How to Sharpen a Garden Hacksaw Properly

Every home craftsman has a tool designed to cut wood or metal. However, from time to time the hacksaw needs to be sharpened, but in order for it to regain its former sharpness, these works should be carried out correctly. Not all hacksaws can be sharpened. So, tools that have red-hot teeth should not be sharpened. The hardened working surface of the tool can be identified by black with a bluish tint. For sharpening ordinary cloves, it is worth arming yourself with a file with a small notch.

How to Sharpen a Garden Hacksaw Properly

Sharpening and wiring the saw.

Breeding tool teeth

Before sharpening a hacksaw, it is recommended to set the teeth. This is necessary so that the working part of the tool moves easily in the body of the wood and does not clamp in the cut. This guarantees a large cut width.

You should not do too much dilution, as this will cause a torn cut, and you will have to advance the tool with great effort.

The wiring size for a tool intended for working with wood should be 1.5-2 times greater than the thickness of the saw surface, which is usually 1.5-2 mm. Thus, the teeth should be bent 0.25-0.5 mm in both directions if you have to work with a dry hardwood; and 0.5-1 mm, if you have to cut wet or soft wood.

The hacksaw will have cloves bred by one size, if you use wiring. a steel plate with a gap.

In order to separate the teeth, the tool blade should be placed in a vice, while the teeth should protrude slightly. The plate must be fixed on the desktop. You need to bend the cloves alternately in different directions. Do not bend the whole tooth, this will cause it to break.

Wood Hacksaw Sharpening Technology

DIY hacksaw sharpening.

Before sharpening your hacksaw, you need to strengthen it well. A file should be used, and then smooth out the edges of the cloves with a file. The last procedure can be done using a file that has a small velvet notch. If it is not necessary to use a new file, its working surface needs to be cleaned with a metal brush, after rubbing with charcoal, this will eliminate dulling and clogging of the surface.

Sharpening is the process of partially removing a metal layer. During this, it is important to observe a certain pressure on the teeth. In this case, the file handle must be grabbed with the right hand, and the end should be held with the left, directing the tool to the cloves. Returning the file to its original position, do not allow interaction with the cloves.

Sharpening causes burrs, you can get rid of them with a file that has a velvet notch, while you can remove them with a wet donkey from the side of the work surface.

Video: How to Sharpen a Garden Hacksaw Properly


At the last stage, you need to analyze the sharpness of the teeth. Looking at the edge of the blade, you should not see the gloss, this indicates a quality sharpening. If shine is noticeable on some cloves, then they need to be further sharpened with a velvet-notched tool.

In order to sharpen the teeth of the transverse tools, you need to use trihedral files with a small notch, the angle should be 60 °. In order to start working on sharpening, the tool must be clamped at an angle limited by a limit of 45-50 ° relative to the surface of the table. The file must be directed at an angle from 60 to 75 ° to the canvas, this will achieve the sharpness of the first tooth belonging to the left side. At the next stage, you can start working with the right sides of the odd teeth. Once you have managed to sharpen the odd teeth, you can turn the canvas over to start working with even teeth. It is important that sharp edges are formed in each tooth, the angle of which is 60-75 °.

To sharpen a hacksaw, which is called longitudinal, you need to use a file with a rough notch or rhombic files that have a small notch. Before sharpening the working surface of the longitudinal saw, it must be strengthened vertically. Next, you need to determine how the work will be carried out. The first method is called direct, this involves the use of a needle file at an angle of 90 °, which must be directed horizontally with respect to the canvas. This will get rid of a small amount of metal located on the rear and front faces of the tooth. Now in the device you need to change the position of the tool to sharpen the teeth in the far row of another row.

The second method is called oblique and differs from the above by the direction of the tool to the working surface of the hacksaw, while the sharpening angle is equal to the limit of 80 °. This method allows you to get the side edges used when working with beam saws.

Work with mixed saws

Preparing a hacksaw for work: a. tooth bite; b. sharpening.

A mixed-saw hacksaw designed for working with wood should be sharpened with a file that has a rough notch; as an alternative, you can use a rhombic file that has a fine notch. When sharpening, you can apply one of two ways, the first is called oblique (90 °), the second. direct (75-80 °).

The clamping unit has a plywood base with dimensions of 550x200x20 mm. Based on two steel rails mounted.

Sharpening begins after installing the tool so that the teeth above the surface of the clamping plate protrude by 20 mm.

There are clamping units designed to work with large tools and two-handed saws. They are based on two transversely spaced strips, the length of which is 550 mm, and the cross section is 40×30 mm. The device has 1100 mm racks, the cross section of which is 60×40 mm, and clamping blades with dimensions equal to 450×150 mm, the latter are made of 15 mm plywood. Pairing the crossbars and racks is done with screws.

The installation must be mounted, taking into account a certain sequence. From the floor surface at an insignificant height, you need to strengthen the crossbar to the uprights, after which you need to install the right leg on it so that it becomes possible to note the level of fixation of the upper crossbar, while the knee should rest on the latter. This allows you to get the stability of the rack, coupled with the workbench. In order to sharpen the tool, it must be positioned between the clamping bars so that the teeth are facing up. Now you can mount using bolts with wing nuts. As soon as the sharpening of the teeth on the one hand was finished, the tool should not be removed from the clamps, the device should be turned over, and then continue to work with the teeth on the other side.

In order to sharpen a hacksaw, you need to stock up with such materials and tools as:

  • wiring;
  • file;
  • file;
  • clamping device.

As you can see, you can sharpen a hacksaw with your own hands, for this it is important to follow the instructions given. Do not use a dull tool, as it may cause it to break.