Your favorite bandsaw blade

Smakman · April 22, 2005, 08:52:00 AM

What is your favorite bandsaw blade, it's cost, and how many resharpenings can you usually get before it's used up?

Kirk_Allen · April 22, 2005, 09:34:47 AM

Great timing on your question. Just last night I was running some stats on my blades and performance.

I have tried the following blades:
1. Wood-Mizer Double Hard
2. Simmonds Red Streak
3. Munkforsager (Monkey Blades)
4. Timberwolf

In the same order,

Cost:
1. $19.50
2. $16.75
3. $14.75
4. $23.00

I have gotton this as an average resharp number. I do my own blades
1. 8 resharps - to small to sharpen any more
2. 6 resharps - had teeth not broke during setting there was room for more sharpenings.
3. 8 resharps - to small to sharpen any more
4. 4 resharps - Broken blade

Sending them to WM for Resharp I was getting no more than 6 resharps before they would replace them.

My preference falls into two blades. The Mokey blades and the Woodmizer Double Hard. I thing the WM edges out the Monkey as my primary choice because of the wood I am cutting. The WM blade is .045 think and the Monkey is .041 thick. The additional meat in the blade seems to offer better cuts on the majority of the hardwoods I cut. I also dont want to have to change the setting on my bottom blade guide because I swith blades. If Monkey blades were .045 I would give them another chance. Some say they cut better because they are thinner so I dont know if a thicker blade would change much or not.

I was totalling all the blades I have used up since owning my mill and it turns out I have used 56 blades total, of which 4 have been destroyed by metal. My rough bf numbers for lumber cut is bumping 90,000 bf but I may have finally hit that 100,000 bf mark since I didnt keep the best of records early on. I know I get around 2000 bf from each blades life so doing the math on the blade use side I have cut over 100,000 bf 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8)

I KNOW if I had a debarker my numbers would be even higher on BF per blade. I usually pull mine off around 3-500 bf for resharp, depending on what I am cutting.

Smakman · April 22, 2005, 02:36:36 PM

Now THAT is the kind of info I was looking for. After hearing the reviews for the Munkforsager, I expected it would be more expensive. It sounds like it may be the best for the money.

JP · April 22, 2005, 02:51:04 PM

Hi-I am using WM blades and sharpening on a Norwood machine.
does anyone know if the Monkey blades can be ground on this w/o any special cam?? JP

Kirk_Allen · April 22, 2005, 03:17:11 PM

I had no problem grinding them other than having to dress the stone to match properly.

ohsoloco · April 22, 2005, 08:57:05 PM

JP, I've been sharpening Monkey blades on my Norwood sharpener with no problems ;)

Sawing Logz · April 22, 2005, 09:14:55 PM

Thankx, Kirk Allen you have been through what i sat down this winter and did, but you saved me from looking for the page i wrote it down on, i too need to reorder and i thank you for that time saver . 8) I too have had a great run with the Monkeys, though i have not tried the WM. Maybe in the summer.

Jeff

Rockn H · April 23, 2005, 02:04:42 AM

Well I guess I'm the odd man out here. :D I really like WM resharp program. That is I looked at the initial cost and time spent sharpening,mainly time spent, vs. the $8.00 cost of the service and shipping per blade. For me the resharp program works better. And not to say the blades you sharpen yourself don't do this, I have no experience,but they seem to cut better after resharp than when new.
I start with a 1.5 and get around 10 sharpenings. For dry logs I use an old blade-ie. skinier from sharpening, more like a 1.25. Also I run my blades a little over mbf and then I swap'em out. I may be able to cut more, but it seems like thats the magic number before they start diving. If there is any dirt I'll run my little power mac 6 , I love this saw ;D, down the log and it makes a big difference.

Kirk_Allen · April 23, 2005, 12:36:25 PM

Rockn H:
Your not the odd man out. There are a lot of variables to look at on the resharp versus doing it yourself. For me, I lucked out (still have the golden horshoe stuck in my @$$) and tot a WM setter and sharpener for $700.00. It was like new. Up until that point I was using the resharp out of KY.

What resharp center do you send yours too?

Anyway, since the setter and sharpener was priced right I decided I would do my own. Once you get it down the process doesnt take much time. I normally do blades on a day like today. Cold and windy. Not going to cut anything today so might as well set and sharpen.

As far as sharper after resharp, I agree. My blades are sharper after I sharpen them than they are new. I found the same to be true from WM, which is confusing because the blades came from them in the first palce. The only thing I can think of is that the main manufacturing is in Indy and the resharp service is in several different locations.

10 sharpenings is excellant. I get that on quite a few when doing my own but rarely saw that from WM.
Next investment is a debarker. I need one bad!

Part_Timer · April 23, 2005, 12:45:56 PM

I use the WM blades and send them to the resharp center in KY. maybe some day I'll sharpen my own but for now I'll let them do it. The nice thing is that you can get a blade replaced at the box price if you happen to find one of those (rare) wire trees that removes all the teeth

Kirk_Allen · April 23, 2005, 03:33:35 PM

I set and sharpened 6 blades in 1 hour today. Noticed some interesting things.

The teeth on the Simmonds blades will snap if you use the set tool to bend the tooth back from having to much set.

The WM teeth had no problem. I also noticed that the WM blades seem to be more conistant than the simmons regarding set. After use one time the WM blades only lost .002-.004 thousands of set while the Simmons lost .008-.010 thousands, thus needing set more often.

At a ball park price of $8.00 to resharp with shipping that means those 6 blades would have cost me $48.00 to have done.

Doing them my self in one hour, at an hourly rate of $15.00 an hour for GOOD labor I come out way ahead. If I was full time I think I would be hireing a young college kid who needed the money and have him set and sharpen the blades for me. He makes some good extra cash for school and I save money on blade resharp.

I think the initial bullet to bite is the cost of the setter and sharpener. Once thats is behind you it seems to be money in your pocket.

ALTHOUGH....................Some days I hate to set and sharpen!

Smakman · April 23, 2005, 05:20:06 PM

I just talked to a local sawmill service place. They will pick up, sharpen, set and deliver bandsaw blades for $5.50 each. Sounds pretty good to me.

Kevin_H. · April 23, 2005, 06:43:10 PM

my last box of resharp blades should be here on monday. though WM my blade resharp costs are $9.10 each, I have found a local person to do it for $5.00 a piece.

I have tried 3 different WM resharp locations and I must say that the best results I ever got was from the indy location before they shut it down.

since that time it has seemed to have gone down hill. :(

I hope to have my own sharpener and setter before the end of may...