While working on a saw I realized I forgot another great way to recognize set. Often I find older sharpened saws have a good deal of fleam. Once jointed its very easy to see the angles on the leading edge of the tooth and use it to determine the direction each tooth was set.

In the photo above the saw sits in the vise: handle to the left (I’m south pawed). Looking at the above photo note orientation and angle of the leading (front) edge of the tooth. This indicates it was bent towards me. By “me” I mean the person seated at the vise. I would also call that bent to the right. So referring back to the previous post this plate would be Right Left Right.

Just another arrow in the quiver.

Joe Federici
Saw Pundit

So we left off talking about shaping teeth and the next step for most people is setting the teeth. I say most people because there’s a school of thought that proper set cannot be achieved until the teeth are sharpened and a test cut is made. From that you determine how much set is needed.

But before we dig in, it’s important to understand what set is and its purpose. In short it’s the bending of teeth in opposing directions to prevent the plate from binding as the saw moves deep in the kurf. The amount varies depending on the plate and both the condition (wet or dry) and type of wood (hard or soft) used.

As a rule, if you can wiggle the saw in the kurf you’ve got too much set. The opposite is true if the saw is hot to the touch after cutting. Generally the wetter and softer woods need more set, the seasoned harder woods less. Set also effects efficacy, a properly set saws will improve you cutting action. Other factors including different tooth angles as well as tapering of the plates from the factory come into play. We’ll get more into figuring out the correct amount below

First things first, when to apply set—pros and cons of setting before or after sharpening.

The pro to setting the teeth before sharpening is you don’t need to worry about scuffing or denting the sharpened teeth. The set when pushing against the teeth often crushes the beveled edge of a sharpened tooth. This is less so on a cross cut, but worth keeping in mind. Also the set does adjust the angle of the tooth and although the angle is small it will affect your final fleam. I’m sure this could be argued but I’m putting it out there anyway. The con is you’re forced to set by the numbers or eye. You can test cut to determine the proper amount.

Setting after you sharpen is less popular but the pro is you can cut with the saw and determine the proper amount. The con is if you’re not really careful and take precaution it’s easy to scratch or dent the teeth. Also you are adjusting the fleam angle. If this method seems to your liking, check out Pete Taran’s website for more info and some tips on softening the tip of the set to prevent it from marking the teeth in use.

In general most saw mechanics including myself often find older saws have more set than needed for modern properly dried woods. I’ve never read much about why but my theory would be many saws were originally used for construction and softer wet woods like pine tend to need more set. Also power setters like the foley tend to set heavy handed.

So pick your poison and set before or after you sharpen. In the end both techniques work. I have some links on the subject below if you’re looking for more detailed information.

In the last 100+ years styles and quantity of sets made may rival the total number of saws made! If you’re an avid tool hunter you know what I mean.  To get some idea of the many sets made check out the Saw Set Collector’s Resource. Which one is the best is highly debatable, not unlike the best saw.  I’m sure to some degree they all work and it largely comes down to preference. Also I have no intention of opening Pandora’s box and for any pictures or references I will use and speak to the Stanley 42x. It’s by far the most popular vintage set and I’m sure at some point will be reproduced.  Note: you may have read one of my earlier posts about having replacement springs made and for sale.  In addition I also recondition and sell complete sets; check my ebay or regular site for more info.

I’ll stay out of the debate on pros and cons on brands and styles of sets made and rather talk to the basics. As stated earlier there is a wide variety of brands and styles but most I’ve see fall into three basic categories.

hand hammering or pry bar style.

The hammer – the duct tape of hand tools!  Hammers do a great job of tending teeth but really work best for circular blades and larger tree saws. I don’t have a lot of experience using them for setting but it’s a viable option.

The bar style is found in all different sizes and has slits of varying width to accommodate different plate thickness.  I often find they look like pine trees. After the mid 1900’s they were mostly used on larger tree saws where plier styles didn’t work as well.  The pry bar style is one of the earliest styles made and varies in look but all work the same. A bar with a slit is slid over the tooth, held perpendicular and used to bend the tooth. Each tooth is bent one at a time by eye. The bar will have slits in different widths to accommodate a variety of saw plates.

Bench top power and manually operated setters.

Most I find in this category were made for band and circular saw blades and favor blades with repetition (think large bandsaw) and the exact amount of set has a little wiggle room. Early examples were sometimes foot activated and later models like the Foley used electric motors. I will throw out some general caution if you’re considering using a power setter on your 100+ year old Disston; they work quickly and use a good deal of force.

Hand operated plier style setters.

I would venture a guess that over the last 100 years hundreds of different styles and models were made. But despite the wide diversity most work the same. The user holds the set either vertically or horizontally over the plate and squeezes the handles. They also vary in size; the larger ones were designed for circular, lumber, and large bandsaw blades. The issue is these larger sets have big hammers and as such work best with bigger teeth.

