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Crosscut Saw Bulletin
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David E. Michael,
Volume 5, No 1 September 7, 2005
The contents of this publication are not to be used for advertising, publication, or promotional purposes. The Forest Service has developed this “Bulletin” as a discussion forum for its employees, it’s contractors, interested parties and its cooperating Federal and State agencies, and is not responsible for the interpretation of use of this information. The use of trade, firm or corporation names in this publication is for the information and convenience of the reader and does not constitute an endorsement by the U.S. Forest Service of any product or service to the exclusion of others that may be suitable.
FROM THE EDITOR: This may not look like an actual “Bulletin” you are used to seeing. I receive inquires by both e-mail and telephone almost weekly and respond directly back to the individuals. To do otherwise I always considered impolite. However, I have been “CC-ing” some of my responses to this mailing list in the interest of sharing the information. Now I think I will try sending the information as a “Bulletin” where I can number them and folks can copy them off or otherwise retain the information for further reference.
I’ll include my remarks from the last Bulletin where I stated: “The need is definitely still there for this crosscut saw information and an electronic forum. I also still have the desire to be involved in this project. However, I learned long ago there is a time to ask for help. Now is that time. The “Bulletin is in need of someone to help get this much needed information out. Please contact me if you have the desire to assist in this effort. I’m also interested in what kind of articles, topics or format you’d like to see addressed here in the ‘Bulletin’”
This document is written in Microsoft Word format. I set the pages up with 1” margins so it could be printed on two sides and hole punched. If you plan on submitting either electronic photos or illustrations with articles they should be sent as small files. Most photos should be sent at 100% but not exceed 4” by 6” scanned size AND no larger than 72 dpi. (150 dpi max) . Original photos, slides or artwork may be submitted with articles and will be put into electronic format for publication and returned to submitter.
Q&A COLUMN: where readers may submit questions that will be posted followed by answers from “the field.
Current Question(s)
Q7 “….could you send me the name of the place in Roseburg where you had the steel straight edges made? - I thought I'd contact them and see if they'd give it a try.” John S. Glenn, Sierra National Forest, R-5
A1 “I have found that there are many folks who sharpen crosscut saws but do not straighten them. They usually either do not have the right tools to do the job or lack the skills required. There are also some filers who “try” to straighten a bent blade but are handicapped by using general shop tools. As some of you are aware it usually takes more than a single jack and an anvil to straighten a bent or damaged crosscut saw blade. While there is much written on how to sharpen crosscut saws I have found no definitive piece on how to straighten them besides a brief description in Warren Millers Crosscut Saw Manual.
To answer John’s question I had my steel saw straitening straight edges made by Burton Saw and Supply Co., Inc., P.O. Box 10526, Eugene, Oregon97440. Their phone number is (541) 683-3337 and Faxnumber (541) 683-5189. They have a webpage at although you will not see the tools I’m describing here shown there.
I recommend two sets of straight edges for checking the straightness of crosscut saws. I use a pair of 15 inch ones to check blades in the long dimension and a pair of 4 inch straight edges to check across the saw blade’s width. You may want to use longer straight edges than mine but should not recommending using anything less than a foot in length. Burtons is a company that supplies sawmills and generally what you are asking them to make are “tension gauges”. (Since both band and circular saw blades used in sawmills need to be “tensioned” in order to be used) You want straight gauges constructed in a roof pattern. This means that at the ends of the gauge the width is almost a point but it tapers to a greater width near the center for stiffness. (mine is about 2-1/4 inches) These custom made gauges cost $2.00 an inch (today’s price) and can be made to any length.
The second tool that you need, and can purchase from Burtons, is one of several styles of saw hammers. Basically straightening a saw blade means it needs to be hammered back out straight by using a hammer and anvil. Because vintage saws are often crescent-ground, and vary in thickness throughout it’s length, they can nor be run through straightening rollers like other steel plate objects. The hammers used in sawmills to tension a blade is called a “saw hammer”. Hammers come in various weights from 1 pound up to 4 or 5 pounds. You’ll need to determine which weight is best for you. You can do this by trying out various weights of “engineers”, “masonry” or other styles of commercial hammers found in good tool shops or stores. Mine is 2-1/2 pound but don’t take that as a recommendation on what you “should” buy.
There are also 4 different patterns for saw hammers: Crossface, Combination, Doghead and Twistface. I use the crossface pattern and generally recommend it however you might want to ask the knowledgeable salesman to explain the advantages and use of each of the patterns. I’m not sure what their cost is now but when I purchased mine 15 years ago I think it cost $90 as I remember. The advantage of having an actual saw hammer comes from understanding that the machined contoured faces of the hammer are what moves the metal of the blade back into proper position. It’s generally not a flattening principle.
While no crosscut saw is perfectly straight it makes little sense to spend a great deal of time or money sharpening the blade if in fact the saw is bent or otherwise damaged to the point of making the blade ineffective. David E. Michael, Tahoe NF, R-5
Crosscut Saw Bulletin Vol 3, No. 11