sharpen your hand saw?

[Mr Saugeen]

Does anyone sharpen there own hand saw?
I love my Zubat but replacement blades are somewhat expensive.
I don't even know what blades I can re-sharpen. Is it worth my effort to file my hand saw sharp?
Can anyone give me a hand with this?

 

[Merle Nelson]

As a last ditch effort I will sharpen my own. First I try to get them in to the old gent at the saw shop a hand full at a time ($7 each). I did buy the file I believe is needed for Silkys-ebay-approx. $25

 

[MasterBlaster]

I used to do it, when I used cheap Fanno blades. The edge didn't last long.

Nowadaze, I just order a new Silky blade. Life is too short to use a dull saw.

 

[Adam_P]

I believe zubat blades are hardened. You'll be able to tell by the screech when you run a file over the first tooth.

You can sharpen the XL silky blades though, and it's not that bad a task.

Sharpening a hand saw is kind of like splicing. It's usually worth it to pay someone else (or replace) unless you enjoy the discipline.

 

[bonner1040]

I sharpened my Sugoi. It was a win/win for me. One of the guys at work had the file and had never used it. I got paid hourly to do it, and considering that they wont replace my pricey Sugoi blade with anything other than a Fanno it was a huge savings.

I compared it to a new Sugoi and besides the fact that I am missing a tooth there wasnt a lot of difference.Honestly before I did it I was really dreading it and figured it wouldnt be worth it, but it was.

I believe the Zubat's are impulse hardened and therefore will not sharpen, however the Sugoi will.

I love my Sugoi, I have the 360 and wouldnt ever consider getting a different saw except maybe the 420, unless I got one for free.


Here are some references:

ZUBAT

https://www.treestuff.com/store/catalog.asp?item=293



---

SUGOI

https://www.treestuff.com/store/catalog.asp?category_id=264&item=299

 

[pete mctree]

Impulse hardened blades can be sharpened, but you have to use a grinder, which on tiny teeth, such as a zubat blade would not be easy.

 

[bonner1040]

Impulse hardened blades can be sharpened, but you have to use a grinder, which on tiny teeth, such as a zubat blade would not be easy.

Good to know Seems like that would be the case!

 

[flushcut]

Impulse hardened blades can be sharpened, but you have to use a grinder, which on tiny teeth, such as a zubat blade would not be easy.

A Dremal tool with a diamond disc works well but takes a lot of practice.

 

[Marc-Antoine]

Yes, I did that once.
But I don't know if I'll do it twice, waaay too much time for a blade, boring and tricky to do.
Surely, a quick filling to renew the cutting edge is doable if we take it soon enough, like the chainsaw sharpening. That's only the step 3 in under.
But I waited a long time before filing the suggoï , so it was completely dull. A quick touch could do nothing and I had to cut again the teeth. I use the way to file the big cross cut saws, found on the net.

The suggoï's steel looks like the steel from the saw chain's gouges. hard but workable.
Other brands with hardened teeth are impossible to file.

Here is the process :

- flat filling the teeth's tops to make them level and to remove all the rounded edges (the quickest and easiest part).

- cut the sides of the teeth, and deepen the hollow between them. It's the main part which cancel all interest of the operation, money wise : that takes hours to do.
The special file has a thin rhombus shape and the edge is very fragile. You have to file at 45° from the blade axis. The problem is that the file jams very easily against the acute angle of the next tooth. At this time, a slight lateral movement and the file's edge is very likely to break. You have to push the file down and against the obtuse angle of the first tooth for some strokes, then turn the file 180° to do the acute angle of the next tooth (same hollow) "by the inside", like filling the saw chain's gouges. Do that two times to got the deep needed.
Keep the good form of the teeth, not so easy, and make that the small flat triangular area on the tooth's top (obtained at the first step) almost disappears.
- with a very fine file, make the third cutting edge, the small one at the top, just taking out the rest of the small flat triangular area on the tooth's top.
Note that you have to look at the right angles to file, before the step 1.
- take out the small burrs with a diamond stone, gently passed on the blade's sides, almost nothing at the teeth's tops (it's easy to round them a little and cancel your work).

And now, you got a new saw, almost.

