I've noticed that the impulse-hardened hand saws available at stores like Lowe's are usually set up as crosscut saws, mainly meant for pine 2x4s. I'm curious if anyone in our community has attempted to grind down the teeth and modify one of these saws to work better for ripping. They can be hard to find at a reasonable price where I live, and I don't mind putting in the effort if it's possible. One thing to consider is that these saws tend to be a bit short for traditional hand saws, but they might work well as panel saws. What do you all think?
6 Answers
Even the crummiest hand saw from the 80s is going to outdo those impulse hardened ones. You can find tons of options from various online sellers. If you want something really good, maybe check out a Japanese rip pull saw—they're fantastic!
Honestly, just grab a $5 Disston saw from Facebook Marketplace. It's way easier to sharpen, way cheaper, and way better quality. They are designed for hardwood, not just the typical pine found at Home Depot. It’s really not worth trying to retrofit those hardware store saws.
Honestly, I think it’s a waste of your time. If you're struggling to find a good rip saw locally, I'd suggest checking out online used tool dealers instead. You can often find decent brands like Disston D8 or similar rip saws for around $50 to $70. It might seem pricier than a Stanley Sharptooth or something like that, but it’s worth it for a tool that's actually made for ripping.
It really isn’t worth trying to recut these saws. The teeth are impulse hardened, so good luck filing them down unless you have diamonds on hand. Plus, the rest of the saw is likely too soft to hold an edge. You could easily test this with a file; just see how fast it cuts into the metal. If you're determined, you might start from the spline side and work your way up to the teeth, but it’s a tricky process.
Exactly! Unless you're prepared for some serious modification, it might be better just to leave it as is.
So you're saying I’d actually need to harden and temper it to make it workable? How hard are the shreddable saws typically?
I've actually done some work on impulse hardened teeth before. If you have the right tools like diamond needle files, sharpening them isn't too hard. But replacing the teeth? That’s kind of the rub—doing it for coarser teeth might be feasible, but keeping a similar count just doesn’t make sense. Honestly, it's often just better to buy a new saw. Those old ones can serve other purposes, like turning them into card scrapers or custom tools instead!
You'd find that most saws from big box stores have those impulse hardened teeth. Reprofiling one is going to be pretty tough, if not outright impossible. Technically, you could cut past the hardened area and then create your own tooth profile instead of trying to replicate the existing one.
Yeah, but that would mean you'd have to grind off the teeth first, right?
Exactly, the teeth would need to be removed completely if you want to reshape them.
You’re right! It’s much simpler to find quality saws if you’re willing to look online or secondhand.