WOODWORKERS' TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT 77 



Saw-fitting. — The cutting edges of the teeth are beveled to a 

 fine point, the degree of bevel depending on the character and 

 condition of the wood. 



The filing and care of saw teeth is called ''saw-fitting," and 

 requires skill and experience. 



The tools that comprise a complete saw-fitting set for cross- 

 cut saws are as follows: 



I combined tooth gauge, jointer and side file. 



I saw set. 



I tooth set gauge. 



I swage, or i set-hammer. 



Several flat files. ^ 



A set of filing tools costs from 50 to 75 cents. 



Some of the essential features of a well-fitted saw are as 

 follows:^ 



(i) All cutting teeth must be the same length so that each 

 will do its share of the work. 



(2) The rakers or cleaners should be not less than y1)Q of an 

 inch nor more than q\ of an inch shorter than the teeth. 



(3) The form of tooth bevel required depends on the char- 

 acter of timber that is being sawed. It should not be too flat 

 for sawing frozen timber, very hard timber or wood that has 

 many tough knots. (See Fig. 15.) 



(4) All teeth should be filed to a sharp point. 



(5) Saws require a certain amount of "set," which consists 

 in springing out alternate teeth in one direction and the re- 

 mainder in the opposite direction so that the saw will cut a kerf 

 somewhat greater than the thickness of the blade. Dense- 

 fibred and frozen hardwoods require the least set, while pitchy 

 pine and soft broadleaf trees require the maximum. Only the 

 minimum set required should be given because the greater the 

 set the more power required to pull the saw. 



1 Flat files from 6 to 8 inches long are preferred by saw fitters. The life of 

 a file depends on its quality; as a rule one good file will fit from 6 to 14 saws. 

 They cost from 7 to 9 cents for a 6-inch file, and from 9 to 12 cents for an 8-inch 

 file. 



2 See Saw Fitting for Best Results. E. C. Atkins & Co. Indianapolis, 

 Indiana. 