All three of the types listed will work in varying degrees but I’ve always used the plier style as do most of the people I’ve learned from and talk with. So try a few, or buy one and let’s talk about identifying and applying set to a tooth.

This first part of identifying the direction is something most people and articles overlook. It’s easy to dismiss this step but failure to do this properly will almost always result in a broken tooth or teeth. If that happens take a breath and read my previous post “the shape of things to come”. 

When I first started sharpening I would figure out the direction of set AFTER I jointed and shaped the teeth. It’s understandable to do that and most writing on the subject will do it that way. However it’s way easier to see it BEFORE you joint or shape the teeth. On some saws like backsaws with small fine teeth it’s a real time saver.

Because of this I’ve gotten in the habit of checking set when I sit down at the bench with a fresh saw. I stick a piece of painter’s tape on the edge of the vise and draw arrows that look like this ^ ^ ^. Under them I write LRL (LEFT RIGHT LEFT) or RLR. That way when you’re done doing all your shaping, regardless of how much jointing you’ve done, you’re not hunting for the set and running the chance of breaking a tooth. I can tell you from experience it’s not always visible to the eye.

Ok so now that we’ve figured out the orientation of teeth it’s just a matter of applying it with the tool. There really is no substitution for practice but the key is to not overset and to apply consistent pressure throughout the process. The correct amount is not purely mathematically. It’s a mix of many factors and for the most part you want to use as little as possible.

A good rule of thumb is to increase the thickness of the blade by 20% for dry hardwoods and 25-30% for softwoods. If you’re using a Stanley 42X that’s going to put you around the 2^nd or 3^rd hash mark.

Location, location, location: You want to apply the tip of the set (I call this the hammer) as close to the center top of the tooth as possible. Depending on the rake of teeth, centering the set on the tooth can be a bit tricky. The backside without the etch I find requires a double check of the smaller teeth.

Just to reiterate you are skipping every other tooth as you work one side, flipping, and working back. I’m left handed and I work with the handle to the left. After shaping I lift the plate as high as needed to clear the handle of the set in the vise. I start at the tail and work my way to tip. I then flip it, put it back in the vise, and work in the other direction.

A regular saw vise works fine for panel saws but smaller dovetail saws can be tricky to set. The handles on saw sets that require being held parallel to the vise may not have the clearance needed. In these cases I use a tall thin leather lined machine vise. I’m sure other work-arounds are out there as well. Please post any as I’m always interested in learning to build a better mouse trap. Another option would be to use a horizontally held set. It’s not a monumental problem, just something to keep in mind so I’m calling it out.

Another issue when first learning to set is loosing track of where you are. Take whatever precautions you feel necessary. For smaller teeth I tend to wear cheater glasses. You can also mark the teeth with a dot. Also if you stop and loose track I find a flashlight or tilting the plate to the light will allow the light to catch small marks where the hammer contacted the plate. Lastly, if you wax the plate, any leftover wax will hold the marks.

In the event you do mess up, stop. Don’t just keep going like nothing happened. Chances are if you reverse the set the tooth will break. If you’re a gambling man go for it. Otherwise the best option is to joint it down and start over. See the post on jointing for dealing with broken teeth.

Depending on the set most have some type of adjustment that gauge the amount of set that’s applied. I really can’t comment on the wide variety out there; rather I’ll just say experiment before you use it. I’ve provided some links below. I’m a fan of the 42x and will stick with that. The 42x uses an adjustable wedge with a scale that when adjusted allows the tooth to be set or bent more or less. The system is straightforward and adjustments are made in the head/top of the tool. I will add that although the gradations are the same on all 42x’s think of them more as a gauge and not a precise measurement.

Ok so those are the basics of setting and the 42x. Just to recap some of the more important things.

• The best time to check for set orientation is at the start of the sharpening process before you joint the teeth flat.

• After shaping the teeth assess the amount of set. With rip saws you may find none is needed.

• If you’re not sure about the amount to apply, set the first few teeth, flip, apply set, and then check with a gauge. The rule of thumb is to increase the thickness of the blade by 20% for dry hardwoods, and 25-30% for softwoods.

• When applying set, you want to position the hammer at the top of the tooth. Apply even consistent pressure to each tooth and keep track!

Helpful links:

Saw Set instructions

Saw Set Collector’s Resource

Saw Set directions

Hopefully this this helps as a starting point and fills in some of the gaps I found when starting off. Please feel free to leave any comments and I’ll do my best to update things for the future.

Cheers

Joe Federici
Saw Mechanic

Sorry to drop off the grid.  . . with spring comes the yard work along with my hobbies and saws hasn’t left much time to pontificate on life.

