The Forestry Forum

General Forestry => Sawmills and Milling => Topic started by: kkcomp on April 14, 2025, 07:36:33 PM

Title: Sharpening question
Post by: kkcomp on April 14, 2025, 07:36:33 PM
I always thought that when sharpening you wanted to just kiss the front of the tooth then the gullet then the back. However, I was watching a You Tube video that said to touch the back first. Am I doing it wrong or is the video?
Title: Re: Sharpening question
Post by: barbender on April 14, 2025, 08:12:18 PM
I don't really understand...if you're doing a full profile grind, you're hitting all of those areas. Tooth face, gullet and back of tooth. 
Title: Re: Sharpening question
Post by: thecfarm on April 14, 2025, 08:22:27 PM
Watch out for those youtubers!!!  :wink_2:
I watch a lot of 3pt winch ones. Seem like most put the chain about 4-5 feet back on the log.  :uhoh:
Title: Re: Sharpening question
Post by: kkcomp on April 14, 2025, 08:25:36 PM
Quote from: barbender on April 14, 2025, 08:12:18 PMI don't really understand...if you're doing a full profile grind, you're hitting all of those areas. Tooth face, gullet and back of tooth.
Is there anything other that a full profile grind? I am fairly new to sharpening and as with everything I want to be sure I do it right.
Title: Re: Sharpening question
Post by: Brian_Rhoad on April 14, 2025, 08:51:41 PM
Face-Gullet-Back of Tooth
Title: Re: Sharpening question
Post by: Bradm on April 14, 2025, 09:14:23 PM
Quote from: kkcomp on April 14, 2025, 08:25:36 PM
Quote from: barbender on April 14, 2025, 08:12:18 PMI don't really understand...if you're doing a full profile grind, you're hitting all of those areas. Tooth face, gullet and back of tooth.
Is there anything other that a full profile grind? I am fairly new to sharpening and as with everything I want to be sure I do it right.
What type of grinder do you have?  Drag or plunge?  A plunge grinder will grind the full profile at one time; a drag grinder will grind the face and as it indexes to the next tooth the wheel will drag across the gullet and the back of the tooth.
Title: Re: Sharpening question
Post by: barbender on April 14, 2025, 10:58:59 PM
No. If you want to maintain the profile of the blade, you have to take equal amounts off everywhere. I'm not familiar with the video you're referencing. 

I only have one cam for my Cooks sharpener, for the WM 7/39 Turbo. I've had people ask me to sharpen 10° blades, which have a much shallower gullet. To achieve this with my cam, I make a round doing the light "kiss" on the tooth face, down to the base of the tooth. And that is all, all the way around. Then, I adjust it so it hits the back of the tooth for another round. I'm not doing this because it's the best way, but only as a compromise- it's the only way my machine can sharpen these blades as it's configured. I'm not buying a near $200 cam for the $100 of custom sharpening I do each year😊

The blades cut well, the customers were happy. But, I am not maintaining the whole profile, and that means the tooth would get shorter every time I sharpen them.
Title: Re: Sharpening question
Post by: Big_eddy on April 15, 2025, 01:22:19 PM
Excuse the dumb question, but why touch the back of the tooth? 
(I've never sharpened a saw band)
Title: Re: Sharpening question
Post by: SawyerTed on April 15, 2025, 02:23:25 PM
The tip of the tooth needs to be pointed sharply.  It's really the business part of the cutting.   In use the tip wears down and gets ever so slightly rounded or if used too long the tip gets noticeably rounded

Touching the face and the back of the tooth restores that sharp point.  
Title: Re: Sharpening question
Post by: YellowHammer on April 15, 2025, 03:00:09 PM
As the guys sat, the entire band profile needs to be ground.  The face and back to sharpen the tooth flat and chisel corners and then the gullet to remove gullet fractures.  
Title: Re: Sharpening question
Post by: KenMac on April 17, 2025, 03:56:43 PM
According to Cook's Saw Mfg. owner both sides oftip need grinding to keep all teeth at the same height so they all do equal work.
Title: Re: Sharpening question
Post by: customsawyer on April 18, 2025, 05:46:44 AM
Quote from: Big_eddy on April 15, 2025, 01:22:19 PMExcuse the dumb question, but why touch the back of the tooth?
(I've never sharpened a saw band)
The easiest way to explain it. Do you sharpen just one side of your pocket knife?