I've got a horrible hardpoint tenon saw with a plastic handle which is useless. So, I picked up an old steel-backed tenon saw in a boot sale for two quid. It has no makers name or anything else on it, but it's heavy and the blade is straight. It's also blunt. I happened to have a triangular file in the workshop, so I set about sharpening it 'freehand'. The teeth are certainly sharper and shinier now, but the improvement in the saw's performance is minimal. Looking at the teeth, only the back ten or so seem to still be well set. I can't find any of the usual places selling sawsets - are these things still made? Where might I find one? If i do get hold of one, does anyone know what the set of the teeth should be? I always assumed sharpening a saw by hand would be lunacy but it seemed to be relatively easy. Althoug I may have got it wrong, I suppose! Without a magnifying glass it's hard to tell what's happening.
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 Hi Jon, I bought a saw set on ebay recently. It seems to be the only reliable source these days! You might find this articl helpful: Sharpening hand saws
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 I found a "cheapie" in the bargain bucket of a local DIY shop about 10 years ago.....99p!!! Works a treat.
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 Jon I am no expert at sharpening saws - it is much more difficult to get it right than you may think - I do though have two pairs of saw setting pliars. The amount of set though is easy. Just set the pliars to the appropriate number of teeth per inch and the amount of set is fixed automatically. The article to which Ben has given a link is quite good but there is much more to the job than is written there. Just put "Saw Sharpening" into Google and be amazed! Richard
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 As oodjob says, the setting tool is preset, or as Sparky says"use a pair of pliers" I have a saw set I would willingly give away as I no longer use it, the cost of saw files far outweighs the benefits I received in later years, I disposed of my Disston panel saw and my Disston hand saw a couple pf years ago, so no longer needed. Derek.
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Here it is if you want it!! Derek.
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Thanks very much for the offer, although I have to confess after Ben mentioned ebay I went off and bid on a remarkably similar looking item. I don't really want to start a collection of vintage sawsets, but if I don't end up with the ebay item I'll gladly take you up on it.
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Vintage? My foot, I only bought this when I was about 26 y.old. Derek.
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Jon, A thought has just occurred to me, My give away offer is not exclusive to you, but universal. Derek.
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My saw setting tool has gone, I mentioned it to some of the joiners in my friends shop and the young woman who has recently finished her apprenticeship jumped at the chance, and has susequently made a good job of setting her first tenon saw. Derek.
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 Glad to hear it has gone to a good home Derek, and that you are actively encouraging people getting into the craft. Good on you. Cheers, Matthew www.workshopheaven.com
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Mathew, I am down to a jack plane a smoothing plane and ablock plane, i have given away to people starting out , one jack, three smoothing and another block plane, to help them out when starting out. Derek.
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