March and April always getting me thinking about biking weather. I’ve spent a good deal of my life around bikes, first BMX then as a roadie.  Cadence, or the rhythm of motion, is just something I notice or maybe, I should say, pay attention to.

In road cycling, it’s something you’re continually working on and refers to the spinning of the cranks as it relates to the energy and effort put forth.  Perfection is near impossible and the pursuit leads to a lot of hyperawareness, case in point this blog. . .

In cycling, the goal is to balance maximum forward speed using the least amount of energy. The speed is easy enough to understand but the expenditure of energy, often measured in watts, is a little more tricky since it’s human, not petrol powered and comes with the another factor: fatigue.

So the right cadence is one that allows you to cover the distance in the given time and uses the least amount of energy. That’s about the depth of cadence as it relates to cycling that I’ll get into other then to say the proper gearing is often less resistant and more rotation than one might first think.

So with that in mind, understand that many of the conventional recommendations for ppi (points per inch)/ tpi (teeth per inch), also knows as pitch, for sawyers do not take ones body size or the amount of energy (watts) used to cut a given amount.  So in the 130 years since “Grimshaw on Saws” was written, the size and physique of people has changed quite a bit.  For one thing, woman for sure were never include in the recommendations, but “Let’s not bicker and argue about who killed who”.  Rather my point is, when selecting a panel saw, perspective is needed when applying the recommendations.  Understand it’s just a stepping off point and for the smaller framed sawyer, the right size may be outside the guidelines.  I’m 5’8”, 160 lbs and I really like a 6 ppi rip saw for most jobs. The same is true with cross cuts.  I often favor a 10 ppi for most work including thicker boards.

 A few caveats to all this cadence talk. . .

First is set and it’s a wee bit of a wild card.  Nothing will rob efficiency like a poorly set plate regardless of the configuration.  Over set plates hog out wood great, but that extra wide kerf takes energy.  Extremely tight set causes some wicket friction and the plate could easily get hot enough to fry an egg.  In general, if the saw was last set by an automatic setter, like a Foley power setter, you can bet the farm it’s over set.

Saw plate length I’m sure there is a rule of thumb but most average people should find 26″ works fine. However if you shop in the “big and tall” section or  your friends regularly address you as “shorty”, you may want to look at longer or shorter plate length accordingly.  I’ll be honest, I quite enjoy a shorter saw for cross cutting.

Tooth geometry is a religion, or should I say cult, all of its own.  Rake, fleam and slope all play a part, but for the purposes of cadence, I feel they shouldn’t really play a big part.  Most people filing saws use standard geometry for cross cut and rips saws.  Backsaws vary a little more, but again, not hugely from conventional geometry.

I don’t have a conclusion, rather, this is all food for thought when considering the next saw or the saw(s) to use.  I guess like all things, with practice comes insight. So when considering the next rip don’t just grab the 5 or 5-1/2 maybe try and 6 and see how it goes.

Thanks for reading and I hope everyone gets out and enjoys the spring. I just returned from the tool show in Nashua, NH.  Had a great time seeing all my New England friends.  This weekend I’ll be hanging with some VW friends and the first weekend in May is the Cheat River Festival.  I’ll do my best to keep the posts on a regular schedule.

One last note: I’ve been actively trying to add some saw related products to the site and recently added bent handles brass brushes, perfect for fine detail cleaning and also my new favorite saw filing aid, the hog bristle brush.  Both of which are made in the US and available direct through my website or my ebay store.

Joe Federici
Saw Mechanic

I’ve only been a member of the Mid-West tool collectors association for about a year and in time, although I’ve had the pleasure of meeting many members, making a gathering has been elusive. So when I found that the Area P chapter of the MWTCA would be holding a single day “cabin fever tool show” in conjugation with Browns tool auction, I quickly put it on the calendar. I soon realized it was the same weekend as a group rental at Lake Nockamixon, but what’s life without a little conflict, and figured it would sort it’s self out with time.

As the date got closer, it was looking like many of saw guys planned to attend. Mike Stemple and Dave Jeffers were driving out from OH. Mike also said Carl Bilderback, who I’ve been wanting to meet, would be coming with a display as well as some saws to sell. In addition to the Mid-West guys, locally David Latouche and his wife made the trip from Jersey as well. David’s always a good sport in helping find good users. We collect from different ends of the saw spectrum and often divide and conquer, dragging one another across the room to point out a good find!

As luck, or maybe traditional for this gathering would have it, a storm blew in the day before angrily bringing with it a deep freeze, and threat of snow and black ice. The change in weather and heavy salt changed any thoughts on driving the van out Friday and sadly decided to leave the house around 3:45 am in my Saab, Black Swan— a swan song in many ways. Last year of 900, last year 2 door SE, last year of the black/black exterior/interior, and last designed Saab before GM took ownership. That last one is a real Saab story for those of us who love them!

