Do it yourself blade sharpening, or send-em out?

[Larry]

After 16 years of sawing...mostly hobby...but sometimes business, I have a routine.  Get an early start like maybe 9am.  Saw until I get hungry which is sometimes as early as 11 but never later than 11:30.  Pull the band, and into the house for my noon nourishment.  Check the FF along with craigslist and out to the shop to re-sharpen my band.  Back out to the mill for another couple hours of sawing...if its not to hot, or to cold.

When I first bought my mill I would have maybe 30 or more bands hanging from hooks in the shed.  All different...some even from different manufactures.  What a mess...no idea what I had and sharpening/setting when the time came was torture.  Over the years I refined my technique.  Buy a box of 15 WM 7 degree bands and take out 2 or 3.  Use them until they are used up then pull out a couple more.  Try not to ever have more than 3 in rotation.  When I re-sharpen, depending on how the wood is sawing I might add a tic more hook or maybe a little less.  I only set when the band tells me it needs re-setting.  That might be after two or maybe four re-sharps.  The real benefit of this system is I always have a brand new band...a full 1-1/4" wide if I need one for a 29" wide cut in a knotty old hard log that shows up.  I also get to make the decision when a band goes to band heaven...if it is only 1" wide and still cutting good it stays.  Some that re-sharpen would have trashed that band long before reaching 1".

A poor picture of my band grinder that was in my gallery.  We need somebody smart to make a utube on how slick it works.

[Tim/South]

I sharpen my own. My philosophy is similar to Tom's and some others.
For me the time I spend sharpening is quality time for me. I sharpen in the evenings of at night during times I would not be sawing.
I could be watching TV but I find the sharpening to be relaxing.
I label my bands as a One, Two or Three. The number depends on the quality of the band. I salvage and use bands that I doubt I would get back from a resharp. These are the number Threes that are missing some teeth. I can still use them on some questionable logs I really do not want to place a #1 band into.
As others have mentioned, I label each band when it comes off the mill. I know how that band was performing and if there is anything I need to pay attention to.

When you sharpen and set your own bands you also have the option of setting to your specifications, what works for you. I will set a group at 28-30 for fresh pine.

If I use a band I have sharpened and set and there is an issue, no one to blame but myself.
I suppose the bottom line for me is that I like to sharpen my bands.
I tolerate the setting part.  ;D

[bandmiller2]

Its a good feeling to handle the sharpening "in house" and not a big chore if you have the tools and a pleasant place to do it,not a cold dark shed.If you do your own your not so tempted to run them too long.No big deal to try a different tooth angle.Resharp does a good job,outher sharpening shops are spotty some good outhers poor.If your an independent cuss with the will to do it right by all means grind and set your own. Frank C.

[moonhill]

Here is my first picture I have personally posted here on the FF, and it is a moving picture at that.  Sorry no music or verbal description to go along with it just the genny running in the back ground, my welder/generator. It is self explanatory, I guess.  Nothing fancy it does the job I need it to do.

As a note, the sound is wacky, it has not processed completely, that may change. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LDDUMnsaUNU

Tim

[Brucer]

I too would not want others messing with my bands.

That is certainly a factor with me. There's no resharp in Canada, but WM gives out the names of people who sharpen bandsaw blades. They also get feedback from people like me to be sure they are only recommending reliable businesses.

I have a very reliable sharpening guy. He ran a Wood-Mizer for many years (and sharpened his own blades). An injury eventually made him give up the sawing, so he started a sharpening business. He understands what I need and will do special sharpening jobs for me at no extra charge.

If I couldn't find someone like this, I'd be sharpening my own.

[panman]

Tim;
Pretty slick, and it only took 3 minutes.
Looks like I'll be trying your method.
Don't your bandsaw blades, have offset teeth? You ground all the teeth the same way.
Looks like you have a scribed line on your add-on table for a blade reference?
Thanks
Jim

[Chuck White]

That's a very "basic" sharpener you have there Tim!
But, from what I see in the video, it works very well!
Really a very slick outfit!
Congrats on making it yourself!

[bandmiller2]

DanG,no wonder my wrists got tired I was doing like Tim but having the band loop up,probibly the cement floor had something to do with it.This method would key in nicely with the Rogers plan ,touch up your bands on the grinder a couple of times then send to resharp when they need a set and even them up.Tim how do you set your bands??If done correctly this method dresses the whole tooth.You kiss the back of the tooth on the side of the wheel then into the pocket with the wheel dressed to the proper hook.A diamond wheel dresser is a great aid in shaping the wheel.Basically you just copy the shape of the band.Tim makes it look easy theirs a learning curve and its best done before miller time.Frank C.

