The Upgrade
Stoning the set is a light finishing step you do after setting and sharpening a hand saw. It means using a very fine stone on the outer edges of the tiny bends in each tooth so those edges lose their sharp burrs and become gently rounded.
You do not change the tooth profile or the amount of set. The goal is a small, smooth fillet on the outside of each set bend so the teeth enter and leave the wood without grabbing fibers.
Tools are simple: a fine finishing stone around about eight hundred to twelve hundred grit or its equivalent, a leather strop or very fine abrasive for polishing, a way to hold the blade steady, and good light.
The ideal result is a cleaner kerf that tracks truer and leaves less tear out, without changing how the saw cuts overall.
Why It Helps
Stoning works because it changes only the tiny contact geometry at the edge of the set bend. After setting or filing, those outer corners can carry microscopic burrs or sharp points.
When a tooth with a sharp outer corner hits wood, that corner can snag fibers instead of shearing them cleanly. By smoothing that corner, each tooth skives the wood more smoothly on entry and exit.
This smoothing reduces tear out where fibers tear away instead of cutting. It also lowers the chance of the tooth biting unevenly, which helps the saw track straighter.
That matters most on cuts where fiber direction or grain changes near the cut line, or when you need a clean face close to the layout line.
Stoning also reduces small catches and chatter. Those come from abrupt contact between tooth edge and wood.
A rounded edge spreads contact a little, so the stroke feels steadier and the saw is easier to keep on line. This is most noticeable on crosscut teeth or on saws with a pronounced set.
Know the limits. Stoning is a micro-finish step. It will not fix wrong tooth heights, badly uneven set, or broken points.
If a saw pulls hard to one side because teeth are mis-set or one tooth is far taller, you must joint, re-file, or re-set teeth first. Stoning is the last touch, not a repair for larger geometry problems.
How to Add and Use Stoning
1. Prep and setup
Clean the blade of pitch and grit so you can see the tooth edges. Clamp the saw flat with the teeth pointing up, supported so the blade cannot flex at the toothline.
Work in bright light and use a magnifier if you want a closer look. Keep the work steady but accessible so you can make light, controlled passes.
2. Choose the right stone and polish
Use a finishing stone in the range of about eight hundred to twelve hundred grit or a fine diamond plate.
For the final touch, use a leather strop or an ultrafine abrasive. The stone should remove almost nothing of the formed metal; it should smooth.
3. Step-by-step stoning
- Inspect before you start. Look for shiny flats, wire burrs, or sharp outer corners on the set bends. If tooth heights are uneven, joint and re-file first.
- Secure the saw so it lies flat. The tooth points should not be supporting the blade. A flat block or a clamp that holds the blade by the back edge works well.
- Lay the stone flat and take a few light passes along the outside edge of the set bends. Use about two to six light, even passes and check frequently. Keep pressure low; let the stone do the work.
- Flip and compare only if needed. If one side shows more burr or roughness, give that side an extra light pass. Avoid removing the opposite side more than needed.
- Remove any wire burr with the strop. After the stone, run the outside edge gently on a leather strop or very fine abrasive to take off any raised wire and to polish the new fillet.
- Test cut and tune. Make short test cuts and watch how the saw starts and finishes the cut. If you still see grabbing or side pull, stone only the problem teeth lightly and re-test.
4. How much to remove and common mistakes
Take almost nothing. The job is smoothing, not reshaping. If you find yourself removing significant metal or changing the visible set amount, stop and re-evaluate.
Do not stone the tooth faces or tips; work only the outermost edge of the set bend. If teeth are badly uneven, stoning will not help; joint and file first.
Avoid heavy pressure, which removes excess material and can reduce set enough to cause binding.
What You’ll Notice
Right away you should feel a smoother start when you begin a cut. The saw will be less likely to grab on the first stroke, and your strokes will feel more even.
Expect fewer small jumps and less chatter, which shows up as a steadier hand and more predictable tracking.
Visually, you will often see cleaner edges near the kerf, especially on the exit side where tear out used to happen.
On crosscuts and when working across irregular grain, the faces next to the cut will look less ragged and closer to the layout line.
In use, pushing and pulling will require slightly less corrective steering. Over time, stoning can delay the need for a full resharpen by removing the tiny burrs that build up with normal use.
That does not replace proper sharpening, but it spreads the interval between full sessions.
If you expect a dramatic change on a badly worn saw, you will be disappointed. The step improves feel and finish on reasonably maintained saws. On poor-condition blades, it is a small improvement, not a cure.
When to Skip
Do not stone when the saw has bigger problems that stoning cannot fix. If tooth heights are clearly uneven, joint and re-file first.
If the set is heavily unbalanced or excessive, correct the set with a proper saw set or re-profile the teeth instead of stoning.
If teeth are chipped, pitted from rust, or have broken points, stoning offers little help — consider re-toothing or replacing the blade.
Skip stoning immediately after heavy filing that removed a lot of metal. After any aggressive filing, jointing and setting come first; stoning only after the final profile is correct.
Also skip stoning on low-quality stamped blades where the metal is too thin or inconsistent; the small benefit may not be worth the risk of removing too much.
Finally, when the saw is for rough work where finish is irrelevant, you may choose to skip this step to save time. Stoning is a finishing touch meant for cleaner, more controlled cuts.
Specs and Signals
1. Which stones and polishing tools
Use a finishing stone in the range of about eight hundred to twelve hundred grit for the main smoothing.
A finer stone or a leather strop is useful as the final polish to remove any wire and to create a satin edge.
2. How to tell stoning is needed
Look for these signals: the saw consistently pulls to one side even after you check tooth heights, visible raised burrs or rough outer corners on the set bends, or repeatable tear out at the start or end of cuts when the tooth profile otherwise looks correct.
If you see shiny, sharp flats at the outer edge, stoning can help.
3. How much set to leave
As a rule, set should remain essentially the same after stoning. For many hand saws, set is roughly about twenty to twenty-five percent wider than the plate thickness as a guideline. Stoning should not reduce that by more than a hair; if it does, you have removed too much and should re-set the teeth.
4. Measuring and testing
Use visual checks and simple tools. Compare kerf width to plate thickness with calipers if you want precision.
A quick test cut is the best practical check: a short crosscut or rip will show whether the saw still tracks true and whether tear out has improved. Feel the outer edges with a fingernail; they should be smooth, not sharp or flaky.
5. Finish inspection
After stoning and a short test cut, inspect the cut faces. Cleaner edges and less torn wood indicate success.
If the saw still snags, check tooth heights and set balance before additional stoning. Make any further stone passes only in very small increments.
The Bottom Line
Stoning the set is a small, low-risk finishing step that smooths the outer corners of set bends. When done with a fine stone and a light touch, it reduces burrs and sharp edges that cause tear out and catching.
Use it after you have correct tooth geometry and set, and expect smoother starts, cleaner exit faces, and steadier tracking.
Keep the work light, check often, and treat stoning as the final fine-tune, not a substitute for proper jointing, filing, or setting.
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