I'll certainly try the quick touch alone, but not the whole process again.

 

[MasterBlaster]

I just counted my old blades... 13! I could fashion a hella weapon outta those!!!

 

[RopeArmour]

Touch ups are easy with a Feather file.
Deep filing is more work 1st time it took me about 45 minutes = cost of blad 65 dollars good savings if you have the time.

I do my polesaw blades as well. I wouold think the Zubat being a finer tooth 7 or so tpi will be more difficult but not by mcuh.
I think I get two or three sharpens before the taper start to factor in and the saw starts to bind in the cut more. Keep this in mind.

Here is my vid of sharpening Sugoi.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDkXVlSPXgI&list=UUrryWlE1QulSV_gPHsBUh1Q&index=7

 

[bonner1040]

Yes, I did that once.
But I don't know if I'll do it twice, waaay too much time for a blade, boring and tricky to do.
Surely, a quick filling to renew the cutting edge is doable if we take it soon enough, like the chainsaw sharpening. That's only the step 3 in under.
But I waited a long time before filing the suggoï , so it was completely dull. A quick touch could do nothing and I had to cut again the teeth. I use the way to file the big cross cut saws, found on the net.

The suggoï's steel looks like the steel from the saw chain's gouges. hard but workable.
Other brands with hardened teeth are impossible to file.

Here is the process :

- flat filling the teeth's tops to make them level and to remove all the rounded edges (the quickest and easiest part).

- cut the sides of the teeth, and deepen the hollow between them. It's the main part which cancel all interest of the operation, money wise : that takes hours to do.
The special file has a thin rhombus shape and the edge is very fragile. You have to file at 45° from the blade axis. The problem is that the file jams very easily against the acute angle of the next tooth. At this time, a slight lateral movement and the file's edge is very likely to break. You have to push the file down and against the obtuse angle of the first tooth for some strokes, then turn the file 180° to do the acute angle of the next tooth (same hollow) "by the inside", like filling the saw chain's gouges. Do that two times to got the deep needed.
Keep the good form of the teeth, not so easy, and make that the small flat triangular area on the tooth's top (obtained at the first step) almost disappears.
- with a very fine file, make the third cutting edge, the small one at the top, just taking out the rest of the small flat triangular area on the tooth's top.
Note that you have to look at the right angles to file, before the step 1.
- take out the small burrs with a diamond stone, gently passed on the blade's sides, almost nothing at the teeth's tops (it's easy to round them a little and cancel your work).

And now, you got a new saw, almost.

I'll certainly try the quick touch alone, but not the whole process again.

I def didnt do all that!

 

[RopeArmour]

How do you do it then?

Just touch the top tip?

If you don't hit all the sides it won't be sharp on all three sides therefore no sharp cutting tip.
Just going to wear out shoulders and elbows.

 

[flushcut]

I just do two sides the top and the backside. They cut on the pull so I saw no need to do the front edge, it has worked well so far.

 

[RopeArmour]

That 3rd edge is for pushing out debris?
Wouldn,t need to be razor sharp. Thanks good to know
will save me some good time, effort and file.
Cheers

 

[MasterBlaster]

When I hand sharpened (20 years ago) my handsaws, I only sharpened the top.

Life's too short to be doing that... just drop some bucks for a new blade! Everyone knows treeguys make the big bucks!

 

[bonner1040]

I did it like Rajan, I want to say I did 4 angles, 2 for each cutter.

 

[Porkbrick]

i sharpen my sugoi and before that, my ibuki. i usually do a quick sharpen on only the rear facing edges and tips a couple of times before i feel the need to do a full 3 side sharpen. the teeth become lopsided if you only sharpen one face too many times. a full sharpen takes only 20-30 min and lasts several months. seems worth it to me when new blades cost $60+. my old ibuki blade lasted three years, then i lost it in the grass on a job:roll:.

 

[Al Smith]

I've got an old curved pull saw the old man had that must have came over on the Mayflower .I filed it a few years back and it really did pretty good ,for a hand saw .'Taint my cuppa tea ,no engine .

 

[flushcut]

As Mr. Porkbrick has said "become lopsided" at that point I replace them. There is just something magical about a new Silky blade.