Something some might not have seen, handsaw retoothing (video)

Pretty cool tool. Never seen one in action.

-- We must guard our enthusiasm as we would our life - James Krenov

Nice!

-- You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation. (Plato)

To cool, I have 3 saw sets but I have not figured out how to set them for the right angles just yet.

I didn’t know anyone could do something like this, and so easily!

-- Bob Vila would be so proud of you!

I’ve never seen one of those. I didn’t even know of them. Thanks Daren.

-- Thos. Angle

Yea for the most part the retoother has gone the way of the buggy whip. Back in the day when handsaws were in every carpenters/woodworkers tool box something like this was “high tech”. This machine is older than me…and it is a newer model.
Some still appreciate a good sharp saw, most think once a saw is worn out it is time to pitch it and get a new one. Really an old saw is better, in most cases, than a new one when it is sharpened right. I can tell a distinct quality difference in the old steel as compared to most new saws. It depends on the maker, but as a general rule the older saws were just made to last-stay sharp.
They can be set and sharpened for years (or generations) and retoothed when needed. They can be retoothed many times. I mainly retooth to change the tpi, the saw in the video was 12 teeth per inch I made it 8 tpi. Or to make a good old steel into a crosscut from a rip saw or vice versa.
Fun old tool, but I only get to break it out on rare occasion. That is why I decided to take a short video. I have a Foley Belsaw “Auto Saw Filer” I may take a video of some day.

-- Urban logger, http://nelsonwoodworks.biz/

Thanks Daren. I checked out your saw mill on youtube. That was pretty cool too!

-- http://www.woodsongsfurniture.com

You can still find folks with the machines for sharpening circular/table saw blades.

I’ve known these re-toothers existed, but had no idea how to find one or to find someone who owned one.

What do you think? Probably have to do some detective work asking around among old-timers?

How fine can it re-tooth? Did you say 12 to 8 tpi? I’ve especially wanted to re-tooth a couple old small back saws I have for dovetail work. I did file one flat with a hand saw jointer fixture and file, but creating even teeth by hand is beyond my skill (and eyesight).

-- Paul, Texas

I hate to say it, but when we sold our home in NJ. The buyer made an offer and said that they needed possession in 10 days I accepted.

I had one of the Belsaw retoother and filer also. I never used them except to play with. Didn’t want to move, and no time to sale so in the trash they went.

I’m glad that you are getting some use of yours.

-- What happens in the workshop stays in the workshop. No wait that doesn't sound right. Karson Southern Delaware karson_morrison@bigfoot.com †

Cool, Thanks.

Steve

-- Stevethepeeve -- I'm no rocket surgeon

Paul. I do circular saw blades too, pretty often really (I have a little sharpening shop, that is what I do and like Dennis mentioned sawmill) Most of my tools are older than me, except the carbide grinders.

This is how I change the tpi. These ratchet bars go on the back of the carrier that holds the saw. You can see the different ones in the picture. The finest is marked 16 tpi, plenty small for a back saw. I will admit I have never used that ratchet bar, guess I have to now just for fun when I find time. I have all the bars Foley ever sold, so I think I have it covered

The carrier and ratchet bar in the machine (no saw) You can see the little post sticking out of the front. That moves up and down with the striker as well as catches a lever that is connected to a thinky that pushes on the ratchet bar to advance the saw.

Here is that thingy that moves the carrier close up (I need a new spring, the spring keeps it in the groove of the ratchet bar, it is kinda jury rigged right now)

This is the part that cuts the teeth. Just a stamp and die, chops them right off and new ones on.

I guess you can all see pretty much how it works now with the video and pictures. The motor drives a heavy cast iron wheel, the wheel keeps the inertia to move the saw and punch the teeth . The motor has a small hard rubber wheel that contacts the big wheel on the cutter part.

-- Urban logger, http://nelsonwoodworks.biz/

Karson, too bad you had to trash them (the retoother is a heavy little dude ain’t it?) My saw filer is not used much, it is in the shed handy, but sees little use. I bought a guy out who had a sharpening shop, every tool he had and he showed me how to use them. He had closed up shop several years prior and the tools were in storage at his place. I sold some of the tools I knew I would not use to help pay for the ones I figured I would, like the big planer knife grinder I kept and clipper hones, scissor machines…I only kept the handsaw stuff because I thought it was cool, it is not eating anything, but not making any money really either. They sell on ebay pretty cheap. I have a 2004 Foley catalog in front of me (the last year I see one listed) the close out price is $1,745 for the retoother. I see them on ebay for $100 some times, but usually have parts missing. If you don’t have the carrier/ratchet bars, you just bought a $100 boat anchor. I had to replace that little rubber wheel I mentioned, $30-just for that little part, but I had to have it.

-- Urban logger, http://nelsonwoodworks.biz/

Do you think most sharpening shops still have retoothers?

Where in Central Illinois?

I’m from Sterling – Mom still there, but brothers in Moline, Rock Falls, El Paso and Tiskilwa

Give the 16 tpi rod a try. If no luck down here, I might drop a couple old back saws by on one of my trips to visit family and pick up on the way back home. What do you charge for retoothing? I can hand sharpen.

-- Paul, Texas

That’s magic; thanks for the video.

-- Res severa verum gaudium - True pleasure is a serious business. http://www.folksy.com/shops/TreeGems

How cool… I saw one of these as a teenager at a sharpening shop in Colorado I visited with my dad to get some stuff done. He was still using it in the early 80’s… strange. I guess I have so little experience with sharpening shops I have always assumed that all of them had this type of machinery.

Drew

-- Drew, Pleasant Grove, Utah

Darren: I think I still have a couple of saw blade carriers and some retoother bars. They were in a different place and were not trashed. So they are somewhere in my shop.

-- What happens in the workshop stays in the workshop. No wait that doesn't sound right. Karson Southern Delaware karson_morrison@bigfoot.com †

Karson in all honesty a set of carriers , ratchet bars and the manual is worth more than the “machine”. The machines are floating around everywhere and people pick them up at a sale for $20…then it either sits unused until they throw it away or the spend another $150 chasing the rest to make it work.

-- Urban logger, http://nelsonwoodworks.biz/

I sure could use one of these retoothers. I found one years ago and did not want to drive that far to get it. I have a Belsaw 2000 automatic sharpener that is almost brand new. I got it from my uncle years ago who purchased it new and hardly ever used it. I have the three hand saw guide bars and would sometime like to get the band saw sharpening setup for it. The retoother and saw setter would make it complete.

-- Oldworld, Fair Oaks, Ca

I useually just buy throw away saws that cant be resharpened.I never understand what the difference is in sawing with a resharpening saw do the cut better.?Alistair

-- excuse my typing as I have a form of parkinsons disease