I am not a master, but have sharpened enough saws to know how to really screw
up. I did all of my regular users, most several times before they were right
(enough). Take the time to get the lighting, body position, and saw position
needed, and shift (you, the lighting, or the saw) as needed to maintain comfort.
I find, because I am old and have damaged my eyes too many times, that an
optivisor is the cats meow. A magnifier on a stick used to do it, but those days
are a decade back.

It isn't a great challenge to sharpen a saw, but it takes care. It is a LOT
easier for a crosscut if you leave the set, even if it means doing the job twice
to get what you want. Don't overjoint. You can do more if you need to after a
pass to tooth. The set helps locate the file, and the first time you drop into
the wrong gullet, you will feel it. Key is comfort and relax and if something
feels different, figure out why. I mark every other with a red marker on each
side I will approach the gullet from, as well.

Add to that Phil's note about tooth breakage when resetting the teeth (no one
told me. I learned the hard way) if you get one the wrong way, I really
recommend leaving the set. Depending on your skill setting teeth, you might want
to  touch up before jointing, do a first pass to get the teeth to all the proper
form, then recheck the jointing and set before final sharpening. That is also a
good time to check the tooth pitch uniformity.

Don't obsess about perfectly uniform tooth pitch. My opinion, which is mine, is
that there is a reason for variable tooth pitch saws, and a little variation can
reduce tendency to snag. But that is just my opinion.



*** This message was sent from a convenience email service, and the reply
address(es) may not match the originating address