Saw Talk #26: Shopping list for the upcoming saw sharpening video

Preparations for the video are progressing well and I hope to start recording shortly. I was asked over on the Saws, using collecting, cleaning and buying thread if I would put together a list of the things you will need to follow along with my upcoming saw sharpening video.

Here is a list of what I consider to be essential items:

1) A 10-12” second cut hand file for jointing the teeth. You can use a shorter file if you are using a holder like the Veritas Jointer/Edger or one of the antique versions of a file holder. Some people also prefer to use a mill file for this operation.

2) The correct tapered saw file for the saw you intend to sharpen first. I suggest you start with a rip-filed saw. It can be a backsaw like a tenon saw if you wish or a 24”-28” rip saw, but you might find sharpening a dovetail saw a bit challenging at first due to the small teeth. It is probably best to start on a saw with teeth in the range of 5ppi to 11ppi so you can see the teeth easily. See below for a list of the files that correspond to different size teeth. You will also need a suitable handle for the file you select.

In the US and Canada, Grobet saw files are the best and are available from Lie Nielsen, Lee Valley and Tools for Working Wood. In Europe, Vallorbe files are the best and are available from Classic Hand Tools and Axminster Tool Centre.

3) A means of holding your saw firmly while you file the teeth. This could be one of the many vintage saw vises, the new saw vise from Tools for Working Wood, a home made saw vise (here's the one I made, but you’ll find many other designs if you google ‘saw vise’), or the most basic method which is to sandwhich your saw plate between two pieces of wood in a vise.

4) A suitable saw set. I would recommend either the Stanley No.42 or the Eclipse No.77. These are both vintage saw sets and are readily available on ebay.com for the Stanley No.42 and ebay.co.uk for the Eclipse No.77. If you intend to buy vintage, please research the saw set you intend to buy before bidding to ensure you know what you’re looking for. There are new copies of the Eclipse design available today made by Somax which are available in the US and Canada from Tools for Working Wood. If you are in Europe you can buy the Somax saw sets from Axminster Tool Centre or Workshop Heaven.

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Other items that are not essential but that I will be using in the video are:

1) A packet of cigarette papers or feeler gauges (metric or imperial).
2) A flat reference surface such as the top of a table saw or bandsaw, a granite slab (kitchen worktop) or a sheet of float glass.
3) A fine tipped black permanent marker.
4) A fine diamond stone. This doesn’t have to be as big as a bench stone that you would sharpen plane irons on. It can be a small diamond stone like you might use for touching up router bits.
5) A 4” long piece of scrap softwood (approximately 1” x 5/8”)

-- Andy -- Old Chinese proverb say: If you think something can't be done, don't interrupt man who is doing it.