Tracking Blade History

[Jjoness4]

Does anybody have a method for tracking blade history.  I saw a limited amount compared to many on the FF.  I have 60 blades in inventory, 30 new in box, 15 packed and ready for resharp, 10 being accumulated for resharp, 3 not capable of being sharpened (missing too many teeth), 1 broken and one on the saw.  I have thought about a peg board with number cards each representing a blade somewhere in its life cycle.  I am just curious as to how blades fare in their trek toward the scrap metal pile.  Number of resharpenings has to be somewhat important.  Would stenciling a blade be advisable or would it potentially create a weak spot or fatigue point.  Since most blade inventories are worth probably $1000 to $1500 is this worth it.  K

[Chuck White]

I track my blade history by marking them with a hand-held engraver!

I engrave a vertical mark on the blade each time I sharpen it, then when there are 4 lines, I put a diagonal across them the next time I sharpen them to indicate the 5th sharpening!

Using this marking system, I have never seen or had any issues!

[SawyerTed]

I track my blade history by marking them with a hand-held engraver!

I engrave a vertical mark on the blade each time I sharpen it, then when there are 4 lines, I put a diagonal across them the next time I sharpen them to indicate the 5th sharpening!

Using this marking system, I have never seen or had any issues!

I've not even sawn my first log yet and the OP's question has been on my mind.  The idea of engraving some way crossed my mind as well.  It is good to know that engraving small indicators of blade use/age doesn't cause issues.

Do you engrave the inside or outside of the blade?

[terrifictimbersllc]

If you wanted to track blades individually you could engrave a serial number at the weld and keep the blade history in a notebook. 

I can pretty much understand a blade's sharpening history by measuring its width.  I measure this width every time a blade goes on the sharpener.

For example, from gullet to back,  my 4/32 1-1/4" WM double hard blades start out at 1.006 inches give or take. My  7/34 1-1/4" blades start at 0.98 inches.  It's been a while but I think 9/29 blades start out at 1.00 inches.

My sharpenings take off between 0.006-0.010 inches per pass. Half used blades are around 0.95-0.96".   Well-worn blades are down to about 0.90 inches gullet to back.  At 0.92,  I don't respect a blade's potential much longer and the littlest excuse will suffice to put it in the scrap pile.

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

I know this may not sound right to some but for me tracking a blade is a waste of time in my business.
My objective is to get good lumber.
I use a blade until it just begins to get dull and then put on a new resharp or brand new blade depending on what I am sawing.
I just keep sending them back to get resharpened or until they break and are replaced with a new blade by Woodmizer.
This is just my system.  But tracking a blade does sound interesting......I'm a hunter. 

[Chuck White]

ST; I mark them just before I start the sharpener so, they're marked on the outside!

TT; Reading the sn, then looking it up, then measuring it seems like a waste of time to me, why not just mark them and be done with it!

PW; It can make a difference if you sharpen your own or send them out, either way, I would still mark mine so that I would have a good idea of how many bf have been sawn with that particular blade, and how many times it's been sharpened!

I sharpen my own and sometimes I only get one or two sharpenings (I sharpen lightly) per blade, but average 10-12 sharpenings, my most sharpenings per blade was 22!

[Tom the Sawyer]

I cycle 30-45 blades in rotation.  When I get down to 30, I'll open a new box.  I track my blades in a small database.  I engrave a serial number on each blade and track brand, model, board footage, performance issues if any (wave, nails, etc.), sharpenings, hook angle, and set.

When I started out, I used 1 brand and turned them in for sharpening.  When circumstances dictated that I needed to be responsible for my own sharpening and setting, it opened up the possibility of trying different brands and styles of blades. 

There were so many conflicting, and perhaps biased, opinions about which blade was "best", that I figured tracking my blade performance would let me find the "best" for my operation.  I am more comfortable with data than with anecdotes and memory, so a database made sense for me.

I have tried about 8 brands, and both 7° and 10° hook angles.  Kasco 7° smiley_clapping

[dgdrls]

I tip my hat to you sawyers who manage 30-45 bands,

I have 4 blades for my Lucas
I'm at the point one needs a re-tip and will get tune just to be certain,
It will probably go out this spring.
One on the mill two on on stand-by.
The carbides tell the story quick and easy.


D

[Magicman]

I have never seen the value to me for tracking blades so I am with PW.  It matters not to me how many times that they get resharpened.  I send them to Wood-Mizer Resharp when they get dull and always get a full box back because they replace any rejected blade at a discount.  I have about 50-60 blades in rotation.

[Dave Shepard]

WoodMizer blades all have numbers etched in them. A couple feet one way or the other from the weld.

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

I have about 50-60 blades in rotation.

Thats a lot of sawmills.  :D

[Magicman]

Sometimes I feel like I even rotate.   smiley_dizzy

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

Sometimes I feel like I even rotate.   smiley_dizzy

[JB Griffin]

WoodMizer blades all have numbers etched in them. A couple feet one way or the other from the weld.

Not all of them do. My boss bought 60 2" wm turbo 7s  in the silvertip stock at one time, only one had a serial number.

[SawyerTed]

Maybe us novices are making it more complicated than it really is.  It just seems that keeping up with blade condition would be a focus of the operation.  After all the blades are where the action/production/profit revolve. If the blade isn't cutting the operation isn't making lumber or profit. 

It may be easier than we are thinking?

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

Maybe us novices are making it more complicated than it really is.  It just seems that keeping up with blade condition would be a focus of the operation.  After all the blades are where the action/production/profit revolve. If the blade isn't cutting the operation isn't making lumber or profit. 

It may be easier than we are thinking?

the-read my reply #4 

[terrifictimbersllc]

TT; Reading the sn, then looking it up, then measuring it seems like a waste of time to me, why not just mark them and be done with it!

Sounded to me like he wanted to track other things than just how many times it was sharpened, and this was just a suggestion as to how to track anything he wanted. I wasn't suggesting he also measure it.

[Magicman]

If the blade isn't cutting the operation isn't making lumber or profit.

Very true but blades are an expendable item.  If the blade isn't cutting I take it off and put a fresh one on.  If it needs resharpening, I send it back.  If it is damaged in any way, I discard it. 

(If you resharpen then insert your operation where I send it back.)

[YellowHammer]

Like some others, I don't track mine.  They either cut or they don't. If they don't, I resharpen them.  I will run and resharpen them until they break. I examine the break and see if it's in the gullet or the back edge.  That will tell me how my mill is running and if I got the most of the band.

[Kbeitz]

I think I'm one of the few that runs a blade and it stays on the mill till it breaks.
I made a sharpener but I can sharpen while it's on the mill faster than taking it
off and taking it to the machine. Works for me.