Fellow galoots,

            I have done saw sharpening but more of the quick and dirty
variety than the whole process. A number of times now I have come across
pliers type saw sets for a buck or a quarter and what I want to know is
will one set work for both crosscut and rip saws? What are a few features
for a novice to complete saw sharpening to look for and what features
should I avoid like the plague? I really want to give this a try.

 Thank you very much for any and all help!

What you want is a Stanley 42X sawset. The others are all pretty much 
the same.  The 42X has a second piston which holds the blade tight 
while the other piston sets the tooth. All this in one squeeze of the 
handle. I love mine. I have 3 others that I don't use at all.

On Saturday, January 17, 2004, at 07:07  AM, John Sawchak wrote:

> Fellow galoots,
>
>             I have done saw sharpening but more of the quick and dirty
> variety than the whole process. A number of times now I have come 
> across
> pliers type saw sets for a buck or a quarter and what I want to know is
> will one set work for both crosscut and rip saws? What are a few 
> features
> for a novice to complete saw sharpening to look for and what features
> should I avoid like the plague? I really want to give this a try.
>
>  Thank you very much for any and all help!
>
Jim Thompson, the old millrat in Riverside, CA

So is that kind rare or hard to find, and what might be a ballpark price
for a 42X? I will keep my eye out for that second piston in a saw set. Are
most of those clearly marked 42X right on the casted body? Does that second
piston have any tendency to wear out and how could I check it? With the
kind that don't have that second piston what becomes the main
issue/frustration with them? Do you get uneven set? Is there readjustment
needed for different thicknesses of blades?

To repeat my earlier question, though, is a typical pliers type sawset fine
for both rip and crosscut? Will I be able to do the 15ppi of my dovetail
saw or is that pushing one tool to do to much?

I don't doubt there is an ideal tool, there usually is for every job, but I
just want something that works. At this point I'm about ready to chuck a
metal cutting blade in the s*bre s*w and sacrafice a few electrons making a
simple saw set, the kind where a slot hooks over the tooth and is bent
down. I have seen these made from metal scraps laying around the shop and
I've got buckets of various sizes of just such metal scraps of all
thicknesses and sizes. I know I probably wouldn't get real consistent sets
but I have seen them every so lightly jointed on the edge on Roy's show,
speaking of which I missed today because I was reading here today. I could
kick myself for that one! I never miss him! Even had the VCR set but didn't
have it shut off.

> [Original Message]
> From: Jim Thompson <jdthompsonca@s...>
> To: John Sawchak <jherbs@e...>
> Cc: oldtools <oldtools@c...>
> Date: 1/17/2004 10:25:47 AM
> Subject: Re: [oldtools] Pliers type Saw Set
>
> What you want is a Stanley 42X sawset. The others are all pretty much 
> the same.  The 42X has a second piston which holds the blade tight 
> while the other piston sets the tooth. All this in one squeeze of the 
> handle. I love mine. I have 3 others that I don't use at all.
>
> On Saturday, January 17, 2004, at 07:07  AM, John Sawchak wrote:
>
> > Fellow galoots,
> >
> >             I have done saw sharpening but more of the quick and dirty
> > variety than the whole process. A number of times now I have come 
> > across
> > pliers type saw sets for a buck or a quarter and what I want to know is
> > will one set work for both crosscut and rip saws? What are a few 
> > features
> > for a novice to complete saw sharpening to look for and what features
> > should I avoid like the plague? I really want to give this a try.
> >
> >  Thank you very much for any and all help!
> >
> Jim Thompson, the old millrat in Riverside, CA

> So is that kind rare or hard to find, and what might be a ballpark
> price for a 42X?

John/GG's,

This #42x sold yesterday at *b#y:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=4123&item=326620-
7981&ssPageName=STRK:MEBDW:IT

The #42x is marked 42x, and comes up quite often on this site. This one
was a little cheaper than most.

Al Perreault Wachusett Galoot Westminster, Massachusetts

(snip - John has lots of questions about saw sets)

First, the 42X is the most popular Galoot choice - but a saw can be set
with other saw sets so start with what you have.  Just keep your eyes 
open...  The clamping mechanism just makes it easier to make sure you
hit the tooth cleanly as it holds the set in place while you apply the
pressure.  I am not sure about price as I passed on the only one I 
ever saw which was $28 in an over priced antique store (but I am 
REALLY cheap about stuff like this).  My recollection is that is was 
clearly marked 42 with an X after it - but don't get fooled because 
there are a lot more plain Stanley 42 (with no X) saw sets in the world.  
Check the mechanism.  

