How long should these new blades last

mmartone · January 19, 2013, 09:18:39 AM

Got my 2 boxes of new blades from cooks the other day, going to saw some today and wondering how long they will last in SYP? A day? 10 logs? Just trying to get some idea... Thanks

customsawyer · January 19, 2013, 09:36:49 AM

How long a blade last depends on how dirty the logs are. There are lots of other variables like what sizes you are cutting. Regular sawing I get between 500 and 1500 bf per sharpening. When I am sawing the big timbers I get around 2500 bf per sharpening.

drobertson · January 19, 2013, 10:33:28 AM

Not sure which cooks' you are using, the super sharpes I have been running should easily get you 1000 bdft. I ran a resharped one close to 2200 ft once. I usually change out before the 1000 ft mark, sounds like custom is right on track with his numbers,

POSTON WIDEHEAD · January 19, 2013, 11:21:19 AM

A lot of things..... should..... that don't.
Don't get tunnel vision just by reading what the info says about how long a blade will last.

Your best "gauge" to tell you, you need to have your blade sharpened...... is your "eye". Watch your lumber.
Like CustomSawyer said, Lots of Variables.

But gaining experience and learning the communication between your eye and your lumber will be very helpful to producing good lumber.

I never think about how long a blade will last, I only think about what I sell and I keep plenty of sharp blades on hand to battle those variables.

slider · January 19, 2013, 12:33:55 PM

I'm with David on watching your lumber.If your cutting syp that is knotty you are going to keep a very sharp blade on or you will be seeing some wavy boards.I keep a 4 ft level on hand that i check the cant with after a pass.Or a sraight edge will show you a dip when you start to get in trouble.You can slow down at the knots and keep sawing .You can saw all day on clean cypress but in pine i usually change at 4 hrs.

roghair · January 19, 2013, 02:48:42 PM

Is it not possible to see or feel if a blade is dull, maybe with a magnifying glass? That would make it a lot easier to determine the cause of wavy boards. As you can see I'm not an experienced sawer, but I think it should be possible somehow to SEE if a blade is dull rather than to experience the consequence of a dull blade...

Jim_Rogers · January 19, 2013, 03:15:25 PM

You can SEE a dull blade by looking at the way it exits the log. If it drops down it's dull. If it lifts up it's dull.

You can SEE a dull blade by looking at the lumber, or cant. If there is wavies then it's dull, most likely.

You have to learn to "read" the lumber and the log, as well as the blade.

Good luck and keep asking questions.....

Jim Rogers

francismilker · January 19, 2013, 06:17:09 PM

I don't have enough experience yet to have it figured out. I can't put rhyme or reason to it. I can cut ERC for an hour or ten hours. It cuts away and then suddenly, it dips!

I can cut hickory with the same results. It's sharp one minute, dull the next.

One things for sure, there's nothing like the feel of that first slice with a new blade. It goes through like hot butter!

I wish there was another sawyer close to me that I could shadow and learn a thing or two from. The school of hard knocks is expensive!

Chuck White · January 19, 2013, 06:51:30 PM

Quote from: francismilker on January 19, 2013, 06:17:09 PM
I don't have enough experience yet to have it figured out. I can't put rhyme or reason to it. I can cut ERC for an hour or ten hours. It cuts away and then suddenly, it dips!

I can cut hickory with the same results. It's sharp one minute, dull the next.

One things for sure, there's nothing like the feel of that first slice with a new blade. It goes through like hot butter!

I wish there was another sawyer close to me that I could shadow and learn a thing or two from. The school of hard knocks is expensive!

Use the Find-a-Database, located at the top of the page.

You should be able to find a sawyer somewhere nearby.

drobertson · January 19, 2013, 07:18:29 PM

This is not rocket science. bands cut or they don't. This is not very hard to tell when then they go bad. Cutting tools are all the same, it just takes experience. For the most part most blades will get the job done, some faster and some slower, the blades you have described should get you close to 1000 bdft, there might be some waving with knots, but this will happen regardless of blades.

Kansas · January 19, 2013, 07:27:21 PM

Do you sharpen your own blades? In all reality, you ought to pull them before they get dull. You get a lot more sharpenings that way. I don't run Cooks, but I would think 500 to 800 ought to be enough on 4/4 lumber.

mmartone · January 19, 2013, 08:07:42 PM

I bought 10 each, durasharp and silvachrome. Well we cut a few logs today and WOW those new sharp blades are amazing. I moved my belts up for feed speed and can cut a good bit faster. We are going to cut one big pine tomorrow then some cypress and or an oak crotch. Thanks again for the help and encouragement.

bandmiller2 · January 19, 2013, 09:15:38 PM

As with most cutting tools if the edge reflects any light its dull,a sharp tooth you really can't see the edge.Sound will tell you also when you get used to your mill.The trick is to change the band before it dives.If you sharpen your own your more apt to change them before their really dull. Frank C.

terrifictimbersllc · January 20, 2013, 01:00:17 PM

I can easily see the difference between a sharpened blade and a very dull blade, with a 10x hand lens. But I'm NOT saying I can look at a band and see when to change it. Sharp is a relative term. I can easily cut, and fast, many hundred board feet of flat, fairly clear red oak under 10" with a band that would not be able to cut one flat board of 10" wide knotty pine, or flat 20" wide anything.