The Crosscut Saw

Article Tools

Image Gallery

Print

E-mail

Comments

RSS

Sharpening and Sawing

Before sharpening the saw, take a close took at its teeth. Some saws are filed only on one edge of the tooth and some are filed on both edges. Whatever the case, file only where it has been filed before. Any small flat file will work, but for best results you can buy specially designed files for crosscut saws. Clamp the saw to a workbench and file the cutters first. Three or four strokes for each is plenty, then turn the saw over and do the other side.

The cutters are filed in a beveled manner, while the rakers are filed perpendicular to the blade and only inside the "V." Note that rake teeth file quicker than cutters; if you're not careful, you'll make them too short. If this happens, just skip sharpening them until the cutters are ground down to the point where you again have the right raker depth.

Once you're done sharpening the saw, it's ready for action. These days, most of the crosscut sawing I do is for firewood. I have used my crosscut to fell a tree, but it's awkward and better left to the chain saw.

I find the best way to cut firewood is to lift one end of a log up on a chopping block so that the length you want extends past the block. Remove any mud or dirt with a wire brush and block the log so it can't roll. if the log is too short or too light to be kept stable, use a sawbuck.

While sawing, try to maintain the same downward pressure on the push stroke as on the pull stroke. At first, I had a tendency to push down a little on the push and let the saw rest on its own weight during the return. This causes the blade to saw on a curve and to eventually bind. Sometimes, even if you've got everything exactly right, the saw will still start to bind. when this happens, wipe the blade with a little kerosene to get it operating smoothly again.

What I like about my crosscut saw is its low purchase and maintenance costs. I also like the lack of noise. But best of all I like the idea that I am rediscovering almost lost technology. And if it takes me longer than it does others to get the job done, so be it. As Ghandi once wisely put it, "There is more to improving life than increasing its speed."

SOURCES Lehman's Catalog ($4)
One Lehman Circle, P.O. Box 41 Kidron, OH 44636
Cumberland General Store Catalog ($4) #1 Highway 68, Crossville, TN 38555

Lanny's Sawbuck

Many times when I'm sawing firewood with my crosscut saw I'll use one of my homemade sawbucks to stabilize the logs. A sawbuck is easy to build and it makes the work a pleasure. The dimensions I include here are not critical, but they do allow for enough space to saw a log into 16 1/2" lengths of firewood. Plus, since I work best with the logs at waist height, I designed the sawbuck to hold them accordingly. You can change the dimensions to fit your own sawing preferences.

A sawbuck can be built out of just about anything. For mine, I used 8" x 8" oak logs left over from our cabin project and the 2 x as were recycled from an old barn. If anything, it's best to use junk 2 x 4s to prevent the good oak logs from rotting. Keep in mind that the sawbuck has to be heavy so it won't bounce around or turn over when in use. Also, it has to be sturdy enough to withstand the weight of logs being thrown onto it. If you build the base like the one I diagram, you might want to cut slants on the bottom so it can be dragged like a sled and moved easier. The only reason I didn't put sled runners on mine is that I already have a sled that I pull behind my garden tractor.

For the weight on the clamping lever I use a five-gallon bucket half filled with rocks. Also, the pivot holes for the 3/4" pin did not bore clean so I reamed them with a 3/4 red-hot bar. Believe me, you really want the pin to slide easily or it's a nuisance to operate.

I only use the sawbuck for pieces of wood that are easy to lift. Sometimes its easier and faster to lift or roll just one end of a heavy log up on a block and saw it there. In any case, after several cuts the log will get light enough that it'll need to be stabilized on the sawbuck to prevent it from bouncing around. Any wood smaller than 2" I just chop on, the block with an axe instead of trying to saw it.

RSS | Comments | E-mail | Print