Now I’m an early-to-rise type of guy but pre 5 am is just crazy. Yet here I type it. The temps that morning when I plopped into the Saab read 14º! Thank God for seat heaters as I think it took the old girl a good 50 miles to get up to temperature. Once moving, however, the drive was mostly uneventful thanks in large part to the crazy amounts of sodium chloride on the roads these days, 20 million plus tons.

I also noted, ironically, I’m waking up to Echoes with host John Diliberto, something 10 years ago I routinely heard before going to bed. Somehow this fact really highlighted the early hour and my age.

Seeing the sunrise lifted the funk and coldness and my planned arrival worked out well. I’m a latecomer to GPS and still have a hard time relying on it. That said, as I get older reading a map and driving with it on par with texting and the Garman app for the iphone gets two thumbs up from this user. As I pulled into the lot I had time to spare and topped off my coffee, said hi to a few friends while looking at a few tables in the parking lot. Yes even in this crazy cold, it was 15º when I pulled in, and two sellers had table in the parking lot. The difference being they used the honor system for payment rather then standing in the cold.

The theme I’m finding for most club shows is as follows, everyone huddles around the doors waiting for the ok to enter. At some point you get the ok and in we rush. I think just about everyone would agree the dust settles quickly and I’m normally done buying in the first 30 min. Bottom line is the early bird gets the worm. Jim Bode beat me to a really nice no 12 but I did pick up a few nice backsaws and later model d8 with really clean plate. The selection here was a bit better then the previous weekend that’s for sure.

The sales behind me, I change gears and socialize. Mike had brought me two really nice early saws in need of handle repairs and I also got the chance to meet and talk with Carl Bilderback. You may have read about him on Chris Schwarz or Matt Cianci: the saw blog but if not, he’s also done a few video’s for popular woodworking, this one on ripping. Regardless, he and Ron Herman are both on the short list of saw guys I’d like to meet. Carl, over the years has also become the go to for pantherhead saws including the recently repaired one he had at the show that put his total around 15, I think he said. On a side note, I recently sold a few saw catalogues to Ron and included a note explaining I’d love to learn a little more about the black arts of saw smithing and called me and hopefully I can work something out for the summer! Check and Check.

The author and true saw advocate

Mike, being a good friend, made the introduction after we talked saws. We dove right into all things saws talking about the saws he had brought and some I had just picked up. Carl has a collection of Goodell-Pratt mitre boxes and was interested in seeing the rare No.1625 I was selling. He went on to say the 1625 is quite rare not just for it’s small size, but also it didn’t show up in catalogs. Carl had also brought his perfect example of the Atkins “Demonstrating Saw” for teaching; shows proper and improper filing in different tooth configurations. Carl is also a carpenter and built a rotating display case that was equally as impressive.

Image left: A rare Atkins with adjustable handle. Image right: Carl’s impressive near perfect presentation saw

Afterwards, I walked around wanting to talk with some of the dealers from the Jersey/Philiy area and see how the winters been treating them. I also unexpectedly ran into to Don Rosebrook back from his travels abroad. Don’s better known for levels but really does have an impressive saw collection. I look forward to seeing some it this spring. As I’m sure you can tell, I rather enjoy the small talk. It’s one of the reasons guys like Mike, David, and Carl, are all friends.

Case and point the scratch awe found in many combination saws. Carla had brought a No. 38 to sell and explained that after cutting apart a broken handle, he discovers how the scratch awe was held in place. A thin piece of scrap saw plate was cut about 3/16 and then bent and pushed into the hole. The ends dig in to the wooden handle just enough to prevent it from popping out and the tension agents in the awe prevents it from sliding out. Very cool, no?

By this time the preview for the Browns auction was getting underway. My inventory is still quite good so it was time for me to get back on the road and meet up with my friends at the cabin for a big potluck dinner and fireside moonie council. The drive heading back northeast through PA is a nice one. Although cold, it was clear and sunny. Once in Quakertown, I stopped at two roadside antique stores. Once there, wine was flowing, I caught up with friends and a great time was had by all sharing stories of what we’ve been up to since the fall as well as exchanging camping dates for the spring and summer. I hit the hay 22 hours after I woke, laughing in the thought, Echoes was on.

Next blog: Nitric Acid—it’s not just for drugs bombs. John Porritt spoke about tool restoration at February’s CRAFT tool meet and it’s uses.

I’ve also gotten a few notes about sharpening turnaround. I’m happy to report they are still running two weeks or less so for those in the need. Please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Joe Federici
Saw Monger