It's Here!--Update

FarmingSawyer · December 09, 2014, 07:21:39 PM

Christmas has come early, Kitty.....! 8) 8) 8) :new_year:

My Cats Claw and single tooth setter arrived today! Good thing it's a cold monsoon out there.....cause I did nothin but play!
Got the tables built and everything done by 3 or so and then started right in settin a sharpin until I realized I hadn't eaten lunch.
After a quick break I got back to it and managed to get 8 bands set and 6 sharp before I decided I couldn't be too late for evening chores.

I started with some pretty crummy bands--metal strikes, missing teeth and such--in case I screwed up and ground too much out of a gullet....worked ok, except trying to learn on a hammered band probably made the learning curve steeper. By the third band thru I got a better feel for it.

I've been giving the bands 3 light passes through because I'm changing over from whatever profile to Cooks Super Sharp 8˚. I was too cheap to buy a TimberWolf cam and most of my bands are TWs......

Anyone build a homemade Band Roller? I'm thinking it might be the way to go to take the set out of bands that have teeth bent from metal strikes, or to change sets to something less for frozen logs. Been thinkin hard how to make one on the cheap.

Some gratuitous photos......
I set up in the warmish attic over the kitchen accessible from the barn ell. It has power and lights and a skylight for some reason. It's small, but better than the area over my shop which is cold and powerless....I won't say anything about my ex...... :D

wood monger · December 09, 2014, 07:24:46 PM

That's got to save some big bucks from sending them out to get set and sharpened. Probably pay for itself fairly quickly.

goose63 · December 09, 2014, 07:27:18 PM

Looking good wish I could afford one 8)

FarmingSawyer · December 09, 2014, 07:39:24 PM

Goose, it's a hefty sum. I had to borrow some money to take advantage of Cooks' sale. But it sure beats driving 2 hours and waiting 3-4 weeks to get bands back. Maybe the novelty will wear off, but I got into a nice rhythm and lost all track of time. I can hear the coins falling into the bank right now......well....actually back in to the old man's pocket......

crowhill · December 09, 2014, 08:18:02 PM

Just curious, being a new process for you once set in motion how long to set n sharpen a blade and how long is your blade?

bandmiller2 · December 09, 2014, 08:29:09 PM

Sawyer a couple of things you can do with your new cat. Get a cookie sheet or big cake pan to put under the grinder to catch the grits and metal filings. Check the electrical boxes under the grinder and put duct tape over the top so the metal grindings don't filter into the switches. Other than that you will never wear it out, seriously over engineered. Frank C.

FarmingSawyer · December 09, 2014, 08:42:28 PM

Quote from: crowhill on December 09, 2014, 08:18:02 PM
Just curious, being a new process for you once set in motion how long to set n sharpen a blade and how long is your blade?

I was going very slow at first..... I had some issues with the dial. The backing plate was loose and I was getting false readings. Figured it out and got it tight--after fidgeting with 2 bands. It also took me a while to sharpen the first 2 bands. I kept tweaking the settings, etc..... Once I got it going around good and learned the sounds the sharpener makes I stopped watching it. Although that is quite mesmerizing.

By the last band. I placed it on the sharpener and got it going and made some minor adjustments. I was able to turn a band inside out, find the weld and mark it and get one 1/2 set by the time the sharpening band had gone around once and a half times on about 40% speed. I've had it up to 50% and it seems a bit fast to catch it if something goes wonky.
I stopped setting long enough to make an adjustment for the second pass on the grinder then finished setting the first 1/2 of the band. Then I turned the set band right-side out and set the second half and finished it a few minutes after I shut the grinder off from the third pass. I only made a tiny adjustment for the 3 go around.

The next time I work at it I plan on timing myself. I have 2 bands set now, one is on the sharpener ready to go. That should help me keep up as setting is the slower part of the operation. I am also thinking of trying to re-train myself to take the bands off the mill and immediately turn them inside out so they are ready to set. Then by flipping them the right way to set the second half, they are ready immediately to sharpen and then mill......

FarmingSawyer · December 09, 2014, 08:45:27 PM

Quote from: bandmiller2 on December 09, 2014, 08:29:09 PM
Sawyer a couple of things you can do with your new cat. Get a cookie sheet or big cake pan to put under the grinder to catch the grits and metal filings. Check the electrical boxes under the grinder and put duct tape over the top so the metal grindings don't filter into the switches. Other than that you will never wear it out, seriously over engineered. Frank C.

