The Forestry Forum

General Forestry => Sawmills and Milling => Topic started by: quadracutter222 on September 13, 2020, 11:11:42 PM

Title: Swingblade Sharpening, when to change tips?
Post by: quadracutter222 on September 13, 2020, 11:11:42 PM
Hello all, a quick question for circle/swing blade folks.

How do you know when your tips have had their last sharpen?  I have heard there is a width over the thickness of the side plate, but have yet to nail it down.

Cheers!
Title: Re: Swingblade Sharpening, when to change tips?
Post by: Ianab on September 14, 2020, 12:59:07 AM
I don't have any exact number, but I find that as the tips get worn down they become more prone to chipping / breaking. When that happens it's time to swap out the blade and get it re-tipped. You often don't even notice a tooth missing until you go to sharpen. 
Title: Re: Swingblade Sharpening, when to change tips?
Post by: Don P on September 14, 2020, 08:02:38 AM
About half of ours get damage, the rest slowly change sound, require more effort and we've run a couple till they start rubbing the plate and getting hot and flutter, well overdue.
Title: Re: Swingblade Sharpening, when to change tips?
Post by: scsmith42 on September 14, 2020, 09:43:55 PM
I've run tips down to where they were 1/8" or so thick w/o any problems.  Usually they start chipping first.
Title: Re: Swingblade Sharpening, when to change tips?
Post by: longtime lurker on September 16, 2020, 03:12:59 AM
yeah soon as your cuts aren't intersecting right, or they're just looking thin.

Mind I run oversize teeth where I had to recut the pockets due metal fatigue so... different alloy, mine are a bit softer than the factory spec so less brittle and don't chip out ... individual mileage may vary.