Blade Width?

Magicman · February 05, 2025, 01:37:21 PM

I do not "resharpen" so my decision is at what width do I not bother to send a blade back to Resharp. I am normally on the "Auto Refill" program but I took advantage of Wood-Mizer's 15% off and free shipping so I bumped my blade inventory up to where I'll let attrition reduce my inventory. That blade special was actually cheaper than the Auto Refill.

I use 1 1/4" blades and when I coil or uncoil a blade, I can tell by the feel when it has gotten too flimsy and Resharp will probably reject it so....

When they get down to 1 1/8" I do not bother to send them for resharpening.

I may use this strategy as an opportunity to finally increase my blade width and start using 1 1/2" blades although I do not have an issue with 1 1/4" blades. Just do not let them get too narrow.

stihltoomany · February 05, 2025, 07:33:08 PM

I thought resharp by woodmizer was discontinued. Or did you mean resharp as a general term? Looking for a sharpening service. Have 100 plus dull blades. In eastern Iowa not exactly the center of sawmill country. Any suggestions welcome. Thanks

John S · February 06, 2025, 09:07:22 AM

Some Woodmizer ASC shops continue with Re-Sharp. I send mine to Marty Parsons Woodmizer in Shade Gap, PA.

Magicman · February 06, 2025, 07:51:23 PM

I also send mine to Marty Parsons. Matter of fact I dropped off a box of 10 at my UPS store today.

Just got another box back from him last week.

TimW · February 06, 2025, 11:50:08 PM

I also send mine to Marty Parsons. All the way from Texas!

GAB · February 07, 2025, 03:38:11 PM

If I did my own sharpening those narrow blades I would give a final sharpening and setting then put them in the metal pile. Then If I had a log I suspected might have foreign matter in it, I would use one of those blades as a metal detector so my out of pocket costs would be less sour to the taste.
GAB

Magicman · February 07, 2025, 03:44:03 PM

I understand but my metal hit blades are paid for by the customer @ $45 each.

GAB · February 07, 2025, 10:44:18 PM

Quote from: Magicman on February 07, 2025, 03:44:03 PMI understand but my metal hit blades are paid for by the customer @ $45 each.

MM:
I guess I should have written differently.
When you are given logs and you do not know their history and they have a blue spot on the stump end of the butt log then it is easier on the wallet using a blade with limited life left. In other words it doesn't hurt as bad.
I only charge customers $40.00 for scrapped blades. Maybe I should rethink for this year as my mill is currently in hibernation. Running equipment in our temps I consider abuse of machinery and I also do not like freezing so I'm hibernating too.
GAB

Magicman · February 08, 2025, 07:03:10 AM

My actual blade cost is ~$25 but then I have the additional labor expense of sometimes having to get the blade out of the cut, remove the metal or shorten the log, and then install a new blade. I feel very justified charging $45.

If/when I see blue on the log end, I alert the customer and remind him of the blade cost. After I hit metal, it is the customer's decision how to proceed. I must say that hitting metal is a rarity for me plus I am very seldom faced with yard and tree service trees.

GAB · February 08, 2025, 09:54:08 AM

MM:
My last blade purchase was ~ $23.00 per blade. It was a free shipping and one box free if you buy 4 deal 3 years ago iirc.
I agree with you in charging for lost production time, having a destroyed blade to have to mess with etc. That battery powered angle grinder sometimes helps reduce the "get out of this mess time issue". When a blade already has two ends adding a few more ends does not reduce that blades value any.
I love it when the owner of the log(s) is there when I hit metal in their log(s). I can say what do you want to do now, and let them make the decision.
I'm thinking that our thinking on this metal striking issue is not that far apart.
GAB

Stephen1 · February 08, 2025, 12:07:29 PM

I have switched to 1.5" 45th, silver tips. Then WM had a sale of Double hards and I ordered them, oh they are nicer blades. One of the boxes I ordered had a few 55th blades mixed in the pack. I was having a heck of a time flipping the blades to coil and finally figured out what was going on. ( I was really thinking it was time to quite if I can't flip a blade) oh they are even nicer! I'm waiting to see how many sharpening I get out of them and I might switch to them full time. 10-12 years ago I tried some 55th and got 1 sharpening before thy broke on the mill. I Never went back.
I usually hit enough metal that I don't have to set aside blades for metal strikes, just charge the customer. I charge $80C for a metal strike, I pay about $60C for a blade.

Ben Cut-wright · February 08, 2025, 03:37:06 PM

Comments prompted me to include some of my experience and finding on blades.

I also recently received a shipment of 1-1/4" DoubleHards because of the reduced price sale and free shipping. Been sharpening my own blades since the start of the beginning of portable milling when I bought the LT40HD. Two ten packs of brand new Silvertips came with the mill purchase and a great number of dull, well used, old blades. Have always sharpened and set all my blades and take pride in the ability and how well they saw. The DoubleHard blades were all 10* but I ground them all to my preferred 4* in tough hardwoods and slightly increased tooth height/gullet depth.

That said, the last portable job I did was slabbing large White Oak(X)Post Oak logs. These had been down and bucked for some years and were pasture trees growing along yard/horse fences. Many large butt log limb knots.