[moonhill]

Your are right Frank C., your finger and hands may get a little tired just take a little break a few moments look at the teeth and see how it is going, you almost get used to it after a while, I can go all the way around with out any discomfort.  And It does come with a learning curve, practice with an bad band, everyone should have a few of those, take your time don't rush it.  Every once and a while I will get the band hung on something and hit a tooth tip, you don't want to do that too often on the same band ;D 

You will want a diamond tip dresser as well as a coarse flat stone to smooth out the wheel, the wheel does not want to have any nicks of high spots as this will reflect in the gullet and may cause premature band failure, a crack starter in the gullet.  Shaping the wheel is the hardest part, and getting it right.

You will need a protractor to check the angle of the tooth.  The grinding wheel has a 45° bevel ground on it then the careful radius to round out where the gullet follows.  The back of the tooth touches the the outside flat on the wheel first then it follows along into the gullet and then a light kiss on the tooth face.    Practice this with the grinder in the off position first.  When grinding you don't need much force, just light. 

The Band rest is, if I recall correctly, 10° to the 45° angle on the wheel, I could check this.  Out of the picture, on the base of the grinder, I have a board with two stickers screwed to it acting as a guide to assist with keeping the band alined with the band rest.  It is important to keep the band even with the band rest, parallel.  The height of the rest is important, too, you want it just right for you. 

For a test, if I was to try this for the first time I would mock up a wooden rest and give it a whirl.  No cost but the time and a grinding wheel.  I am using a standard 3/4" fine grit wheel, gray not one of the white or pink wheels, I hear they will wear quicker.  I redress every 20 sharpening or so, you can tell when it need it.  When shaping the wheel us a face shield and don't rush it, it will take an hour or so to get the rough shape and maybe another hour to fine tune the correct geometry to fit your band.  You want the band to be in a relaxed state where it rest nicely on the rest at the grinder, different length bands will make this vary.   The great thing about this is you get to tinker with it ;D

I have often wondered how accurate this method really is.  A slight miss alignment will through the geometry off and the band will not perform at its best.  I have thought about sending the band out after every 5 sharpening or so to be tuned true and set, like new, but I am not confident in how they will come back.  As some of you have said you need to find a competent fellow to do this, in my case that fellow is me, I think.  I think it is a reasonable idea to sent them out for a tune up, at the same time I wonder if the sharpening service will like having to adjust to your grind this may take too much out of your bands?

I am using a dual tooth setter from Suffolk Machine. 

BTW, sharpening my bands is not a hobby, nor is sawing wood, I do enjoy it all very much though.  Isn't it nice to find work which is enjoyable, as a hobby is. 

panman, if I am not mistaken all grinders will sharpen all the teeth, otherwise you will end up with a tooth that is higher than the others and that will not do.  The face of the tooth should be square to the tooth, something your new bands don't have, it takes a first sharpening to kiss the tooth and make this true.  When the band come from the maker the set is set into the band and the face is not square to the tooth, it needs a light grinding, but we all just put the new band on and go for it for the first time, I do see an improvement in the band after the first sharpening.  It is just slight though and sometimes I wonder if I am imagining it. 

Tim

[sdunston]

Thanks for the link to the video tim,Good machine you build there,I think sharpeners are like sawmills, they all do the job its just some are a little easier to use.
Sam

[coastlogger]

Great video Tim  thanks. You also partly answered my question I think. Your method results in the back of the tooth getting touched last. automatic profilers by their design will do the face of the tooth last. Ive got a hankering to figure out whether this detail is significant.Yesterday I did a band on my profiler the usual way,got it real nice and sharp,put it on the mill and made a cut in a big cant I had set up for the test. 26" cut 12 feet long. Made a cut and timed it. Took band off put in profiler and adjusted so it only kissed back of tooth. Put back on and cut spd seemed to be 25% faster. will have to try this a few times to see if this is the case always. anyone else do this?
Incidentally I know a couple of sawyers who do grinds like you but they all feed the band the other way AND they dont have the stone profiled so they have to follow the tooth profile.Your way seems to me to be better  of course Ive never tried doing it either way but I just might. Sure is fast.
clgr

[John Bartley]

The reason for touching the face of the tooth last is to remove the burr that's left when you sharpen the top of the tooth. That burr rolls off the top of the tooth and down in front of the face. Touching the face last takes off the burr.

cheers

John

[Magicman]

dmulac,  You got covered up in this hot topic, but anyway....Welcome to The Forestry Forum.  As you will quickly find out, everyone has their own way and opinion, and will fiercely defend it..... 8) 

BTW, Resharp does mine.