Are there any Saw Doctors left?

[Danger_MouseUK]

Does anyone know of any a Saw Doctor that could straighten and sharpen a couple of saws. Rather than trying to rediscover this ancient art in an afternoon, without any of the proper tools, I'd rather send them off to someone who knows what they are doing. They are good saws that deserve it doing properly.

I've searched this forum and could only find thread from people who were looking for Dr's but no details for any they found.

I've tried Google, but it just keeps trying to see me tickets to see some Irish blokes, who I'm sure are very talented but I doubt would be able to help out with my Philly Disstons.

I'd prefer someone in the Northwest, but I'll happily send them off if need be.

 

[RogerP]

Not in your area but I use Tewkesbury Saw Co. Newtown Trading Estate, Tewkesbury GL20 8JG Phone 01684 293092

 

[Peter Sefton]

You could look at the Saw Doctors Association

http://www.sdauk.co.uk/member-directory.html

Cheers Peter

 

[bugbear]

I don't remember anyone recommending a saw doctor for handsaws recently.

I also know there are very few even in the USA.

It's a common question of forums; this is why us amateurs using sharpenable saws have to learn the skill ourselves, like it or not.

Both my local "wooden floored" hardware shops offer a service. Both send the saws out
to their respective old carpenter who does them in his shed. Both old carpenters butchered the trial saw I gave them.

BugBear

(fortunately, my main hobby is tool restoration, not woodwork)

 

[deema]

Welcome to the forum. I'm assuming that they are English style brass or steel backed saws, if so, I put together a thread on how to sharpen and straighten them here

hand-saw-restoration-and-re-teething-of-a-99p-saw-t98494.html

If they are hand or panel saws, and you have kinked them, (distinct crease in the steel as opposed to a gently radius bend) in my opinion they are only good for making scrapers out of! If they just curved, it's just a case of bending them the opposite way. It's spring steel so should not be affected by the bending / reverse bending. The old test for a good quality saw that hadn't become brittle with age was that you bent the saw to place the toe (end) of the saw through the handle. If you could do this without it kinking it was good for a sharpen.

It's actually not that that difficult to sharpen and straighten a saw and something I would highly recommend everyone to have a go at.

 

[bugbear]

It's actually not that that difficult to sharpen and straighten a saw and something I would highly recommend everyone to have a go at.

I would place it in the category of "Not hard to do, but hard to do well".

I start to very much feel the limits of my skill at about 18 TPI rip (dovetail saws) and 14 TPI cross cut (shoulder cutting back saws).

BugBear

 

[Jelly]

Atkinson Walker in Sheffield will do handsaws, (in addition to making and maintaining just about every other conceivable type of saw).

 

[AndyT]

Medicine free at the point of use!

free-saw-sharpening-t102475.html

 

[Beau]

It's actually not that that difficult to sharpen and straighten a saw and something I would highly recommend everyone to have a go at.

I would place it in the category of "Not hard to do, but hard to do well".

I start to very much feel the limits of my skill at about 18 TPI rip (dovetail saws) and 14 TPI cross cut (shoulder cutting back saws).

BugBear

Agreed. Got a couple of 20 tpi dovetail saws and I simply don't have the skills to do them justice. Send them away once but got a substandard job. Hope this thread throws up some good contacts.

My dovetail saws live on the shelf for the time being and now use disposable Japanese pull saws for delicate work

 

[Ttrees]

Deema has done an excellent tutorial on the subject ...
look that up .
Here's another excellent tutorial on the subject ...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-_MF2Mnxwc

Why not get some saw files and go to town
Theirs nothing to loose from trying on a saw which has a kink on the end ..
Or newer (not hardpoint) saw that is not as refined ...
If your planning to use saws a lot ...it would be like asking for a hand plane and chisel sharpener in UK

 

[nabs]

well there was a long tradition of saw doctors in the UK, and they were kept busy by tradesman who would all have been able to sharpen their edge tools - pressumably because a) it takes longer to sharpen a saw than a plane iron, and b) because most of us suffer from deterioration in our eyesight as we get older, and this can make filing small teeth very difficult.

