Saw Vise

When possible, a saw should be filed in a saw vise. A vise helps a filer do a good job.

The essential qualities of a vise are a flat surface against which a saw can be held rigidly in such a position that the teeth can be conveniently worked on.

A carpenter's handsaw vise can be used if only a few saws are sharpened, but a vise especially built for crosscut saws is best.

One way of making a vise is to use a straight, clear board, 3 by 8 inches or 3 by 10 inches, which has one edge shaped to fit the curve of a saw (1). If you can't obtain these sizes, two 2- by 8-inch or 2- by 10-inch boards can be glued and bolted (or screwed) together. Ensure that the surface remains flat. You can use a single 2- by 8-inch or 2- by 10-inch board, but I don't recommend this because of the lack of rigidity. The saw is held against the board with hardwood strips about 1½ inches wide, ¼ to 3/8 inch thick, and 6 to 8 inches long. Fasten the strips to the board at positions coinciding with every other raker tooth. Fasten each strip with bolts or screws. The ends of the strips should not project beyond the curved edge of the board. On each bolt or screw, place a washer as thick as the saw blade between the strip and board so the strips tighten snugly against the saw blade and hold the saw firmly against the board.

The saw should fit the vise so that the teeth project above the curved edge of the board far enough so they can be filed without the file touching the vise.

Another method of making a vise is to use two shaped 2 by 8s or 2 by 10s and clamp the saw between them (2). Several bolts and wingnuts through the bottom part of the vise can be used to clamp the saw between the two boards.

Mount the vise so it will rotate around its long axis. This allows the filer to change the saw from the vertical where most of the operations are done, to an oblique angle where the cutter teeth are filed or "pointed up."

To mount the vise in this way, insert a piece of threaded rod (about 5/8 inch) into each end of the vise and glue or pin it securely, leaving 4 to 6 inches sticking out. Position the vise so the threaded rods are between the uprights of the bench brackets that hold the vise a couple of inches above elbow height—or a comfortable height for the filer. Wingnuts tightened on the rod ends hold the vise securely.

The vise also can be mounted directly to a workbench with hinges (3) so it can be tilted back for the pointing-up operation. Several stops behind the vise hold it firmly at the desired angle.

Saw vise styles