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Band Sharpening

Started by reswire, December 30, 2016, 12:13:50 AM

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reswire

Does anyone know of a sharpening service in the Fredericksburg, Va. or surrounding areas?  I would like to find someone reliable; that I don't have to ship my blades to for sharpening.  I'm thinking of buying a sharpener, but at times it seems I won't be able to justify the cost of a good sharpener...  Any thoughts as to how many bands per year to make it worth the money? :new_year:
Norwood LM 30, JD 5205, some Stihl saws, 15 goats, 10 chickens, 1 Chessie and a 2 Weiner dogs...

bandmiller2

The way I look at it if your just dubbing around for your own use send them out or use them once until dull and sell or dispose. If your doing a lot of cutting and especially some for hire get your own sharpener and setter. Cavite, some folks don't have the patience or aptitude to sharpen cutting implements and don't want to learn, by all means send them out. There is satisfaction doing it in house if you have the spare cash get set up for sharpening, it will just take longer to pay off the equipment. Frank C.
A man armed with common sense is packing a big piece

Chuck White

My Sharpener and Setter cost me $2,455.00, which included the freight charge from Alabama to New York!

I kept track of the numbers of blades that I sharpened and figured them at $7.00 and when I hit 350 blades, that was the break-even point.  After that, the sharpener and setter didn't cost me anything more!

I had bought the sharpener and setter in June of '09 and in May of '11 it paid for itself!
~Chuck~  Cooks Cat Claw sharpener and single tooth setter.  2018 Chevy Silverado and 2021 Subaru Ascent.
With basic mechanical skills and the ability to read you can maintain a Woodmizer  LT40!

Magicman

Sharpening is a personal decision that each of us make.  For me it was not based on economics but how I wish to spend my time.  When I am sawing I am working.  When I am not sawing I am off.

I had a bad experience with a local sharpener so shipping  them to WM is by far my best option for both convenience and quality.
Knothole Sawmill, LLC     '98 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic   WM Million BF Club Member   WM Pro Sawyer Network

It's Weird being the Same Age as Old People

Never allow your "need" to make money to exceed your "desire" to provide quality service.....The Magicman

terrifictimbersllc

Quote from: reswire on December 30, 2016, 12:13:50 AM
Does anyone know of a sharpening service in the Fredericksburg, Va. or surrounding areas?  I would like to find someone reliable; that I don't have to ship my blades to for sharpening.  I'm thinking of buying a sharpener, but at times it seems I won't be able to justify the cost of a good sharpener...  Any thoughts as to how many bands per year to make it worth the money? :new_year:
How many dull bands do you have right now, and how many sharp bands?
DJ Hoover, Terrific Timbers LLC,  Mystic CT Woodmizer Million Board Foot Club member. 2019 LT70 Super Wide 55 Yanmar,  LogRite fetching arch, WM BMS250 sharpener/BMT250 setter.  2001 F350 7.3L PSD 6 spd manual ZF 4x4 Crew Cab Long Bed

btulloh

I use Automatic Saw in Richmond.  They've been doing a good job for me.  They sharpen anything and everything.  They're a Stihl dealer also.  2812 Hull St., Richmond, 804-643-8637

All things considered, it would be more efficient to ship my bands rather than take the time to drop them off and pick them up, but I usually find some additional reason to go there.

I can't say how they stack up against other places since it's the only place I've used, but stuff goes in dull and comes back sharp.  It's not a pretty place, but it has it's own personality.  Sort of like the places that rebuild starters and clutches.  Looks like a bomb went off, but it all works.
HM126

esteadle

I bought a Cook's Saw "CatClaw" sharpener last year.
http://www.cookssaw.com/index.php/sharpeners/cat-claw-sharpener

Cooks charges 7.50 to sharpen a blade, so 10 for 75. Consider also the cost to send and return shipping, which from my location cost ~50 each way, 100 total. My cost for 10 blades is 175 all together, or 17.50 / blade.

That Cat Claw is $1,795.00 on sale right now. I paid a little more for my package with a tooth setter and extra accessories, but let's make it easy and disregard those other things.

I figure that if I sharpen about 100 blades (my calculator says 102.5, so let's call it 103), then I have paid for the sharpener. I am keeping track of how many bands it will take me to pay it off. Today, I sharpened 10 blades, and so far I've sharpened a total of about 40 since I got it. So I'm about 40% of the way to paying for this machine in a year. I consider that a good investment.

reswire

Thanks for all the input.  At one point I was paying about 15 dollars per blade to send out to resharpen, but the resharps were never as good as a new blade.  Sometimes I would only get about 6 out of 10 blades returned, was told they couldn't be reshaped for one reason or another.    The service just wasn't worth the effort.  Later I met a Kasco dealer who sold me new blades for 15 per,,, and that was about as cheap as getting an old one resharped.  NOW I've got about 40 blades, 3 different brands, different degree cut, and no sharpener! :D :D  I used to have a TK sharpener and setter, but just couldn't seem to make it work for me.  Sold it when I sold my mill, sorry I did now.  I'm looking at the cat's sharpener, and possibly the new woodmizer sharpener/setter.  Only 1200 new, problem is it only sets one tooth at a time.  Soon I'll bite the bullet and buy one I guess.  Thanks again, Joe
Norwood LM 30, JD 5205, some Stihl saws, 15 goats, 10 chickens, 1 Chessie and a 2 Weiner dogs...

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