Manual of Purpose-Made Woodworking Joinery

Sharpening 153

quarter, switch the leg position and support the saw

stocks with the right leg’s foot and knee.

Alternative sharpening procedures

If preferred, the saw- sharpening frame can be held

rigid and upright by cramping one of the legs in a

bench vice (and by packing- out the other, unsupported

leg against the side of the bench – to eliminate shud-

dering). Or, alternatively, without any saw- sharpening

frame, the jaws of the saw- chops alone can be held in

a bench vice. But, unless you are a very short person,

this last set- up is back- aching and not conducive to

a relaxed, rhythmic filing action. Traditionally, to give

the saw- chops more height above the bench vice, they

consisted of a T- shaped, hinged arrangement resem-

bling a crocodile document- clip. The stem of the T

was adjusted for height in the bench vice.

Saw- sharpening frame construction

Figures 9.6: The material used is usually softwood

and can be of prepared or sawn finish. The wooden

the left leg’s foot and knee. When completed, turn
the frame around so that the saw handle is now to
your right, as illustrated at (e). Once more, support
the frame with your left leg’s foot and knee and start
to file at the heel again (near the handle), in the gullet
affecting the back of the first tooth leaning away,
remembering that the file always points towards the
saw handle. With the same number of file strokes per
gullet used on the first operation, aim to remove the
remaining half of the ‘shiner’ and produce sharp points
whilst moving rhythmically towards the toe of the
saw on your left, as indicated at (e). Again, in the last

Topping position

Starting position

Sharpening position

Plan view

Plan view

Start filing

Start filing

Stand

here

Stand

here

Stand

here

Stand

here

Finish

Finish

Filing

Change position

(a)

(b)

(c)

(d)

(e)

Figures 9.5 (a)(b)(c)(d)(e) Topping and sharpening posi-
tions.

730

Chops

Knee rail

Legs

Foot rail

36 36

12

Heel side Toe side

ex. 100 × 50

leg

200

100

55

140

175

(^75100)
700 1.035 m (legs)1.050 m (total height)
60 170
Figure 9.6 Saw- sharpening frame.