HAND WOOD-WORKING TOOLS 419 



mered to make it level and tough, and ground to give a 

 uniform, tapering thickness. Finally, it is polished to a 

 high degree so that it may run easily. 



482. Setting a Saw. A saw in order to cut well and move 

 freely must have what is called set. Setting a saw consists 

 in bending its teeth alternately from side to side, thus mak- 

 ing the cut wider than the thickness of the blade and pre- 



FIG. 197. Enlarged View of Rip Teeth. 



venting the blade from sticking in its kerf (the groove or 

 opening made by the saw) . The amount of set varies accord- 

 ing to the use for which the saw is intended. A saw for 

 green or undried lumber requires a greater set than one for 

 well-seasoned lumber, and a cross-cut saw requires more 

 set than a rip-saw. The pitch of the saw tooth is the angle 

 formed by the slanting edge of the tooth with a line at right 

 angles to the edge of the saw blade. The amount of pitch, 

 like the amount of set, depends upon the kind of work for 

 which the saw is to be used; rip-saws, for example, require 

 more pitch than do cross-cut saws. 



