A hacksaw is one of the most common tools that are used in the household. If earlier it was used mainly for cutting wooden billets, then modern models are quite suitable for working with metal and concrete. It is obvious that the role of maintenance measures is increasing, the main among which will be maintaining the optimal condition of the teeth. How to sharpen a hacksaw? There are several effective techniques for solving this problem without the use of professional equipment, but in each case, to obtain a high-quality result, you will need attention, dexterity and accuracy.
Sharpening tool
Without a special design grinder , work can be done with a personal file. At a minimum, it will provide a correction of the shape suitable for subsequent cleaning of the edges with a fine-abrasive tool. It is recommended that the file itself be sharp, new and with a handle such as a nozzle (made of wood or metal). You can use the old tool, but before work, it will need to be cleaned with a hard steel emery. Another question is how to sharpen a hacksaw with a file so that it does not clog and become dull after this procedure? For this, experienced joiners advise using charcoal. After preparatory turning with a large abrasive, the working surface is rubbed with charcoal strictly along the notches. The same material will allow you to clean the oiled file.
The first minutes of sharpening will testify to the quality of the work of a particular tool. Regardless of the force of pressure, the file surface should cling to the structure of the teeth, removing small particles of metal. If the abrasive glides freely on the surface, this indicates that the notches are worn or overheated.
Sharpening devices
For the convenience of the workflow, it will not be out of place to prepare a special base for attaching the saw. Neither kneeling nor a stool with shaky tables can be performed.
The optimal base is a rigidly fixed bench workbench on which the clamping device will be located. By the way, some models of such workbenches have clamps like a vice already in the structure itself. But how to sharpen a hacksaw in other cases? You will have to think over the clamp yourself, so that it allows you to securely mount the saw at angles in the range of 45-90 ° relative to the surface of the working table.
Such a device can be made of plywood sheet with a thickness of 2 cm. The optimal parameters for the width and thickness are 55 x 20 cm. On this base are two guiding triangles welded from a metal strip. They will act as supporting elements for fastening. For these strips, fixing holes are pre-thought out. Additionally, they are mounted on an adhesive base. The guides are complemented by an adjusting wooden plank with wing nuts, which will allow you to adjust the clamping force. At a minimum, the nuts should clamp the bar like a vice from two positions along the edges.
General technology for sharpening a saw
The hacksaw is fixed in the prepared clamp in the most convenient position for work, after which you can proceed to work in accordance with the following rules:
- The file handle should be held with the right hand, and the end should be held with the left. The direction of the tool must be done on the teeth.
- The return of the file to its original position should not be accompanied by abrasive effects on the teeth. That is, the correction is performed only in the direction "from yourself." As for pressure, it should be soft, smooth and, most importantly, uniform.
- The main problem that many people face when sharpening cutting and stabbing tools on their own is a different degree of grinding in different areas. How to sharpen a hacksaw at home to ensure the same correction of all teeth? As already noted, we should strive for uniformity, but this is not enough. It is important that each tooth receives approximately the same number of passes with the same angle of direction and the height of the file.
Features sharpening transverse hacksaws
A triangular file is used to service the cross-cut saw. It should have a shallow notch with a 60-degree angle on top. The angle of the hacksaw in the clamping device should be 45-50 °. The file is parallel to the table at an angle of 70-75 ° relative to the saw blade. The most important difference in working with the transverse saws will be the endurance of a special sequence in terms of tooth processing. How to sharpen a hacksaw so as not to disrupt the correct configuration of the cutting row? The teeth are ground in several approaches. The first technique concerns only odd teeth, and only the left sides are adjusted exclusively. Next, the right sides of the same teeth are processed. Then the blade is turned over and the same teeth are sharpened in the same sequence, starting from the far row.
Features sharpening longitudinal hacksaws
In this case, a rhombic file is also used with a small notch. The saw blade is installed strictly vertically. How to sharpen a hacksaw on a tree for longitudinal cutting? You can stick to two approaches that differ in sharpening angle:
- Direct way. The tool is guided horizontally relative to the hacksaw blade and removes an insignificant layer of material from the surface. Corrections are made to the posterior and posterior faces of the tooth. As a result, the cutting edges become sharper.
- Oblique way. From the first approach, this technique differs in the direction of the file relative to the hacksaw blade. The sharpening angle is selected with a slight bevel - about 75-80 °.
How to sharpen a hacksaw for mixed sawing?
Shallow rhombic files are also used. Sharpening configurations will also be similar - they are performed in a direct or oblique way. The rear and front faces of one and the other row are sharpened in order. This option is suitable for those who want to get pronounced lateral edges on the teeth. Typically, cabinetmakers use it.
After completion of work, you can observe the burrs on the edges. How to sharpen a hacksaw on a tree at home to exclude the likelihood of such a marriage? The risk of burr formation cannot be minimized - this is a normal working effect. Burrs can be eliminated during refinement, but with a different file, with velvet notches. In this way, we also remove burrs and other minor defects from the side faces. By the way, it is advisable to check the sharpness of the teeth with the presence of various flaws in the light.
Tooth setting
Together with the sharpening, it will not be out of place to adjust the wiring of the teeth, since the quality of the cut of the hacksaw also depends on their position. For this operation, a special device is used - wiring. This is a tool in the form of a metal die of arbitrary shape with a handle. Its design provides for special slots of a certain width. The technique of using the device is quite simple. From the available slots, choose the one that most closely matches the parameters of the target saw - in particular, the thickness of the panel. Further, capturing the slit of the tooth, you must slightly turn the device in the right direction. And so it should be done with each tooth, maintaining an equal amount of limb. Here, the question may arise about how to sharpen a hacksaw on a tree in order to minimize wiring operations. By itself, sharpening can make adjustments to the tilt of the teeth, since a certain pressure is exerted on them. But, as already mentioned, the force of pressure must be strictly uniform and calculated under the task of sharpening. That is, the wiring should be considered precisely as a separate operation.
Tooth alignment
During operation, the teeth of the hacksaw can not only deviate from the correct geometry, but also completely deform in height. Curvature also needs to be restored, but strictly after sharpening and wiring. And again the question arises - how to sharpen a hacksaw, so that the result is smooth teeth? During this procedure, you can only reduce the likelihood of an aggravation of the situation with the same file. To do this, the pressure during sharpening should be moderate and directed strictly at the edges and edges. And already at the end of the hacksaw maintenance process, a separate leveling procedure follows, which is performed with pliers or a vise by firmly gripping the problem teeth.
Conclusion
The correct geometry of the cutting segments of the saw in practice will give several significant positive effects - from wear resistance to even cut. How to sharpen a hacksaw on a tree with a file to achieve such a result? The main rules are to use a suitable sharpening tool with the above characteristics and carefully approach the development of each tooth. Also, do not forget about the purpose of the hacksaw, since both the sharpening configuration and the wiring parameters can be guided by specific cutting tasks with individual requirements.