Hugh,
Since I sent you my comments on sharpening I’ve come across some information concerning crosscut saws that readers who have a crosscut saw as a backup for a chain saw will find useful. This link is for the Missoula Technology and Development Center [1]. For the cost of a phone call you can request free copies of Warren Miller’s Crosscut Saw Manual and the companion video The Crosscut Saw Filer.
[Editors Note: USFS- Missola Technology & Development Center has informed us that that they no longer have the Crosscut Saw manual available. Their stock has been depleted and it is now only available online [2].]
They will also send you another publication titled Saws That Sing– A Guide to Using Crosscut Saws, a video called The Crosscut Sawyer, and a DVD (not a video) called Chain Saw and Crosscut Saw Training Course. The publications [3] are available for download. If you want the DVDs you need to request them.
There’s a lot of good free information here on using and maintaining crosscut saws, and if you’re looking for a source for crosscut saws, I would suggest the following links as a good place to start: http://backwoodscrosscut.com/Home_Page.php [4] and http://jimscrosscutsaws.com/ [5]. – R.F.