Along with some others, I have a Disston Triumph saw set that I haven't 
used too much use (yet), but, it also has a second piston to hold the 
blade (call it the Disston piston - couldn't let that pass by).  One 
difference is it is more the "pliers" type as the 42X is the "pistol 
type" (and I only paid $3 for it). 

The best place to go for info is Pete Taran's site (www.vintagesaws.com).
There is a write-up on setting a saw in the "Library section."  Also, he
has the directions for the Stanley 42X there as well (at the very bottom).

That said, the short answers to some of your questions are: 
(1) you can use the same set for cross-cut and rip.  

(2) 15ppi gets trickier - that depends (I think) somewhat on the size of 
the plunger and maybe the distance to the anvil (for just slight sets).
Although I think some sets could be "tuned" for it by filing the plunger 
a little (never did this - someone jump in if I am way off base).  

There was a discussion about this very recently (during which the 42X was
crowned the king of saw sets).  

And, since I just recently acquired it (and have seeeeeen the light) - if 
you don't have Tom Law's saw sharpening video...it is worth the investment.

Bruce Love
Pipersville, PA

I see them from time to time on ebay selling in the $20 to $30 range 
depending on condition.  I recently saw one go for $6 because of some 
rust.

The 42X mark is on the inside of one of the 2 handles. It is a typical 
pliers type.

I am not really qualified to comment on longevity and utility compared 
to others as I have only used mine once. I just followed the advice of 
the porch when the discussion was going on a short while ago. It does 
seem capable of very delicate sets.

On Saturday, January 17, 2004, at 05:46  PM, John Sawchak wrote:

> So is that kind rare or hard to find, and what might be a ballpark 
> price
> for a 42X? I will keep my eye out for that second piston in a saw set. 
> Are
> most of those clearly marked 42X right on the casted body? Does that 
> second
> piston have any tendency to wear out and how could I check it? With the
> kind that don't have that second piston what becomes the main
> issue/frustration with them? Do you get uneven set? Is there 
> readjustment
> needed for different thicknesses of blades?
>
> To repeat my earlier question, though, is a typical pliers type sawset 
> fine
> for both rip and crosscut? Will I be able to do the 15ppi of my 
> dovetail
> saw or is that pushing one tool to do to much?
>
> I don't doubt there is an ideal tool, there usually is for every job, 
> but I
> just want something that works. At this point I'm about ready to chuck 
> a
> metal cutting blade in the s*bre s*w and sacrafice a few electrons 
> making a
> simple saw set, the kind where a slot hooks over the tooth and is bent
> down. I have seen these made from metal scraps laying around the shop 
> and
> I've got buckets of various sizes of just such metal scraps of all
> thicknesses and sizes. I know I probably wouldn't get real consistent 
> sets
> but I have seen them every so lightly jointed on the edge on Roy's 
> show,
> speaking of which I missed today because I was reading here today. I 
> could
> kick myself for that one! I never miss him! Even had the VCR set but 
> didn't
> have it shut off.
>
>
>> [Original Message]
>> From: Jim Thompson <jdthompsonca@s...>
>> To: John Sawchak <jherbs@e...>
>> Cc: oldtools <oldtools@c...>
>> Date: 1/17/2004 10:25:47 AM
>> Subject: Re: [oldtools] Pliers type Saw Set
>>
>> What you want is a Stanley 42X sawset. The others are all pretty much
>> the same.  The 42X has a second piston which holds the blade tight
>> while the other piston sets the tooth. All this in one squeeze of the
>> handle. I love mine. I have 3 others that I don't use at all.
>>
>> On Saturday, January 17, 2004, at 07:07  AM, John Sawchak wrote:
>>
>>> Fellow galoots,
>>>
>>>             I have done saw sharpening but more of the quick and 
>>> dirty
>>> variety than the whole process. A number of times now I have come
>>> across
>>> pliers type saw sets for a buck or a quarter and what I want to know 
>>> is
>>> will one set work for both crosscut and rip saws? What are a few
>>> features
>>> for a novice to complete saw sharpening to look for and what features
>>> should I avoid like the plague? I really want to give this a try.
>>>
>>>  Thank you very much for any and all help!
>>>
>> Jim Thompson, the old millrat in Riverside, CA
>
>
>
> Archive: http://www.frontier.iarc.uaf.edu/~cswingle/archive/
> To unsubscribe or change options, use the web interface:
>     http://galoots.law.cornell.edu:81/read/?forum=oldtools
>

I've got 2 saw sets, both of which have no visible maker's mark. One of
them looks like it would be used for the old timey two man saws, and the
other one has an adjustable anvil...anywhere from 5 tpi tp 15 tpi. You
just turn the anvil until it lines up with the correct tpi for the saw
you're setting.