I am impresed BugBear can manage 18TPI - I can barely see teeth that size, even with a magnifying glass!

 

[Phil Pascoe]

The old (now dead) chippie I used to work with told me that traditionally they were always given the last two hours on a Friday to sharpen their tools.

 

[Danger_MouseUK]

Thanks everyone. It's not so much the sharpening, my dad can do that as well as his eyesight will let him and I'm sure he could show me. It's more getting them straight, the curves aren't too bad but it's a saw I like enough to want it done properly.

If I tried it myself it would end up like the scene with the car in father ted.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mdwAkWvWMw

Owing to personal circumstances, I just don't have the time at the moment to get the right hammers, anvil etc and saws to practice on and actually learn how to do it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Ttrees]

A saw set and a saw vise is what I'd use ... That's a a jig made of plywood, piano hinge on the bottom, two hardwood strips on the other end to pinch the saw plate ..and you put this in a vise.

Does anyone use specifically the eclipse no.77 with the heavy anvil for the big saws ...
Or do they find the finer one, with the red paint inside, adequate for the task too ?


If I understand you right ....That non straightness or crown, cresting along the toothline as you might call it, is intentional in most cases . Breasting as it is called .

I think its a skill very much worth learning ...otherwise if your that pushed for time,
Why use a handsaw in the first place ? ..I could be missing something here though ...
Guessing you want to do some ripping on a boat or in a house or something awkward .
Or you want to make something entirely by hand, unplugged woodworking style ?

 

[lurker]

Get your Dad to show you how ASAP
I still bitterly regret not doing this with my Dad whilst he was alive

You don't need any fancy tools beyond a decent size & shaped file and a saw set.
You have an expert on tap to advise you about this.

 

[lurker]

I am impresed BugBear can manage 18TPI - I can barely see teeth that size, even with a magnifying glass!

He is a clever bloke is BB



or so he implies :wink:

 

[bugbear]

I am impresed BugBear can manage 18TPI - I can barely see teeth that size, even with a magnifying glass!

He is a clever bloke is BB



or so he implies

If it makes you feel any better, I'm pretty sure I couldn't sharpen 20 TPI (but then, that's what I said before, implicitly).

It's not clever, I've just got a proper Woden saw vice, some decent needle files, very strong reading glasses, and a fair bit of practice.

But I still have to concentrate like h*ll and go really slow at 18TPI.

BugBear

 

[Cheshirechappie]

On this one, I'm with BB.

The only 'really small tooth' saw I've refurbished was a 6" long gent's saw of about 18 to 20 tpi - 16tpi dovetail saws are bad enough, but just about do-able, especially as filing rip makes the job a bit easier. Sharpening the gent's saw started all right, but quickly became confusing as the teeth seemed to merge into one another. Keeping the points all at the same height needed very great care and concentration, and even with a weeny file it was easy to almost obliterate a tooth altogether. I was just about cross-eyed by the time I'd finished it. Hopefully - never again!

Sharpening a 6tpi 26" cross-cut handsaw is FAR easier.

 

[RogerP]

On this one, I'm with BB.

The only 'really small tooth' saw I've refurbished was a 6" long gent's saw of about 18 to 20 tpi - 16tpi dovetail saws are bad enough, but just about do-able, especially as filing rip makes the job a bit easier. Sharpening the gent's saw started all right, but quickly became confusing as the teeth seemed to merge into one another. Keeping the points all at the same height needed very great care and concentration, and even with a weeny file it was easy to almost obliterate a tooth altogether. I was just about cross-eyed by the time I'd finished it. Hopefully - never again!

Sharpening a 6tpi 26" cross-cut handsaw is FAR easier.

I had similar problems with very fine toothed saws.So I blackening all the teeth with a felt tip marking pen. As I worked my way along sharpening it was obvious where I was at.

 

[John15]

I sharpen up to 14tpi using one of these. The teeth stand out very clearly. Obviously not necessary for the much larger tooth saws. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/New-Hot-Optiv ... SwhcJWKKi9.

John