Handsaw protection?

[Bill R]

What is the preferred method of protecting the teeth of a handsaw?

In the shop, the western saws live in a till, and each Japanese style saw has its own hook, but what is the best way to protect the teeth while transporting to, at and from a jobsite?

I have tried slit tubing, hose, and flexible edge protecting u-channel and am not really happy with any of the above, and am looking for ideas. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

[ron ll]

IIRC, my dad used to have a strip of wood with a saw cut channel in it that was held to the saw by big rubber bands (actually bands cut from old inner tubes).

[TerryLL]

Back in the day when I had a fairly good collection of decent saws I had a sleeve for each one. I sewed up the sleeves from scrap Sunbrella that I got free from the local upholstery shop. The sleeve protected the entire saw, handle and all, and was about a foot longer than the saw so it could be folded over. I never worried about loading a stack of saws into the pickup. And the different colors were a plus.

[Canoez]

I've got a "quiver" for my Japanese style handsaws that came from the Japan Woodworker. I like to for using them outside the shop. For the Western style handsaws, a narrow T-slot type cutter in a strip of pine to protect the teeth is all I use. Bungee cords help hold the strip in place. There are probably better solutions, tho.

[Jay Greer]

Both the Japan Woodworker and Hida Tools offer canvas saw holders that will hold up to five Japanese Saws and afford very good protection for the teeth.
http://www.japanwoodworker.com/search.asp?s=JapanWoodworker
http://www.hidatool.com/shop/shop.html
Jay

[Canoeyawl]

I have scabbards...
Some cut from cardboard folded and duck taped - made in a minute, and some made from thin doorskin ply glued up. In the toolbox there are slots cut to accept a panel saw and a back-saw side by side.

[Bob Smalser]

No need to buy things you can easily make.

http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL12/1104763/9131162/361511986.jpg

Kerf a stick on its edge, drill two holes for string below the kerf, and voila. Works on Japanese just as well...even double-edged saws with minor changes. And unlike scabbards, protects both tooth set and blade from bending in mishaps.

[PeterSibley]

I have scabbards...
Some cut from cardboard folded and duck taped - made in a minute, and some made from thin doorskin ply glued up. In the toolbox there are slots cut to accept a panel saw and a back-saw side by side.

Yep ,that's what I use ,door skin and a special space in the tool box to hold it .

[S B]

Nobody here bothers with taking care of a hand saw anymore,buy one from Canadian Tire for $10 complete with guard. When it gets damaged carry it back or throw it away. Razor sharp and cheaper than a file.

[PeterSibley]

Nobody here bothers with taking care of a hand saw anymore,buy one from Canadian Tire for $10 complete with guard. When it gets damaged carry it back or throw it away. Razor sharp and cheaper than a file.

I've been tempted ,those blades are sharp , but they look so tacky .:o

[Bob Smalser]

...buy one from Canadian Tire for $10..... cheaper than a file.....



Files must be dear there.

Here slim taper files go for 2-6 bucks singly, and much cheaper by the box on a commercial account. Y'all can expect file life of 3-6 hand saw sharpenings per file, depending on the condition of the teeth.

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw?url=search-alias%3Dtools&field-keywords=slim+taper+file&x=18&y=20

While definitely a nice-to-have skill, it's surprisingly simple and facilitates having the right saw on hand, making the job easier.

Advanced Handsaw Filing and Restoration (http://www.woodenboatvb.com/vbulletin/upload/showthread.php?p=1665156#post1665156)

Two Horses (http://www.woodenboatvb.com/vbulletin/upload/showthread.php?t=70617&highlight=two+horses)

Straightening Bent Handsaws (http://www.woodenboatvb.com/vbulletin/upload/showthread.php?t=68558)

Sharpening Handsaws (http://www.woodenboatvb.com/vbulletin/upload/showthread.php?t=2542)

[Andrew Craig-Bennett]

Thanks Bob. Handsaw files are £2 here with a handle, less by the box. I recently bought a nice saw vice via Ebay and this has changed my attitude to saw sharpening because it is so much easier than fiddling with the saw sandwiched between two boards.

