Thread: Isaac On Sawfiles

Originally Posted by D.W.

....I never considered using a jeweler's file until it was brought up on here, but have a half dozen small xx slim files left. I hope they last a long time, my days of getting saws to pick good ones out are over - i hope.

David, I first used the 'jewellers' files quite a while back, when I had a rush of blood to the head & tried making some very fine-toothed saws. A 4" DEST file just doesn't cut it, so to speak, when you get into the 20-25 tpi stratosphere (it's ok, I've since realised the error of my ways & renounced such conceited foolery! ). The Groberts are good to very good files, they cut well, wear well, & have consistent edge dimensions, so it wasn't long before I started using them on larger teeth, up to 15 tpi, as the availability & quality of smaller saw files went south. I hesitated to use them for anything larger, because of a fear that the sharp gullets might be too prone to stress cracks. In fact, there was quite a discussion on the topic a few years ago when I first mentioned I was using the needle files. I was warned my saw teeth would all crack off in short order!

Well, I'm relieved to report that stress-cracked teeth have NOT been a problem. And in case you think I don't put my saw teeth in harm's way, they are expected to cut woods that probably have no parallel up your way. For e.g., one of the woods I like to work with is called "Bull Oak" (Allocasaurina leuhmanii), which is reputed to be the hardest wood in the world! Another Forumite (planemaker) says he uses needle files for all teeth from 12 tpi & smaller, & I think will go that way myself, unless I can start sourcing some decent small 'regular' saw files. Trying to cut teeth or sharpen a saw using a file that starts shedding its cutting edges on the first or second swipe makes it darned-near impossible to keep strokes even & regular! By comparison, the needle files cut smoothly & evenly (& go on doing so for a decent length of time) - the difference is huge. The downside is they cost me nearly twice as much, each. But given they a) do the job better, and b) last at least twice as long on average, I guess it's a no-brainer. Unless the files I just ordered turn out to be a good deal better than the last lot, it'll be the last lot of 'regular' small files I buy....

Cheers,