What To Expect From Resharpened Blades

barbender · July 25, 2009, 09:45:44 AM

I sent out a box of 10 blades to be sharpened. This is the first time I've sent blades out. My question is, isn't the whole gullet supposed to be ground? Mine were only ground on the face with a real light grind on the back of the tooth, just on the tip.

ladylake · July 25, 2009, 10:10:52 AM

When I sharpen a blade for the first time it most times doesn't hit the whole gullet, on the second sharpening it does. I could adjust my sharpener or go around twice on the first sharpening but don't think it's necessary as the shouldn't have any cracks yet. Steve

woodmills1 · July 26, 2009, 09:27:37 PM

Yes, now it is out..............the blade is the secret to this stuff. I am always amazed when a band I sharpened will not cut some knotty pine well, but will zip right through oak. I sharpen my own and hate to set.

So, lets hear from some of the more informed

I, personnaly would like a general purpose blade for my LT70 that will do pine both clear and knotty as well as oak. Those are the 2 I cut the most. I would not mind needing something different for say spruce(%$#%^ f DanG spruce or hickory)

I do not think the burr bothers my cut, but a resharpened blade that already hit metal is always IFFY

BTW, did I mention how often I have a resharpened blade that already hit something..... :D

backwoods sawyer · July 26, 2009, 09:53:33 PM

I had one saw in this last batch that I sharpened that had "ALL" the teeth laid over 40-70 to the out side of the saw. The first time around on the setter I just got the teeth pointed in the correct direction. Then went around two more times to fine tune the set on each tooth including the rakers. It a few teeth that were badly damaged and required about a dozen trips around the grinder. I will watch this saw real closely the first time I run it as it may need more work to get it back where it should be. I just finished sharpening my hardwood saws, and still have the softwood saws to go. I let the saw go around until all of the tooth is sharpened evenly. I had to redress the wheel and realign the sharpener to get that to happen. I keep a magnifying glass handy so that I can take close look at the teeth and if I find one tooth that still needs another pass then it goes around again. 4-6 pass are about average as I take a light grind so as to not over heat the tips.

LeeB · July 26, 2009, 10:52:03 PM

I run a minimum of two light passes and sometimes more. Once I get the band cut to the profile of the cam it's just a matter of keeping the profile on the rock right. Light passes help a lot with this too. A heavy grind tends to eat up the rock and you end up with uneven teeth. Light passes = better sharpening = less wear on the blade and rock. I find that slower is better for me too up to a ppoint. Too slow and I get burnt tips. On the cat claw I try to run at about a 4 on the dial. Gives me time to do other stuff while the band runs round.

backwoods sawyer · July 27, 2009, 12:56:11 AM

I have an older woodmizer sharpener, and it seems to do better if I turn it all the way up after I get it to following the tooth. The longer the stone is in contact with the tooth the more the motor bogs down even on a light pass. I like to keep the wheel speed up as much as I can. The cat claw has a bigger motor that will hold the wheel speed thru out the profile.
When you say get things done do you mean clean the shop, wire the trailer plug on the truck, turn a bowl, clean the shop, plane some walnut, clean the shop, build a saddle rack, grease the truck, clean the shop, and take care of other odd jobs around the shop?

LeeB · July 27, 2009, 01:11:02 AM

Quote from: backwoods sawyer on July 27, 2009, 12:56:11 AM

When you say get things done do you mean clean the shop, wire the trailer plug on the truck, turn a bowl, clean the shop, plane some walnut, clean the shop, build a saddle rack, grease the truck, clean the shop, and take care of other odd jobs around the shop?

Mayhaps some of them things but sure not all of them. My shop is a disaster( got a butt chewing over the phone last night from it >:( ), I don't ride my old horse anymore, and go down to the shop more for alone time and to relax than anthing else.

boardum · July 27, 2009, 03:30:18 AM

Woodmills1,
The band for the Pine and other softwoods, like the spruce, needs a little more set to cut clean. The longer fiber and the pitch all cause more friction than the Oak.

ladylake · July 27, 2009, 05:20:40 AM

Quote from: backwoods sawyer on July 26, 2009, 09:53:33 PM
I had one saw in this last batch that I sharpened that had "ALL" the teeth laid over 40-70 to the out side of the saw. The first time around on the setter I just got the teeth pointed in the correct direction. Then went around two more times to fine tune the set on each tooth including the rakers. It a few teeth that were badly damaged and required about a dozen trips around the grinder. I will watch this saw real closely the first time I run it as it may need more work to get it back where it should be. I just finished sharpening my hardwood saws, and still have the softwood saws to go. I let the saw go around until all of the tooth is sharpened evenly. I had to redress the wheel and realign the sharpener to get that to happen. I keep a magnifying glass handy so that I can take close look at the teeth and if I find one tooth that still needs another pass then it goes around again. 4-6 pass are about average as I take a light grind so as to not over heat the tips.

It's kind of funny how much time we'll waste on $15 blade. I've done the same thing. must just be to see if we can make it cut again. Steve

ladylake · July 27, 2009, 05:26:02 AM

Quote from: boardum on July 27, 2009, 03:30:18 AM
Woodmills1,
The band for the Pine and other softwoods, like the spruce, needs a little more set to cut clean. The longer fiber and the pitch all cause more friction than the Oak.

Yes, lots of set and I like less hook also in dry pine. Steve

Chuck White · July 27, 2009, 12:15:22 PM

I would figure that if a blade is resharpened "correctly", one should be able to expect the same results as with a new blade!

Chuck

ARKANSAWYER · July 27, 2009, 05:17:23 PM

I saw alot of pine and oak and have found that the WM 10 degree works well for both. I have also noted that the new 1 1/8 spaced teeth blades cut better in larger logs. Seems to have more gullet to pull the sawdust out of the cut. On the LT 70 we are running 1 1/8, 10 degree 0.055's and cut as much oak(300mbdft) as pine(350mbdft). Each feed just about as fast and cut well with the blades. Keeping fewer types of blades makes our life easier. We also saw hickory and cedar with the same blade.

NHHillbilly · August 01, 2009, 07:53:07 PM

I send mine out to be sharpened. Tell the gentlemen the set And degree i want and he sends them back to me. He Cleans them before he does anything with them. Seems to be working great for me. Very knowledgeable as well. Been trying to get him to join the forum for a while. I cant stomach buying a sharpener yet....Still trying to learn to saw too, no metal yet but my father sure seems to find it.

LeeB · August 02, 2009, 05:15:12 AM

Challanging yet is a lot like challanging worse. Your guaranteed to hit some now and soon.

Will_Johnson · August 03, 2009, 12:16:30 PM

This is all great stuff. A couple of thoughts on peripheral matters:

1) Postal shipping is cheaper but generally slower. We've had folks get MAD at us only to find it took almost two weeks for the blades to get here!

2) As is demonstrated by the great results of this email, folks if you have a problem with a vendor give them a call and an opportunity to make it right. As was so amply shown here, most times they will do what they can.

Will