There are two main types of hand saws: rip saws and crosscut saws.
Slitting saws are designed to cut along the grain, while crosscut saws are designed to cut across.
Slitting saws can be recognized by their straight teeth.
Crosscut saws appear more three-dimensional when viewed from the side, as each alternating tooth faces in the opposite direction.
Saw sharpening tools
To sharpen a saw, you will need a vise, a file, and a file.
If you are sharpening a miter saw, you may decide to use a miter file instead of a cone file. Read on for more information!
What size cone saw file should I use?
Any tapered file that fits between the teeth of the saw you are trying to sharpen can be used for this process.
However, if you really want your files to last, it's best to use files that are at least twice the size of your saw's teeth.
If you do this, you are only wearing down the bottom half of the two surfaces of the file that interact with the saw.
This is an advantage because once they wear out (after sharpening many times) you can rotate the file and you have two new sharp edges to work with.
The worn part of the file will not come into contact with the saw, so it doesn't matter if it's blunt.
The following table should help you choose the right file for sharpening your saw. It is the size of the teeth that matters, not the size of the saw itself.
The term "PPI" stands for "dots per inch", which is a way to measure the cutting edge of a saw. The higher the dpi, the smaller the teeth on the saw.
PPI on the blade
File size and type
5
Tapered file 175 mm (7″)
5.5
Tapered file 175 mm (7″)
6
Tapered file 175 mm (7″)
7
Fine tapered file 175 mm (7") or 200 mm (8")
8
150 mm (6″) fine, 175 mm (7″) extra fine or 200 mm (8″) double extra fine tapered file
9
150 mm (6″) extra fine or 175 mm (7″) double extra fine tapered file
10
125 mm (5″) or 150 mm (6″) extra fine tapered file
If you are using a cross file, all you have to worry about is making sure the file fits between the teeth of the saw. Most cross files should fit easily!
When it comes to choosing a milling file, size is absolutely irrelevant.