A cookie sheet is a great idea! I placed some magnets in a plastic bag, but it's only working so-so. And the tape is a good tip. I'll look to see about sealing up any place filings can get in. Back in the day this would have been a nightmare for my fire pager.....dang thing would suck up filings any time I used a bench grinder. I was forever sweeping it with a magnet in a bag to get it to work right.....

elk42 · December 09, 2014, 09:09:57 PM

FarmingSawyer

You really need to wear a mask in that confined space.

bandmiller2 · December 09, 2014, 09:14:22 PM

Sawyer, many times you don't have to set the band. If the band has been cutting well and just starting to dull you can touch up the teeth. After a wile you can look at the set and get a good idea if it needs setting. If you look down on the teeth they should be set over about half the thickness of the band. I figure about 15 min. per band to sharpen and a little less to set as I use a two tooth setter. Its rare even with the supposedly right cam to clean the gullet on the first pass, not to worry it will clean on the second or third time you sharpen the band, whats important is the face and back of the tooth. Frank C.

FarmingSawyer · December 10, 2014, 05:42:06 AM

Elk42 There is more space in the room than the photo shows and the ceiling is high. I didn't notice any dust issues and no smoke. It's not like using an oil grinder. Also, the door to the room is open and it is a pretty drafty place. It's warmer than the barn because it sits over the wood stove..... (Which is also why I was horrified when I cleaned the room out, that the owner kept shells, lamp oil, and a case!!--like a 20x20x20" box--of diamond matches in there....)

Frank, thanks for the advice! I was mainly setting bands which has a metal strike or were marked for some issue or other. I did run a couple of "clean" bands just to get a feel for the setter and adjust it. Also, now I have the sharpener I will pull bands much sooner and not be tempted to run them for "just a few more cuts". When I feel them dull.

I'm still debating on whether to set for frozen wood. The TW 10˚ .024s I've been using have worked really well in frozen spruce. I'm going to check to see how a couple run now that I've sharpened them to a Cooks profile at 8˚......... The TW's I was running yesterday all had been sent out to a service and I noticed a very different profile on some. The one WM band I did was fresh and cleaned up nicely on the Cooks cam.

Has any one added a hole for a lower hook angle? Like 4˚......

bandmiller2 · December 10, 2014, 07:44:49 AM

Sawyer, those holes on the back to adjust hook are suggestions not the whole unmitigated truth. What you need is a machinest protractor head. With the band on the cat put a white piece of something behind and adjust the protractor to see a even white gap just in front of the tooth then read the tool. One or two degrees taint much. You can clamp the hook angle adjustment anywhere you want, check with your protractor, drill and tap more holes. The holes are 1/4x20 if I recall. I put extensions in the front to grind Makita 3" wide bands for shop bandsaws. I'am sure you could modify the cat to automatically sharpen chainsaw chains if a fella wanted or even large circular saws. Enjoy your freedom mate. Frank C.

Chuck White · December 10, 2014, 08:15:41 AM

If you keep track of the number of blades you sharpen, you'll be surprised how quickly your sharpener will be "paid for".

I just figured mine at $7.00 for sharpening and no shipping and the sharpener/setter were paid for when I sharpened my 350th blade!

That was about 2 months into my second season using the sharpener.

backwoods sawyer · December 10, 2014, 11:34:38 AM

Sharpening inside where sparks can run and hide :-\
I use a spare pan off the wm sharpener and it catches most of the sparks (I sharpen outside), a deep bake pan would help contain those hot sparks that seek a starting point. Add a little water to cool those that bounce out.

FarmingSawyer · December 13, 2014, 06:19:51 PM

Hasn't been quite a week yet and I've sharpened 11 bands at two sittings. I threw the first mesharp on the mill the other day. It was a resharp service reject. There's an odd twist to the band, it's missing 2 teeth and was a metal strike blade, and it had a kink from running off the wheels. Other than being a tad overset, it's cut a couple hundred feet of partially frozen pine and knotty cedar--both wide and narrow logs. Not bad for a blade which was "trash" after it's 2nd professional sharpening. The way it's cutting now I can probably get another 200 feet out of it before I send it to the filing room.

I've never had the feeling that I wanted a blade to fail so badly.....I've been pushing this thing and cutting faster than I normally do when I'm trying to conserve bands to make them last 1000bf. Powering through knots. Not worrying about a bit of sand on the bark. What a feeling of freedom knowing I don't have to conserve bands because I won't have enough to last if I don't get any back from the sharpening service on time or even within the month...... and I know that as soon as I feel this band slowing down or cutting poorly I can pull it off and throw another on, or give it a grind. I've got 20 new bands that won't go into service until every last me-sharp has gone the rounds or until I run into something tough like solidly frozen knotty spruce or locust.

