www.wkfinetools.com/contrib/bSmalser/art/strSawBlade/strSawBlade1.asp

   I bought an old 14" Disston #4 five years ago on the cheap that required serious straightening.  The folded back has an obvious bow and the blade was just plain wavy.  I used two wooden handscrew clamps to gently coax the folded back straight.  Then hammered the blade following Bob Smaler's instructions taking it slow and deliberate.  I was able to get the saw reasonably straight and it has stayed straight for 5 years despite some rigorous use.

   Good luck with yours,

   gdblake

1. 
   woodhouse94 | Mar 24, 2012 09:19pm | #5

   Worked on it a little today

    

   So after doing some other things around the house, i went in the shop tonight for a few hours. I took the saw apart, and cleaned up the saw plate, and the back to the best polish i could get. After i kept sighting down the saw plate, and the saws wavyness is so minute amound i am happy. The back is perfectly straight so i think it will be fine. I also jointed the saw so it was perfectly flat. Now i just need to retooth the saw. Does anyone have any tips on how to doing it? I will look into it a little more, but all the help i can get would be great.

   chris

1. 
   JeffHeath | Apr 06, 2012 04:19pm | #6

   There are a couple of ways to re-tooth a handsaw.  One is to send it out and have the teeth re-punched to the ppi that you are looking for.......can be pricey.

   Otherwise, you will have to hand file the teeth into the plate yourself.  To do this, you'll want to joint the saw flat with a single cut mill file.  The ensures that all the teeth are in the same line.  You will want to create all the new teeth with the correct rake and fleam angles before filing/sharpening for rip or crosscut teeth.  If you're new to handfiling, I would highly recommend a good read, like Pete Taran's Woodcentral article:

    http://www.woodcentral.com/cgi-bin/readarticle.pl?dir=handtools&file=articles_284.shtm

   Using a ruler and a very fine point marker, you can mark off the teeth on the plate with a red dot.  You must ensure that the teeth are all filed with equal gullets, and to even heights.  Not as easy as it looks for a first timer, but as difficult as it sounds.  Practice makes perfect.  Practice on an old hand grenade garbage saw before you work on your good back saw.  Each time you joint the saw to file off the old teeth, you shorten the life of the plate.

   I have to tell you that I believe you need to have the saw plate as flat and straight as possible.  Even slight bows can render a quality saw to "roughing only" status.  If this is going to be a joinery saw, it will be quite difficult for you to split a line accurately with a saw that has a bent, kinked, or even slightly wavey plate.

   Jeff

3. 
   gdblake | Mar 24, 2012 10:12am | #4

   Couldn't figure out how to delete a double post

   I have no idea how my reply got double posted, but I couldn't find a way to delete the duplicate so I edited it to this.

   gdblake

4. 
   woodhouse94 | Apr 15, 2012 10:08pm | #7

   sharpening

    

   Well two things. One, i just began working part time at a lumber yard, and they have a shapening service which i may try out. I am not sure how great it is, so i may try it with a saw i don't care about. Then, i looked up some ways to sharpen the saw's, but my eyes aren't great, so i don't know how confident i am on retoothing the saw. But we will see.

   Thanks everyone.

   chris

1. 
   roc | Apr 16, 2012 10:01pm | #8

   A couple of things :

   To help with various sight situations

   What works great for me are these Optivisors

   http://www.woodcraft.com/family.aspx?FamilyID=4227

   I have three visors and four lenses.

   I also have a light accessory on one of them to illuminate down into mortises etc.

   http://www.loupe-magnifier.com/quasar_ls_lighting_system.htm

   the batteries last and last and last.

   I have also put the side loop on and like this.

   I had one visor for years for my precision metal working, layout, etc., and then I began to use it more and more for my wood working. I went out and bought a couple more visors so I don't need to switch lenses and I am glad I set myself up. I use them for sharpening, paring fine dovetails, sawing dovetails everything.

   Talk about serious nerd accoutrement This is it baby !

   Secondly I would be very suspect of the sharpening service at the lumber yard.

1. 
   woodhouse94 | Apr 16, 2012 10:52pm | #9

    

   Thanks for showing me those, i will need to pick something up, the sight issue is deffinitly a problem. Also, i am also a bit werry of the sharpening service, they send it to a company off site who does it, but i need to ask more questions next time i go into work. If the do a quality job, this might be a very good thing. I have about 12 old hand saws that need to be sharpened, and i just don't have the time to do them all. Even if i just have the sharpening service punch the new teeth, i can fine tune the saw as needed. The main problem for me is actually retoothing the saw plate. Thanks again for your help.

   chris