Mike Guenther in the foothills of S. Carolina

I'm wondering if Stanley sold a Handyman version of this? I'm asking
because I ran across a saw set just like a 42x but it wasn't as heavy a
metal and it wasn't marked in the casting. It did have just the remains
of a Stanley decal which looked kind of like the couple of Handyman
decals I've seen. It was only partial, just enough to tell that it used
to say Stanley on it.

Just curious if anyone else has run into these and if they will work as
well as the regular 42x?

AAAndrew Supposed to be 60 and raining today in Durham, North Carolina.
(those still back in Michigan understand the drive-by gloat inlcuded in
that phrase)

--- Alan Perreault <alan.perreault@v...> wrote:
>
> This #42x sold yesterday at *b#y:
>
>
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=4123&item=326620-
7981&ssPageName=STRK:MEBDW:IT
>
> The #42x is marked 42x, and comes up quite often on this site. This
> one was a little cheaper than most.

__________________________________
Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Hotjobs: Enter the "Signing Bonus" Sweepstakes
http://hotjobs.sweepstakes.yahoo.com/signingbonus

Thanks again. I'll probably have an easier time running across something
like that Disston Triumph than the most sought after saw set around. Yeah,
I have heard good things about Tom Law. I will probably still do most of my
woodcutting on my forrest woodworker 60T blade, though. But I pick up the
handsaws for the small jobs or ones that need extra care or finishing an
inside 90 degree cut. Of all the old tools I enjoy using the chisels the
most and there is no replacement for them. Now at least next time I run
across a saw set at a sale I can gauge how useful it will be to me, at
least to some extent. It's something I will pick up in time, eventually,
this whole saw-sharpening business.

> [Original Message]
> From: Bruce Love <brucelove@c...>
> To: oldtools <oldtools@c...>
> Date: 1/17/2004 9:03:26 PM
> Subject: Re: [oldtools] Pliers type Saw Set
>
> (snip - John has lots of questions about saw sets)
>
> First, the 42X is the most popular Galoot choice - but a saw can be set
> with other saw sets so start with what you have.  Just keep your eyes 
> open...  The clamping mechanism just makes it easier to make sure you
> hit the tooth cleanly as it holds the set in place while you apply the
> pressure.  I am not sure about price as I passed on the only one I 
> ever saw which was $28 in an over priced antique store (but I am 
> REALLY cheap about stuff like this).  My recollection is that is was 
> clearly marked 42 with an X after it - but don't get fooled because 
> there are a lot more plain Stanley 42 (with no X) saw sets in the world.  
> Check the mechanism.  
>
> Along with some others, I have a Disston Triumph saw set that I haven't 
> used too much use (yet), but, it also has a second piston to hold the 
> blade (call it the Disston piston - couldn't let that pass by).  One 
> difference is it is more the "pliers" type as the 42X is the "pistol 
> type" (and I only paid $3 for it). 
>
> The best place to go for info is Pete Taran's site (www.vintagesaws.com).
> There is a write-up on setting a saw in the "Library section."  Also, he
> has the directions for the Stanley 42X there as well (at the very bottom).
>
> That said, the short answers to some of your questions are: 
> (1) you can use the same set for cross-cut and rip.  
>
> (2) 15ppi gets trickier - that depends (I think) somewhat on the size of 
> the plunger and maybe the distance to the anvil (for just slight sets).
> Although I think some sets could be "tuned" for it by filing the plunger 
> a little (never did this - someone jump in if I am way off base).  
>
> There was a discussion about this very recently (during which the 42X was
> crowned the king of saw sets).  
>
> And, since I just recently acquired it (and have seeeeeen the light) - if 
> you don't have Tom Law's saw sharpening video...it is worth the
investment.
>
>
> Bruce Love
> Pipersville, PA
>
>
>
>
> Archive: http://www.frontier.iarc.uaf.edu/~cswingle/archive/
> To unsubscribe or change options, use the web interface:
>     http://galoots.law.cornell.edu:81/read/?forum=oldtools