[PeterSibley]

$2 files ! I wish ! $8 Australian ...I still sharpen my own saws but not as often as I should .

[Rational Root]

For shorter saws, life tenon saws, or some of the Japanese Saws, I use the plastic spines that are designed to hold pages ans clear plastic covers together.

http://www.paperstone.co.uk/prod_21715_949-3937-1413-1415_Durable-Spine-Bars-for-60-Sheets-A4-Capacity-6mm-Black-Ref-293101-Pack-50.aspx

You can get them at pretty much any stationary shop.

[Ray Frechette Jr]

File costs may be low but labor costs eats into that sharpening cost right quick.

If I am a commercial shop billing out at $75.00 an hr, how much lost billable time am I willing to entertain to sharpen a $10.00 saw?

Now if I don't have any business to attend to....

[daveboling]

I've taken a length of old garden hose in the past, sliced the length of it, and inserted the business side of the saw into the slit. It can come off when pulling the saw out of the toolbox, but I don't pull it out unless I'm ready to discuss shape with a piece of wood :p

[goodbasil]

Try this outfit. This is a registered trademark.

GROGARDS patented HANDSAW GUARD u.s. PATENT 3,417,797 . p.o. BOX 7512 Salem, OR 97303

They are somewhat like plastic spines for paper, but they are made for saws. They have space for the teeth.
I think they are made on a machine like the ones that crank out aluminum gutter, and he just lops it off in the lengths you want. I showed it years ago to Leonard Lee and he carried them for some time but has since ceased to.
This guy is hard to get a hold of. Of course that was twenty -odd years ago, maybe now you can or maybe not.

15:30 hours. Just called, the guy moved in the 80's but who knows where? The people on the phone have had the # since 1985 and aare still getting calls.
Too bad. It was a good product.




(Googleings not producing anything.)

[S B]

Files must be dear there.

Here slim taper files go for 2-6 bucks singly, and much cheaper by the box on a commercial account. Y'all can expect file life of 3-6 hand saw sharpenings per file, depending on the condition of the teeth.

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw?url=search-alias%3Dtools&field-keywords=slim+taper+file&x=18&y=20

While definitely a nice-to-have skill, it's surprisingly simple and facilitates having the right saw on hand, making the job easier.

Advanced Handsaw Filing and Restoration (http://www.woodenboatvb.com/vbulletin/upload/showthread.php?p=1665156#post1665156)

Two Horses (http://www.woodenboatvb.com/vbulletin/upload/showthread.php?t=70617&highlight=two+horses)

Straightening Bent Handsaws (http://www.woodenboatvb.com/vbulletin/upload/showthread.php?t=68558)

Sharpening Handsaws (http://www.woodenboatvb.com/vbulletin/upload/showthread.php?t=2542)
Bob, I can still do a half decent job of filing and setting a hand saw, but it isn't practical. Yes I was exagerating about the cost of files. The only saw I file now is a chain saw and that I do with a dremmel tool and stone.

[S B]

I've been tempted ,those blades are sharp , but they look so tacky .:o
I must admit the don't look much, hung on the wall, more like kid's toys, :D The handles break easily, used one for two years with only half a handle. I don't remember what happened to it but it was still sharp the last time I had it.

[Paul Girouard]

For shorter saws, life tenon saws, or some of the Japanese Saws, I use the plastic spines that are designed to hold pages ans clear plastic covers together.

http://www.paperstone.co.uk/prod_21715_949-3937-1413-1415_Durable-Spine-Bars-for-60-Sheets-A4-Capacity-6mm-Black-Ref-293101-Pack-50.aspx

You can get them at pretty much any stationary shop.



Rash thats what I use as well. :) On my Japanese saws anyway.

My western saws have a place in the tool box with the teeth up , pretty well protected that way.

I don't use the western ones very often.

[2MeterTroll]

dont get your hand in the way :)

[BobW]

So, I oughta keep the plastic sleeves (for want of a better term) that came with my recently purchased low-priced saw?

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3604/3448710743_8fda6667e6_o.jpg

Not sure why the blade looks like it is made of copper... must be the lighting or a camera setting I haven't figured out...

Bob