Retoothing an old lady

[MarcW]

Hello all,

I retoothed an old Tyzack and Son saw today. Having read how Leif Hanson does this with a sheet of paper, I thought it would work for me too. But hélas... I am not that skilled #-o . So I decided I'd need something like a fence, or a jig to properly space the teeth. The saw has 10 inch of length and 15 tpi, finest I did before was 13 tpi, a very pleasant size, much more sympathic for eyes of my age :roll: .

My jig is nothing else than a piece of scrap. Placing the corner of the scrap on a line of the sheet, aligning the file with the scrap, giving the blade a stroke with the edge of the file creates a small indentation. First I bruised the wood and then fixed a bit of tape on the vertical side of the file, in order to not change the tpi by working towards the other end. The whole worked fine, well not exactly the first time, but training on some scraper blades helps much.

Anybody proceeds otherwise, something I didn't tumble over yet? My scrap requires some practice (I didn't have at the moment I made the pic) Later on I placed the sheet and the scrap behind the blade. Aligning the file was much easier. Results were improved.

Regards, Marc

 

[Evergreen]

Marc

Great idea - it looks so simple even I might have a go!

But how do you stop the blade of the saw from vibrating while you are filing? I can see that by putting your block of scrap behind the blade you gain some stability because you are pushing against it but is that enough? I always thought the blade had to be as low as possible in a saw vice.

Regards.

 

[Alf]

Marc, interesting idea. Must admit I only recently did my first printout-guided retoothing (courtesy of BB's site and stuck on the blade) and I didn't enjoy it much - much prefer using an existing blade as a guide. I found the paper stretched enough to make it much less of a no-brainer than it sounded like it ought to be. As with so many things, it's probably just a matter of practice but this method would at least negate that trouble. Presumably the support of the block stops the file screaming like a banshee?

Cheers, Alf

 

[bugbear]

Marc, interesting idea. Must admit I only recently did my first printout-guided retoothing (courtesy of BB's site and stuck on the blade) and I didn't enjoy it much - much prefer using an existing blade as a guide. I found the paper stretched enough to make it much less of a no-brainer than it sounded like it ought to be. As with so many things, it's probably just a matter of practice but this method would at least negate that trouble. Presumably the support of the block stops the file screaming like a banshee?

Cheers, Alf

Hmm. I've never had an issue with paper stretch. Did you cut a very thin strip - I normally use around 1 1/2".

Second, I use either spray glue (as per scary sharp) or pritt, neither of which "wet" the paper to any degree.

If the paper still stretches, you could always use thicker paper - most printers will take stock waaay heavier than the normal 80 gsm.

I've never done the "existing blade" trick, since I don't have extra blades in all the spacings I've done (including graduated

BugBear

 

[Alf]

Did you cut a very thin strip - I normally use around 1 1/2".

Nope, 'twas about that.

Second, I use either spray glue (as per scary sharp) or pritt, neither of which "wet" the paper to any degree.

Pritt stick

If the paper still stretches, you could always use thicker paper - most printers will take stock waaay heavier than the normal 80 gsm.

Yeah, that's the obvious thing to try, but I didn't have any at the time.

I've never done the "existing blade" trick, since I don't have extra blades in all the spacings I've done (including graduated

Tsk, just think if you'd made one every time you did a new spacing (and graduated) you'd have a whole library to use by now. :wink:

Cheers, Alf

 

[bugbear]

Actually, I find a little flex in the paper quite helpful, if you've built in breasting in the edge.

But I've never come close to having any problems from this cause.

Did your paper stretch enough to muss up the teeth spacing?

BugBear

 

[Alf]

Did your paper stretch enough to muss up the teeth spacing?

Slightly, if I didn't concentrate. I just find it a bit more effort than switching to automatic and using an existing blade as a guide, but on the basis of one go I wouldn't expect to find it as easy as a system I've used a few times before anyway, so no worries. I'll probably have another go anyway, 'cos I've got at least one other saw that needs retoothing.

Cheers, Alf

 

[bugbear]

Did your paper stretch enough to muss up the teeth spacing?

Slightly, if I didn't concentrate. I just find it a bit more effort than switching to automatic and using an existing blade as a guide, but on the basis of one go I wouldn't expect to find it as easy as a system I've used a few times before anyway, so no worries. I'll probably have another go anyway, 'cos I've got at least one other saw that needs retoothing.

Cheers, Alf

A few weeks ago I did a 15 TPI re-tooth on a small DT saw.

I (we) only used the paper as a guide for a first pass, just making a "nick" for each gullet. The paper was then removed, and the gullets deepened "by eye", proceding as for a normal (if deeply jointed saw.

The usual (*) rake and fleam aids were used.

It went fine (apart from the eyeball sapping difficulty of seeing 8 degree rake and fleam on a 15 TPI saw...)

Much of the work was done by the veriest beginner I was teaching.

BugBear

(*) for me, that is

 

[MarcW]

...
But how do you stop the blade of the saw from vibrating while you are filing? I can see that by putting your block of scrap behind the blade you gain some stability because you are pushing against it but is that enough? I always thought the blade had to be as low as possible in a saw vice.

Regards.

Hi Evergreen,

I had no problems with vibration in neither positions of the block, before or behind the blade. The nicks on the pic are indeed big. At the end I gave only half a stroke and that was sufficient to install a small gripping mark for the file. Filing the teeth I put the blade naturally as low as possible in the vise.

... Must admit I only recently did my first printout-guided retoothing (courtesy of BB's site and stuck on the blade) and I didn't enjoy it much - much prefer using an existing blade as a guide. I found the paper stretched enough to make it much less of a no-brainer than it sounded like it ought to be. As with so many things, it's probably just a matter of practice but this method would at least negate that trouble. Presumably the support of the block stops the file screaming like a banshee?
Cheers, Alf

Alf,

I heard and saw it on dvd, that some people use another saw as template. But as I merely have one saw with 15 tpi and it is a DT saw of Mike, filed at a rate of perfection I dream of but will never come to, I didn't want to bruise my little treasure.

As I said no problems with vibrations or screaming saws in my workshop. I guess it is because of the supporting block I squeezed firmly against the blade.

Bugbear, Interesting idea with paper stretch. I will have to hunt another old lady and retooth that too. :lol: After all practice and patience bring the best results :roll:

Regards, Marc