How to Resharpen a Japanese Ryoba’s Rip Teeth

If you are familiar with the world of woodworking, you will definitely agree to the fact that a lot of woodworkers love Japanese tools as much as they appreciate the presence of Western models. For one, they usually come with interesting aspects and features that make them stand out from the rest.

One of these Japanese tools is a Ryoba saw. This type of saw comes with a rip teeth on the side of the saw plate, as well as a cross-cut teeth on the other side. This saw is designed to last for a very long time. However, with constant use, the rip teeth eventually comes dull. This guide will help you on how to resharpen a Japanese Ryoba’s rip teeth easily.

Among the tools that you need to prepare includes a sharpening file (preferably feather files), a dovetailing vise, and a jigsaw holder which you can use to hold the saw while sharpening. For the file, choose one that can easily fit right to the narrow angle in between the tooth.

Put the holder into the dovetailing vise, applying a good amount of pressure into the holder, and to the saw plate. As you place your saw into the holder, make sure that you position it in a way that the teeth are above the jaws of the holder, just enough so that the gullets of the saw are still accessible without allowing the file to make contact with the actual holder. The closer the distance of the gullets to the jaws, the better this is because it leaves the least number of tooth out, thus also removing vibration as you sharpen.

When you do so, use a long parallel-jaw clamp which can hold the other end of the holder, while keeping the other side of the clamp securely. This position will allow you to easily hold both the holder and the saw safely, while still maintaining full access to the rip teeth.

By applying some sharpie on the surfaces of the rip teeth, you can identify the critical area at the point of the teeth that needs to be in contact with the file. At the same time, it is also easier for you to keep track of the teeth you have already sharpened, and those you haven’t yet, since you can remove the marker ink as the metal is removed by the file from each surface of the tooth.

This process is quiet delicate. Make sure that you have enough light source overhead so that you can see what is going on. It is even advisable to use a magni-focuser to give attention to every detail with care. Sharpen one tooth after another. The process is pretty much similar with other saws, though this one requires a unique type of precision because of the design of the rip teeth.

Allow the sharpening file to pass through each tooth. This is where it is important to choose the right kind of file. If it is short enough in width, you may have to do two strokes just to cover the distance starting from the gullet to the tip of the tooth.

After going through each and every tooth and finishing everything, you might want to do a test cut in order to see whether or not your Ryoba saw has achieved the sharpness that you want it to have.

Did you enjoy this tutorial? If you are one of those who owns a Ryoba saw, you are definitely thankful for having one, with all its features and capabilities. Rather than simply leaving it behind if it no longer gives you the sharpness that you expect out of it, resharpening its rip teeth will restore the tool back to its former glory.

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