Thread: Straightening a saw blade

John, I think the best advice I could offer is to read what Bob Smalser has to say on the topic. He is the acknowledged guru...

I've been moderately successful following his method, though one badly kinked saw defeated me. I managed to make it useable, but could not get it perfect. I would suggest that it pays to take it carefully at first, until you get the feel of how hard you can hit without making marks on your sawblade (you can hit pretty hard if you are using the right sort of hammer). Hitting too lightly won't achieve much, or at best gets you there very slowly, but you are better off with many lighter hits than a few too heavy. I have a saw that was worked over by an enthusiastic but unskilled person & I can tell you it's nearly impossible to remove the marks!

Cheers,

I actually read that article this morning and thought hey maybe I should give this a try.

Other than an annoying clatter or vibration during your stroke, what is it like to use at the moment?

Cheers,
Paul

Sometimes the problem can be nothing more than the set.

I haven't tried sawing with it yet, still busy cleaning it. Teeth needs sharpening and a set.
The blade is actually in really good condition considering it's age, almost no rust pitting and I can still very faintly see the etching.
Here are two photos of it I took in the second hand store:





I'll post better pics when I'm done restoring it.

Ron Herman's video (2nd one?) talks about hammering a bit.

The largest (but small) amount of info is probably regarding CROSSCUT saws ... there's a 1hr or 2hr free video online that talks about straightening in that context as part of it.

http://www.bchw.org/Tech%20tips/Cros...Sharpening.htm

I've tried the old boiling water trick but it didn't seem to make much of a difference.

Please describe!

Cheers,
Paul

Originally Posted by pmcgee

Please describe!

Cheers,
Paul

you pour boiling water over the saw blade and quickly bend it in the opposite direction before it cools. I just read about this technique on a few sites but it doesn't seem to be very effective.

has to be frustrating doesn't it



sure i have some off beam, answers. to get your saws straight it might mean you all have to go play on the railway tracks though!




cheers
chippy

Originally Posted by ch!ppy

t it might mean you all have to go play on the railway tracks

No thanks - I got enough encouragement in that direction from my Mum.

Paul

Originally Posted by pmcgee

No thanks - I got enough encouragement in that direction from my Mum.

Paul

dam! thats sad...i didnt mean it like that of course



could look for a blacksmith and borrow his anvil for a while

Originally Posted by ch!ppy

dam! thats sad...i didnt mean it like that of course

As usual, I was kidding.

Besides ... I remember it better now ... "go play in the traffic" ... "I brought you into this world, and I'll bloody well take you out of it again" ...


Paul

Originally Posted by pmcgee

As usual, I was kidding.

Besides ... I remember it better now ... "go play in the traffic" ... "I brought you into this world, and I'll bloody well take you out of it again" ...


Paul

sheeeze i hate you....got me again


back to the saw, Paul lists all the available online info, so there it is, not much more to be said, boiling water or any heat treatment is ultimately a bad thing, not recommended .


once you start mucking about with saws it can be a bugger, as most ppl want a quick fix and it can once started take a LOT of work thats never completed properly, easy enough but a lot of work is all. cut corners and it never really works like it should

is it worth doing, learning or paying to have done...i think so, they just dont make saws saws like they used to so good ground steel and good tension are nice to have, not that all steel is bad these days but the tensioning and grinding of saws isnt the same....can be done with a lot of work though



cheers
chippy

As Chippy says, it's no use looking for a quick fix with a hammer. Get it cleaned first then sharpened and set. As I said earlier it could be no more than an uneven set that's causing the curve.