March 27, 201214 yr  Ok, I have a bunch of old saws collecting in the shop.  Some do need a bit of "dental" work.   I don't have a "store bought" saw vise to hold the saw blades while i file away at them snaggle teeth.   So, I picked up two 2x3" pine scraps, cut them to a saw blade length.  Didn't even measure it, just laid a saw on the scraps, marked to spot while my thumbnail, and cut the boards WITH the saw that was just laying on the boards a moment earlier.   I grabbed a couple "F" style clamps, and went out to the back porch.   Placing a saw between the two halves of the "vise', I clamped the jig to my porch railing's 2x4 top rail. Teeth to the top.  When the file gets near a clamp. I'll just swing the clamp the other way. and keep on filing along.  A look at the other end of this viseNothing real fancy here, either.  I grabbed an "extra slim taper" file, and followed along the tooth line. Since this was just a sharpening , NOT a retoothing, I just followed what angles were already there:You can see where I've been on the blade. That file got to be hard on my hands to hold, so a pair of visegrips was clamped onto the file's end. Filing took about 15 minutes, counting two 'breaks" to catch a 'breather" ( Olde Pharte Syndrome) but i finally reach the handle end! Now, how does this old saw work , after the "dentist" got done?Not too shaby.   Saw was made by Disston/HK Porter back in the late 50s.   Called The Rancher.  two more full strokes finished this cut.  No "grabbyness" in the cut, either.    Set might be a bit much, but we can fix that as well.    just a High Tech Vise...... 'and may the road raise up to meet ye'
March 28, 201214 yr Beautiful! I use a shopmade vise as well. Mine clamps in my face vise and consists of 4 pieces of wood and some twine. I like your style sir.Adam WelkerRed Car Construction and Fine Woodworking
March 28, 201214 yr Nice sharpening system Steve! John MorrisThe Patriot WoodworkerProud Supporter of Wounded Warrior Project and Homes For Our Troops
March 28, 201214 yr Author  I tried the jig out on a backsaw today, once the rain had quit.    Sun came out!     I had to change the way the board sat, though, due to the short (10") blade.    Once everthing was in place, time to file, right?    Not yet, after them sore hands the other day, rigged up a file holder, of sortsMay at a later date, notch the jaws on a cheepy one, just to keep the file steady.   The backsaw for this experiment?That cheap, $1.21 saw with a new walnut handle.   IF this works out, i have two other backsaws to sharpen up. Got everything clamped up, worked my way down towards the handle.  In filing "rip", I file straight across each tooth, and there are a LOT of them.  Whew!   Done!   After a "break" for a Mountain Dew, time for a test drive, or two.   The first one more or less clean the "gums' ( do NOT use "Tap Magic" on the file) and the second cut worked a lot better.the one on the left is number 2 cut, didn't take long to get to full depth of the saw, eitherI then crosscut the notch, since it will fit the handle areas better on the other backsaws.   This saw works just as well in crosscut, as it does in rip.  NEXT!!! 'and may the road raise up to meet ye'
March 29, 201214 yr Steve, Drill a hole in a piece of dowel rod, and you'll have a handle for your file! I like your style, it's similar to my high tech metal machine work! Sandpaper by hand.Oh the hand cramps!  Larry OWWM Forum Host  Â
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