THE YOUNG FARMER'S MANUAL. 421 



the teeth, after having broken several teeth of a good saw in 

 consequence of not warming it. 



639. The teeth of a very soft saw will require more set than a 

 hard saw of the same thickness ; because, in the hard saw the 

 edge is more perfect, and the cut of such a saw of course will be 

 cleaner and smoother. On the contrary, a very coarse edge, 

 instead of cutting the fibres of wood smoothly, tears them in 

 two, leaving the sides of the kerf very rough, which makes a 

 saw work hard. Avoid setting the teeth too wide in any saw. 



640. To take the set out of a saw which has too much set in 

 the teeth, lay it on a smooth stick of timber, and lay a hard, 

 smooth plank on the sides of the teeth, and strike on it with a 

 heavy hammer ; or, use a set. 



TWO-HAND CROSSCUT SAWS. 



641. Fig. 181 represents a two-hand crosscut saw, with teeth 

 of a proper form at one end, while at the other end they are repre 

 sented as they are too often filed in old saws which have been 

 filed with old files. The dotted lines show how much should be 

 filed out in order to make them of the proper form. Although 

 there is the same number of teeth per foot when filed at such 

 an obtuse angle as is shown at the left hand, the teeth will 

 not cut half as fast as they will when filed like those at the right 



FIG. 181. 



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A CE088-OUT SAW. 



hand. When teeth are filed short and Uunt, they require more 

 force to make a saw cut, on the same principle that a man with a 

 thin axe will be able to chop faster than he will with one having 

 a very thick blade. 



642. The teeth in crosscut saws are almost always too far 

 apart to work well. Many a good saw has been spoiled by some 

 knowing know-nothing, who has cut away every alternate tooth 



