How to keep one of your best tools in top condition

Written by Tim McWelch | posted on February 16, 2017 at 7:33pm

As far as engineless tools are concerned, nothing can cut wood as quickly and efficiently as a sharp hand saw. But whether the saw is a bow saw, a deer saw or a pruning saw, those sharp teeth can also bite off the saw. When you see your finger being chopped off, there is no doctor in the woods. Use your saw carefully and maintain it like any other tool so that it is always sharp and useful. These steps should keep your saw in top condition.

Store the saw in a dry place or in a tool box to prevent rust.

After each use, lubricate your blade with gun oil, wax paste or WD-40 before storage. You can wipe the gun oil or WD-40 with a rag. After placing it on the blade for a few minutes, the mushy wax should be wiped off. All of these options can prevent rust and help the saw blade to slide in the wood.

If you have a wooden handle, wipe it regularly with a bit of boiled linseed oil to prevent moisture and dirt. If your handle is rusty where it connects to the blade, please disassemble the handle and clean the slot. Use medium-grade steel wool or fine sandpaper to polish rough surfaces on the handle and remove stains (then apply oil).

4. Use a razor to remove blade rust

A well-maintained blade may never rust, but if it rusts, a razor blade will help. Remove the handle and place the blade on a flat work surface. Use the razor blade to carefully scrape the saw blade, moving up and down along the length of the blade and keeping the razor at a low angle. Use medium steel wool or 320 sandpaper to scrub any stubborn areas, especially the handle area. Wipe it with a soft dry cloth, and then oil or wax the blade immediately.

For beginners, saw blade sharpening can be tricky, but it is well worth learning because it can make good saw blades use for many years. You need a small diamond or triangle file that fits the contour of the saw tooth. It is also helpful to clean the saw blade as mentioned before and work in a well-lit area.

• Work down the blade, file the bevel of each tooth and calculate the stroke like a sharpening knife. If the blade is dull, you need more file stroke, if you just maintain the blade, you need fewer files. Try to match the factory angle of the sawtooth slope.

• Next, make sure that all teeth are the same length. File out any longer teeth because they will do more than their share of the work.

• If your saw blade has a rake, please check it. These are like teeth with gaps, and they should clean the cuts caused by the serrations next to them. You should file your rakes into sharp ones and make sure they are all 0.5 mm shorter than the serrations (otherwise they will put the blades in trouble).

• Finally, check if your blade has crooked teeth. Many types of serrations are bent outward and slightly twisted so that their cut is wider than the thickness of the blade (to prevent the blade from jamming). If any teeth are bent and deformed, try your best to bend them back to the blade style (you usually need a special setting tool).

Have you ever cut wood without using an electric saw? What kind of handsaw do you have? Please leave a comment and share your thoughts.

The tornado destroyed a hut on Reelfoot Lake, killing a father and son. The family’s third hunter, Jamie Antonio Hall, is still missing

Learn the valuable skill of sharpening a knife with a stone

Use our selection of the best knives to break the box or deboning game

Want more hunting and fishing stories?

Sign up to receive our emails.

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide us with a way to earn money by linking to Amazon.com and affiliate sites. Registering or using this website signifies acceptance of our terms of service.