Nicholson Bench #2: A ripping workout

Yes the saw should run like in butter in that wood.
Go and sharpen sounds right.
Best thoughts,
Mads

-- Mad F, the fanatical rhykenologist and vintage architect. Democraticwoodworking.

You are the man! I applaud your use of traditional methods to rip the material. It’s gratifying to think back and know that you did the whole job with hand tools and muscle power. I find myself using hand tools whenever I can. Great job.

-- Doug - Make an effort to live by the slogan "We try harder"

One thing you might and I couldn’t tell by the picture… did you have it plugged in? ;-) You are the man!

-- Bryan

This may be a stupid question but are you using a rip saw? A crosscut saw will definitely make you work harder ripping then crosscutting. I know the difference on my old tablesaw was a night and day difference when I started using a purpose built ripsaw for ripping, I assume it is the same for handsaws.

I spent yesterday evening in my shop planing some boards down for a box I am making, I can really appreciate the amount of work you are doing to get your stretchers and legs to dimension!

-- "Checking for square? what madness is this! The cabinet is square because I will it to be so!" Jeremy Greiner LJ Topic#20953 2011 Feb 2

It is a 5pp rip saw. I picked it up for about $5 it is an old Disston. I sharpened it up with 0 rake but didn’t have a proper file, only a Harbor Frieght job. I’m not sure if the quality of the file could be the issue but I plan to resharpen it with a good file and about 20degrees of slope to the gullets next time around and see what it does.

-- Mike, Western New York

Many years ago I was in charge of a work crew using two man crosscut saws and we’d oil or wax the blades to get them to slice through the wood faster…maybe you could wax the blade?

-- "Checking for square? what madness is this! The cabinet is square because I will it to be so!" Jeremy Greiner LJ Topic#20953 2011 Feb 2

I know this comment is a bit delayed, but if you filed (cut) the teeth after jointing and didn’t go back with a finer file to remove the mill marks, you didn’t sharpen the saw, you just have even height dull saw teeth. Kind of like a steak knife instead of a razor blade. if the blade isn’t tracking or it’s binding on the cut, it’s time to add some set.

-- Regards, Norm

Norm,

It’s never too late and thanks for the tip. I did use a cheap file to shape the teeth and I think touching it up with a higher quality saw file may make a big difference. I am planning to do that and if it still doesn’t cut like I want I will try adding some slope to the gullets to see if I can further improve the cut. The saw tracks well and doesn’t bind at all. I actually think some further sharpening to reduce the set may improve the saws function as well.

-- Mike, Western New York

Get yourself a fine toothed file and follow up with a gentle stroke or two on each tooth. Just enough to remove the mill marks left after shaping the teeth. the saw should be sharp enough that if you gently rest your hand on the blade that it will grab instantly and feel like sharp knives. If your saw tracks straight (test a cut with your eyes closed by Drawing a straight line on a scrap board and cut without peaking so you don’t compensate for drift) and your kerf isn’t too wide, I wouldn’t change your set.

You are going to look like pop eye after this bench :)

-- Regards, Norm