The Forestry Forum

Any one have a lead on someone from these provinces that does custom sharping?
Thanks.  Gary from Salmon Arm BC suggested getting carbide so ordered one and also a bi metal one.  Then I will see if I need to get  them sharpened or I need to invest in a sharping tool.  Looking at the Bmst50 sharpens and sets all manual. Any views on those feel free to give me your opinion.
So the carbide I am told 4 to 5 time as long as a double hard, can sharpen once or twice?. The bi metal 3 times as long and 3 to 5 sharpings?

I bought a bmst50 used, only have sharpened 8 bands . But the light came on the last band I did.  Definitely a learning curve I haven't grasped all the way yet, but the last one I was very pleased with.  If I had a ton of bands to do I would have to upgrade to a 250. But it does the job for a hobbyist.  

(https://www.europeancutters.ca/img/europeancutters-logo.png)


9623 63 Ave   Edmonton, AB T6E 0G2
780-437-6620
These guys have been around for years and are good.

The BS250 machines look really good, but my milĺing volume would have to go way up to justify the cash outlay.
After trying a bunch of different grinding shops, I've settled on a guy in Niverville MB. The trip is worth it when I have 4 or 5 dozen bands ready for sharpening.

I sharpen my own with the basic CBN system and manual setter and have since I bought my mill.

The doublehards are ok for the price and I get 3 to 5 Cycles per blade at about 1000 to 1500 BF  on clean bush logs. The Bi metals are marginally better and give about the same sharp cycles and about 25 to 30 percent better sharp life/cut lumber volume.

The best blades are 7° carbide turbos. The diamond wheel is not cheap but it is worth it. I am on cycle 3 on 2 of them and 2nd cycle on 2. I get between 8,000 and 10,000 BF per sharp cycle.

To me it just doesn't make sense for blade storage space or the cost of having a high volume of blades laying around tying up money for nothing. IF I am gona have that many blades around I might as well have a tool that saves that money and is useful to the milling operation. I generally sharpen at the end of the milling day every day that I mill. I rarely have more than 20 blades on hand at any time AND so far I have yet to find a sharp service that is as good or better than me.

Before the carbides I had up to 5 blades in the sharp cycle. Now I have 3 and rarely get to the 3rd one in a day of normal clean log milling. Sharpening/setting time is a 1/4 of what it used to be.    

New double hards and bimetals get sharpened and set out of the box BEFORE they see the mill.

Carbides are good out of the box.          

The grinding wheel is 100 bucks more for carbide blades. But if it last 5 times as long your ahead of the game. 

Bandit  what model do you have?