THE YOUNG FARMER'S MANUAL. 419 



SAW SETS, 



634. Of many different styles, may be obtained at hardware 

 stores. It matters little what the set is, if it will only set all the 

 teeth true. JBow-saws, billet-saws, and all other saws having a 

 very narrow blade, must sometimes be set with a punch, or nail 

 set. (See Par. 631.) 



635. Fig. 180 represents a punch for setting a rip-saw, which 



FIG. 180. 



^- SWEDGING SAW SET. EESS^ 



is made of steel, and well hardened, with an iron band around it, 

 near the crotched end, to prevent its splitting. The fork is made 

 with a triangular file, while the steel is yet soft, of an angle more 

 obtuse than the saw teeth, and left a little crowning at the bot 

 tom of the fork, from side to side. Before the set is hardened, 

 make the crotch a little deeper with a sharp cold-chisel, to pre 

 vent dulling the points of the teeth. 



636. To set with a crotched punch after the saw has been 

 jointed and filed, let the punch be held steadily and firmly against 

 the point of the tooth, parallel with the side of the saw, and with 

 light blows with a hammer weighing about a pound, (with a still 

 lighter hammer if the teeth be small,) spread the points of the 

 teeth like the tail of a dove (Fig. 179), both ways from the cen 

 tre. Heavy blows will be liable to bend the teeth. As the crotch 

 of the punch is a little convex lengthways of it, by varying the 

 position of the punch the point of the tooth may be spread to the 

 required extent. After the points are spread enough, the cutting 

 edge of each tooth may be drawn out with the hammer by hold 

 ing a heavy piece of iron firmly against the face or bottom of the 

 tooth. This operation saves a vast amount of filing. In spread 

 ing the teeth of a circular saw, the set may be gauged by allow 

 ing the saw to revolve slowly, when every tooth must be spread 

 sufficiently to just touch the end of a stick of hard wood. In 