Getting the sharpening gear was financially painful, but I've already saved myself a bunch of hassle and money in travel time--or packaging--and waiting for returned bands, and I can get more life out of $350 dollars worth of bands I've been saving up which were rejected on their first sharpening..... 8) 8) 8)

4x4American · December 13, 2014, 06:34:00 PM

I too just got power out where I have my Cat Claw Sharpner/Setter. Just sharpened and set 6 bands the other night. Once I figured out all of the adjustments it goes real fast. I have the dual tooth setter and that took longer to dial in than the sharpner. The hardest adjustment on the sharpner was shaping a new rock to the right profile. I too started out with junk bands that had found metal so I could figure out how it works. I sawed 4 oak logs with one of my resharps today and it sawed better than it came brand new I swear it blazed through them logs, until I sawed through too much frozen mud...

FarmingSawyer · December 13, 2014, 06:43:48 PM

Quote from: 4x4American on December 13, 2014, 06:34:00 PM
The hardest adjustment on the sharpner was shaping a new rock to the right profile.

I figured I had too many different profiles, I'd just force them all to the rock for the moment..... about 1/2 my bands now are Cooks SS. Then there are some WM and some Simmonds and the rest are Timberwolfs. All are 7/8ths and all except 4 are 1-1/2s. Not sure what I'm going to do about the 1-3/8ths Cobalt bands yet.....

thecfarm · December 13, 2014, 07:36:18 PM

mesharp,you got that registered yet? :D Glad it's all working out for ya. If you was closer ,I would send you my blades for the mesharp sevice.

4x4American · December 13, 2014, 08:39:15 PM

Quote from: FarmingSawyer on December 13, 2014, 06:43:48 PM
Quote from: 4x4American on December 13, 2014, 06:34:00 PM
The hardest adjustment on the sharpner was shaping a new rock to the right profile.

I figured I had too many different profiles, I'd just force them all to the rock for the moment..... about 1/2 my bands now are Cooks SS. Then there are some WM and some Simmonds and the rest are Timberwolfs. All are 7/8ths and all except 4 are 1-1/2s. Not sure what I'm going to do about the 1-3/8ths Cobalt bands yet.....

Did they send you two rocks? I took the preshaped rock they had mounted and set it off to the side and put the new one on and shaped it. I used the one they did for a reference. My thought was that i'd eventually have to shape the new rock, I might as well do it now while I have another rock here to look at.

FarmingSawyer · December 14, 2014, 06:13:55 AM

Ah...you're more on the ball than I am! ;D I just wanted to get sharpening and play!

I figured I'd fine tune the rock I'm using to get a feel for shaping them and then have at the square edged stone in the future. If I have one beef with the grinder it's that the nuts for the rock's cover plate aren't tacked in place.....and that the small hex screws on the drive belt plate are 1) smaller than the allen wrench I had handy and 2) one of them is in a tight spot. Granted these are once and a while changes, but when you need to make them, you need to make them and I bet they won't come at a convenient time!

The other things is.....look at my photo..... they didn't send the bolts to hold the arm rollers in place. I grabbed the only ones I had in the shop which would fit--2-1/2" carriage bolts!! They actually work ok to help get the blade in place quickly.....

FarmingSawyer · December 14, 2014, 06:18:30 AM

Quote from: thecfarm on December 13, 2014, 07:36:18 PM
mesharp,you got that registered yet? :D Glad it's all working out for ya. If you was closer ,I would send you my blades for the mesharp sevice.

Got the "mesharp" here on FF! It's a great term! Can't remember who came up with it, but Props!
I can count 5 or 6 Thomas mills around here as I drive about, and I know there are at least 3 or 4 more in the area and some WM's. Hoping to get a few customers to help pay this thing off!!

bandmiller2 · December 14, 2014, 08:09:29 AM

Ah sawyer you are learning the joys of sharpening your own. I think if Cooks had a six month lease on the cats claw with the option to buy, their return dept. guys would be off fishing most of the time. You are el-correcto on the wheel cover, what I did is make up studs from machine screws then use wing nuts. Unless your commercially sharpening the blue and red ceramic wheels seem to last close to forever. I do very little wheel dressing once the wheel is shaped properly. A diamond grit wheel dresser makes the shaping much easier. I have used a single diamond dresser but the multiple grit dresser is easier. Frank C.