Began the job with freshly sharpened 0.45" 4* Silvertip that had seen many sharpenings and many hours on the mill since I owned it. Removing the first slabs went as well as could be expected. First 10/4 cant-wide slab the blade dived but I caught it within two inches. Was able to back the blade out of the log (amazing) and put another of my freshly sharpened Silvertips on the mill. When this blade reached the EXACT same spot the other blade had taken a dive... this one started to RISE in the cut even though the head travel was purposefully slow.

Recalling the DoubleHards at the very bottom of my truck inventory of blades, I dug one out and put it on the mill. Knew I was taking a risk when trying to saw through a cut that had diverted two different blades. Back into the 'now chicken hoof' kerf and crept up to the diverted lanes very slowly. The DBlhrds chewed through the intersection like it was guided by laser. Never a diversion after that and the blade made many wide and 10-12' long cuts perfectly.

I blame the worn Silvertips for failure to perform as much as I give credit to the DBLhrd teeth. Perhaps a wider Silvertip would have done the job just fine, I've cut stuff this wide with them before. I use diesel to lube the blades and never have a temperature problem I made no adjustments other than common blade adjustment.

The difference in blade width or age may have played as much a part as the hardened teeth. My plan is to replace the Silvertips with DBLhrds as the Silvertips break or get too narrow. The little added cost is well worth any chance of a better cut.

barbender · February 08, 2025, 04:01:50 PM

Woodmizer's recent website upgrades aren't doing the trick for me. My go to, Silvertip 1.5x045 7/39° Turbo blades aren't to be seen on the new website.

You guys can pay extra for the Doublehards all you want. I have not seen any performance or longevity benefits versus the Silvertip. If I did, paying extra would not be an issue.

Carolina Sawyer · February 08, 2025, 05:26:05 PM

When I bought my mill I started with 1.25x045's. They cut well when they were right out of the box but as soon as they got some wear they would start to wave, and I absolutely hate wavy lumber. Eventually I bought some 055's which were much better but still could not be pushed very hard when they started to dull. So I bought some 1.5x055's and they are absolutely the best. I saw far faster than I used to and run these blades much longer. I am in a situation where my money is in production so although I pay a bit more for these blades and may not be able to sharpen them much I still consider it worth my time. If I was sawing by the hour I might see that differently.

small cabin dre · February 24, 2025, 02:54:04 PM

Magicman,

Who resharpens your blades? I tried looking on Wood-Mizer's website and didnt see a service for this.

Dave Shepard · February 24, 2025, 05:31:50 PM

I get about four ReSharps from. 055" DoubleHard bands. If you don't pull them when they start to get dull, they will not last.

Pushing a dull band is a false economy, on many levels.

Magicman · February 24, 2025, 06:59:29 PM

Quote from: small cabin dre on February 24, 2025, 02:54:04 PMWho resharpens your blades?

Marty Parsons @ PA Wood-Mizer. 814-259-9976

KWood255 · February 24, 2025, 07:24:19 PM

When I was running my LT40g38 I tried 1.5x.055 blades. I found them to cut flatter than any 1.25x.045 especially after I added the 1.5 rollers. I did notice that I could not always go as fast, but quality beats quantity.

Then I discovered the Woodmizer Razortip carbide blades...in 158" I could only get 1.25x.045. They were a game changer for me. I never looked back, nor went back to the 1.5's. Even at 4x the price, they were worth it in my opinion, granted I almost never encounter metal.

I have only ran 1.5x.055 on the 70 so far. I have heard that 2.0" blades are available, however I have not seen them in person. I can only assume that 2.0" may outperform the 1.5, but who knows. I have no complaints whatsoever from the performance of the 70, so no need to research further just yet.

Stephen1 · March 05, 2025, 09:26:02 AM

Quote from: barbender on February 08, 2025, 04:01:50 PMWoodmizer's recent website upgrades aren't doing the trick for me. My go to, Silvertip 1.5x045 7/39° Turbo blades aren't to be seen on the new website.

You guys can pay extra for the Doublehards all you want. I have not seen any performance or longevity benefits versus the Silvertip. If I did, paying extra would not be an issue.

I was running the same silver tips until they put the double hard on sale with free shipping. I did notice a difference using the double hards. 1.5" .045 7/39. Then somehow a few .055 ended up in a box and I really notice a big difference in them. I just sharpened the 4 I have.
I will be back up sawing over the next few weeks at the shop and will use them exclusively and see how long they last on the smaller band wheels.

Magicman · March 05, 2025, 10:06:13 AM

My experience was that the .055 blades cut really well but won't last very long on 19" bladewheels.

I only see 1 1/4" Silvertips up to .043, so I will stay with the DoubleHards. The 1 1/2" Silvertips are .045" but with a ~60 blade inventory, I am not going down the blade change rabbit hole. With the blade special, I have bought 25 new blades this year.

I hate the new Wood-Mizer website and told them so in a survey that I got yesterday. To me it is not user friendly.

Stephen1 · March 14, 2025, 09:18:50 AM

I agree about the Website. I am not impressed and told them also. I also have troubles dealing with their Canadian answering phone system. Sometimes it works lots of times it does not. Pre Covid, they had someone answer the phone all the time, in fact it was a very rare occasion that it went to an answering system. I always considered it a great company because I could always get a hold of someone. Pretty rare did you have to wait for an answer to a problem with the mill, parts came the next day as the couriers all guaranteed next day delivery. Now its a guess when you will get something and w'ere 3 years after covid.