Anybody Out There Know About Filing Big Crosscut Saws? Jeff? Help!

[Dodgy Loner]

Last weekend, I picked up an old toolbox at an estate sale. It was filled with loads of 100-year-old goodies, mostly woodworking tools.



Most of the tools I recognized, but I set aside a few mysterious tools that I wasn't familiar with. Well, yesterday I had a serendipitous lunch at a restaurant called "The Sawmill" that had a big display of crosscut saws and saw filing tools.







Whaddaya know? Three of the tools on the wall match the mystery tools from my chest!



I think I can infer from the wall display that the tool on the left is meant to hold files at 90* for jointing before filing. Is that correct? The others have me completely baffled. Any help, guys?  ???

Thanks!

[Jeff]

What you have there is a file guide/jointer, a stump anvil for setting, and two spider gauges.  I have a pretty large collection of all shapes and sizes of the aforementioned tools.

Here is a very good PDF for you.
http://www.fs.fed.us/t-d/pubs/pdfpubs/pdf05232815/pdf05232815dpi300.pdf

[Dodgy Loner]

Thanks Jeff! I knew you would have the answer

I'll read through that PDF as soon a I have a chance. I have a big one-man crosscut that I would love to put back into service.

[beenthere]

Nice box of tools. Reminds me of one I bought many years ago, and it was so full of so many different but great tools. Things I likely never would have purchased, and if so, not of the same quality.

The jointing is an important first step for the crosscut saws. It will hopefully point out how good the saw is, and not show that you have a ton of work to do to correct some previous filing mistakes.

Seems many crosscuts were just filed to get the cutting teeth sharp and they get too short relative to the rakers which need to be lower for good sawing.

Jeff's link is a good one.
Enjoy the ride.

[Dodgy Loner]

Okay, so I read through the link over lunch, and now I'm convinced that it's time to get my crosscut saw into shape. Can y'all direct me to a good "how-to" resource for crosscut filing? I should have all the tools I need except the vise (which I can build) and the files (which I can buy). My crosscut saw has a Great American tooth pattern. Thanks!

[Jeff]

Fire up the printer!

http://www.fs.fed.us/eng/pubs/pdfpubs/pdf77712508/pdf77712508dpi72.pdf

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

I'd a never imagined the crosscut came with a manuel.  say_what

But Jeff just proved it. 

[Dodgy Loner]

Printed

I notice the instructions only cover tooth patterns that include rakers, which are absent on the Great American tooth pattern, but I'm sure there is a lot of information that I can glean from this document. Thanks!

[beenthere]

I think the rakers are each side of the cutter tooth. One group of three has the cutter tooth set one direction, and the next group the center cutter tooth is set opposite. If that makes sense.


 

[SwampDonkey]

The Lance Tooth



Simonds Saw and Steel, they still exist.

[Dodgy Loner]

I think the rakers are each side of the cutter tooth. One group of three has the cutter tooth set one direction, and the next group the center cutter tooth is set opposite. If that makes sense.


 

I know what you're thinking, beenthere, but some research seems to confirm that the leading edges of each group of teeth gets a bevel (fleam), rather that being at 90° like a raker. So that would differentiate them from the M-tooth pattern, where the leading edge is filed to 90°. The picture doesn't do a good job of showing the actual tooth profile for the Great American teeth. There's actually an entire forum dedicated to crosscut sawing (www.crosscutsawyer.com). Lots of good information there, from what I can tell.