Thread: Saw sharpening in ACT

Originally Posted by SteveMcM

Dear Forumites,

I have recently received my purchase of a Tyzack and Sons tenon saw. It needs sharpening and I think I should start by having someone do it who knows what they are doing. Can someone recommend a good place to have saws sharpened in Canberra?

I also received my forum cap and was please to find a bonus gift of a keyring and pen with a light in it. Thanks Neil! I love the cap and my two year old daughter loves the pen.


Steve

Steve

Sorry I can't help with a direct answer, but when I found myself in the same position I decided to teach myself. Saw sharpening is really not hard and is a skill worth learning.

You can make a saw vice from some spare timber and a bolt and wingnut and aside from that, you just need a couple of files and a saw set (readily purchased second hand). Try the saw sharpening article on Norse Woodsmith or in one of the early ShopNotes magazines (which I have nowmanaged to obtain via one of the torrnt sites). And it only takes about 30 minutes to sharpen a saw.

Your Tyzack will respond well to the TLC if you do it yourself and your sense of accomplishment and achievement will be so much greater!

There is a saw sharpener just down from Fisher Tools towards Harvey Norman in Barrier Street.
les

Can't remember the exact name Think its Fitch sharpening service in Fyshwick will do saws. Personally I do my own. Unless you really have issues with your eyes its really not that difficult to do a good job. I couldn't afford to get my saw collection professionally sharpened as I have that many so I have to do my own. Unless the teeth are really badly shaped Make sure that they don't just stamp new teeth in as it wastes alot of life of the saw. Even if they are badly shaped I would sharpen by hand.

Saw filing is really not that difficult, you just need to do a bit of reading or net surfing as there are some good sites out there about it and when doing it take care, dont rush it and be aware of what you are doing.

Thanks fella's. Much obliged.

Sorry, been away and catching up on threads.

Isn't one of the problems with getting a handsaw sharpened by a saw sharpener that they just take off all the teeth, and cut new ones? Two or three times back to the sharpener and you'd have yourself a handy Tyzack and Sons keyhole saw.

I heard that from someone a long time ago, never found out if its true. I do know that the average saw sharpener is doing industrial saws not woodworker's hierlooms.

btw in Canberra you've got Fitch (Whyalla St, also got a lot of tools) and Canberra Sawworks (Barrier St) , both in Fyshwick, both good on circular saws at least.

Originally Posted by Gunnaduit

Sorry, been away and catching up on threads.

Isn't one of the problems with getting a handsaw sharpened by a saw sharpener that they just take off all the teeth, and cut new ones? Two or three times back to the sharpener and you'd have yourself a handy Tyzack and Sons keyhole saw.

I heard that from someone a long time ago, never found out if its true. I do know that the average saw sharpener is doing industrial saws not woodworker's hierlooms.

btw in Canberra you've got Fitch (Whyalla St, also got a lot of tools) and Canberra Sawworks (Barrier St) , both in Fyshwick, both good on circular saws at least.

Canberra Saw Works in Barrier street do a good job.

No they do not remove teeth and redo - they use mechanical sharpeners that mimic what a hand sharpening would do. The problem I have found is that they do not reset the teeth unless asked - and the set is what makes or breaks a handsaw.

Too much set (ie: angle that the alternate teeth are bent off the centre line that allows material to be removed by the sawing action - the 'kerf' so created being wider than the blade) and the cut is too wide and you remove more material than you need to, too little and the saw tends to jam (and not resetting after sharpening leaves too little set).

Uneven set, or incorrect grind angle or depth, results in a crooked cut with a tendency to slew to one side or another as the saw is drawn through the material so making following a marked line difficult.

My dear old Dad used to set his saws one mark above the saw tooth size (a saw set has markings relating to the tooth size of the saw, eg: #10 for a saw with 10 teeth to an inch) resulting in a slightly larger cut for the saw tooth size, but an easier draw through the material.

This also minimised the effects caused by the natural tendency for the set to be reduced as the saw is used so extending a little the time between sharpening.

So pay extra if need be and have the saw set (or just get it sharpened and do the set yourself - if you have a saw clamp and a saw set).

Of course some modern tooth designs have multiple faceted grinding and reduced or no set, so cannot be sharpened in that traditional way. Also there are a wide variety of saw teeth shapes (eg: for crosscutting, for ripping and special designs for fine work such as Japanese style saws) and they can need specialised sharpening knowledge and tools.

Originally Posted by SteveMcM

Dear Forumites,

I have recently received my purchase of a Tyzack and Sons tenon saw. It needs sharpening and I think I should start by having someone do it who knows what they are doing. Can someone recommend a good place to have saws sharpened in Canberra?

I also received my forum cap and was please to find a bonus gift of a keyring and pen with a light in it. Thanks Neil! I love the cap and my two year old daughter loves the pen.


Steve

Post it to us.
I'll sharpen / set and have it working for what you want it to do and post it back for $28
including postage.
(Ask your sharpener guy to set it up for a rip cut, he will look at you funny and say ok, and give you back a saw filed for cross cutting.)
There are very few proper saw doctors left.

We can also straighten bent saws and repair broken totes too.

PS we are not a saw doctor, we just enjoy using proper saws!

Good luck.

Steve