Two-person crosscut saws can vary in length from about 1.2m (4’) to 1.8m (6’) in length, with blade depths from 150mm (6”) to 230mm (9”). The pattern of the teeth is either peg, or four peg and raker. The saws can be set using either a hammer and anvil, or a plier type saw set. The four peg and raker saw can be sharpened with a normal triangular saw file, but the peg tooth saw must be sharpened with a narrow-cant saw file.
Hold the file horizontally and at an angle of 60-70 degrees to the blade. Unlike other saws, the teeth on two person crosscut saws are filed both front and back, so that the saw cuts on both strokes.
On a blunt saw, the points of the teeth appear slightly rounded on close examination. The sharpening process forms the teeth to points, and removes the rounded bright spots on the tooth points. When filing, only remove the minimum of metal, just enough to bring the teeth to a point. Do not forget to take down the raker teeth as necessary. Saw sharpening is a skill that takes time and practice to acquire.
Setting and sharpening a two-person crosscut saw is best done with the saw held in a special sharpening horse, the design of which is shown below.
Alternatively, the saw can be held between two planks of wood clamped between two vices.
When not in use, grease or oil the blades and hang the saws up.
