Set. The thinning of the blade back from the cutting edge will not, in most cases, prevent the sides of the kerf from pressing against the saw. To meet this difficulty, the saw teeth are bent - one to one side, the next to the other side - so as to make the width of the kerf greater than the thickness of the blade. The amount of such bending, or "set," as well as its uniformity, can readily be seen by holding the saw to the light with the back of the blade next the eye; it will then appear as shown by Fig. 58.

In very hard material the sides of the kerf are left smooth and even, and scarcely any set is required; sometimes even none. But if the material is soft and spongy, the fibers spring away from the advancing teeth, and then come back again on the blade after the teeth have passed; hence, a large amount of set is required. For most purposes at the bench, however, the set is sufficient when it can be easily and clearly seen.