# Rip saw teeth vs crosscut.... Sharpening?



## Splinters_will_occur (Jul 31, 2011)

Alright so I have a question. Today I bought a ripsaw from Wilh Pustch and when I first used it I barely felt it cutting at all... in fact I then used the stanley crosscut saw to see how it performed in comparison and it did considerably well even thought it was a crosscut tooth compared to a rip tooth. 

Do I need to sharpen the Putsch? I thought it would have come sharpened... >_>


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## Brink (Nov 22, 2010)

It should be ready to go. Does it feel sharp?


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## Splinters_will_occur (Jul 31, 2011)

I thought it would be ready to go as well thats where im lost. It doesnt feel sharp in comparison to the stanley but its a diff tooth type. Also when I run the saw over the wood for the first few cuts it feels like there is no grab into the wood unless i force the blade which is a no no


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## Brink (Nov 22, 2010)

I wonder if it missed getting sharpened before being shipped


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## Splinters_will_occur (Jul 31, 2011)

Could that have happened? It almost feels like well I dont know it feels like it slides over the wood without grabbing.


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## Brink (Nov 22, 2010)

You're not holding it upside down, are you? haha.

I just went to their website, they make a point that the saws are sharpened and set. Maybe QC failed.

For a rip blade, the teeth need sharp points. That way each tooth can rout out a little piece of wood. They should feel sharp


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## Splinters_will_occur (Jul 31, 2011)

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?138873-Rip-saw

So it seems like other people have this issue as well. I think I'm going to get a triangle file tomorrow and do some work on it. 

I wonder if anyone else has had this problem.


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## Brink (Nov 22, 2010)

Which saw did you get?


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## Splinters_will_occur (Jul 31, 2011)

http://www.woodcraft.com/Product/2004857/7669/Putsch-600mm-Beechwood-Ripping-Saw-24-x-7-TPI.aspx


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## Brink (Nov 22, 2010)

I just went to Putschs web site

http://wilpu.com/fileadmin/user_upload/Produkte/Katalogteil_Handsaegen_PG_36-43.pdf

I didn't even see that saw. I did see they listed cross cut saws, but no rip saws


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## Splinters_will_occur (Jul 31, 2011)

Hmm there is the saw on the site I think but it doesnt say whether its crosscut or rip. The teeth are set for rip though.


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## Splinters_will_occur (Jul 31, 2011)

I suppose now is the time where I need to learn how to sharpen a rip saw


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## Brink (Nov 22, 2010)

On the woodcraft page, twice in the product info it states a hand sharpened blade. 

I would contact woodcraft about this. Sharpening isn't a big deal, but you purchased what should have been a sharp saw.


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## Splinters_will_occur (Jul 31, 2011)

I think I will call them today. I went to another city to pick up the saw and its about an hour or so away so I will see what I can get with sharpening. Its a good learning experience for me I think.


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## Splinters_will_occur (Jul 31, 2011)

Alright, I sharpened the blade and I barely even noticed a difference. The stanley still puts the putsch to shame. I cant see how this is possible. The teeth are rip and just sharpened perhaps it is the tooth count that is the difference? It is a 7tpi rip saw, do I need a 4-5 tpi to really see the difference between cuts??


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## joesbucketorust (Dec 13, 2011)

Splinters_will_occur said:


> when I run the saw over the wood for the first few cuts it feels like there is no grab into the wood unless i force the blade which is a no no


If you mean run it backwards then it shouldn't grab if it's filed for rip, not the way it does for crosscutting. If you compare the two teeth profile you'll see the difference there.

When you say "Stanley crosscut" what exactly are you referring to? An old stanley (relatively scarce since they didn't really do saws) or one of those newer Stanleys with the hybrid teeth that are a cross between crosscut, rip, shredding and who-knows-what? If it's the newer style then it will do a semi-decent job of ripping if it's very sharp.

If you're doing 3/4 or thinner then 8-10 tpi is better (the thinner you go, the more tpi you want so you can keep 4 or more teeth in the wood at one time). If you're cutting 1" or slightly thicker, then the 7 tpi should be just fine.


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## Splinters_will_occur (Jul 31, 2011)

It is the new hybrid saw it cuts remarkably well compared to the putsch. For example the first 10 strokes with the putsch it goes and inch or so lets say. Then the first 10 strokes with the stanley it almost goes to two inches with ease. 

The strokes arent exact counts but its just an example.


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## Splinters_will_occur (Jul 31, 2011)

Update on this thread. So apparently the saw was just now sharpened well. After a few passes and a bit of determination I managed to get the teeth set right and all is working out now. I do however wonder how many times will I need to resharpen it after use?


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## Brink (Nov 22, 2010)

Glad it's working


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## Splinters_will_occur (Jul 31, 2011)

Yeah it was frustrating but it made me learn a lot so I am glad for that.


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## Possumpoint (Oct 13, 2011)

Splinters_will_occur said:


> Update on this thread. So apparently the saw was just now sharpened well. After a few passes and a bit of determination I managed to get the teeth set right and all is working out now. I do however wonder how many times will I need to resharpen it after use?


Depends on the species wood you cut. Some species contain silica and are very hard on cutting edges. Soft wood is much less so. I last sharpened my rip two years ago. Must admit that arthritis has caused me to cut back on woodworking. Cannot work out in the unheated shop in the winter.


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