The trees around here seem to collect nails :o. The expense associated with retipping my Lucas blades really isn't that bad, but the wait associated with shipping, repair, and return is a bit much. SO, I am thinking that I have two options. 1) buy more blades to keep myself going while blades are in the shop or 2) get a retipping jig and replace my own tips. To make an educated decision, I need to know just how difficult it is. I looked in the Lucas manual and it does not look that bad, BUT the Lucas folks recommend sending the blade to a saw doc. So, do any of you retip your own blades? Is this something I could do myself? I am not much of a metal worker, but I have good friends who would be willing to use the manual, the jig and a torch to show me how. Once you get used to retipping, how long does it take to replace a set of teeth?
Lots of questions I know, but when I get a chance to run the mill it comes in spurts and it really bothers me when I hit metal with a couple of blades on day one and I know that I only have half of my blades left to complete 80% of the job and I won't have time to do the job if I don't finish in a couple of days......... You guys know what I mean! Thanks in advance!
check out THIS THREAD (https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php?topic=18025.0) to see what Peterson reccomends for retipping.
I have sent my blade to:
Hare Saw Service
1684 Hwy. 84 East
Brookhaven, MS 39601
601-835-0042
and they did a good job and had it repaired and shipped out to me the same day they recieved it. The cost wasnt too bad, but it makes you really angry to hear those sounds of metal !
I'd change brands of metal detectors. ::) ::) ::)
I've seen it done, and it looks pretty simple if you have the right setup.
I've never been much good at soldering/welding etc., otherwise I would have definitely done it myself.
I think I remember it only took the guy about 10 minutes to do all 6 teeth.
Now, if I could only find a dentist like that. :D
brdmkr
The Lucas' have a CD available on re-tipping. Call Bailey's to get a copy. I haven't had to retip yet, haven't hit any metal. ;D ;D
Cheers
Pep
I meet ken at a woodworking meeting and he does saw blade and router bit resharpening. Heis sit is under construction but drop him an email and ask, I believe he does retipping as well.
Shawn...
Julys Woodworks (http://www.julyswoodworks.com/)
I have the jig and have retiped blades several times now. It is not too difficult and a lot faster than shipping them off somewhere.
Welcome to the Forum, Lloyd. One post, one good answer. You're off to a good start. :)
Mike, do you have a torch? If not, that's gonna add a lot to your start-up cost. Of course, you're welcome to come down and use mine any time, but that puts you back into the time crunch.
Whatever you do don't use OXY/ACT. We call it mapp gas for re-tiping. Talk to Baileys , they are very helpful
Arnold
Dan,
I don't have a torch, BUT was aiming to get one some day. Might as well be now. HOWEVER, Arnold points out that MAPP may be the preferred route and that is what Brian at Bailey's suggested as well. As I understand it, you can get a MAPP kit much like a standard propane torch. These are much cheaper than the ocy/acetylene torches I think ???
you might want to look at the price of a small tank of mapp gas. You could probably fill an acytelene tank for the same price.
I haven't priced MAPP. I have just seen it on the shelf. I assumed. Of course, you know what they say about assuming ;)
Well, Blades make the whole thing work........so i have 5 blades on hand, if i get metal then i take them to a shop in GRASS VALLEY, CALIF. Poineer SAW works.
The folks there REALLY now what to do. Cost me $30.00/blade. I cant go wrong for that amount.
I had a customer that swore that they had never never put metal anything in the tree. (YA LIKE WE HAVEN'T ALL HEARD THAT ONE) well, first 5 minutes in the tree with a brand new blade.....lag bolt, the second five minutes we located the piece of a bird house bracket.....At least thats what his wife sed it was... then at the end of the log we found every years nail from the fourth of july when they nailed that sparkly spinner thingy...
He paid for each damaged blade and was glad to save money on milling redwood for his gazebo..instead of buying it from the box store.
so i keep 5 blades on hand and then get the others repaired as soon as i have time to send them off.
Jack
I have 4 blades on hand, but when 2 are damaged on the same job I get nervous.
Re MAPP gas, it's similar to Propane - the main difference with Oxy-Acytelene is that it burns with a cooler flame.
The cooler flame will melt the solder while minimizing the opportunity for damage caused by overheating the blade metal (remove it's temper).
Map is available both in a large tank from a welding dealer (such as acytelene size) for mixing with oxygen, or in a small, "Propane torch" sized tank for using with a propane torch setup.
If you're a very experienced gas welder, then Acytelene would probably be ok if you used a small tip and a rich acytelene to oxygen ratio (cooler flame), and minimized your heating time on the blade metal (such as the way that radiators are soldered).
Good luck. Scott
Well I picked up a nice oak log this weekend from a friends front yard. It is 8' long and 42" dia and I found out today that there used to be a fence attached to it smiley_furious. So I will be heading to the local saw shop to get my blades (two of them) retipped.
Some of the purtiest quartersawn white oak lumber you ever seen tho. Not a knot in sight, just those blue stains from the nails.
Sent 3 blades to a saw doc for new tips. Came back with ¼" tips, BUT, ground on an angle, like a crosscut saw ??? Anybody have used these types of grinds ???
The guy is trying to help me have better luck sawing the hard and tensioned logs. Might be this will work better ??? I'm used to straight across grinding, not angled ???
FDH,
Will that angled grind not give you trouble when you have to sharpen?
My sharpener is the older style, it runs horizontal with the blade vertical. I imagine it will require lots of grinding to get across the face of the tooth. I also have a "Green Stone" for my bench grinder, so I can re-shape the teeth if necessary ???