Need Help Band Blade Sharpening

[chrisl]

Can anyone tell me how to sharpen a band blade manually, I have files, bench grinder, dremell tool, angle grinders, chain saw grinder/sharpener.

can any of these be used to put an edge back on my blade?

Thanks,
Chris

[Percy]

Heya Chrisl
I have seen bandsaws done with a dremel and to keep the set in them , the guy used a big set of plyers. I imagine a person could get good at it eventually but the blades this fella shapened that way didnt cut very well. Bandsaws are finicky units and each tooth should be identical in height at least and the set shouldnt be out more than a couple thou from left to right. This would be hard to do without a setter and a proper grinder. It can be done though and Im sure there is a member or two that has done it. Do a search on this site and you will find a few home built sharpeners that worked quite well..
Later
Percy

[Kevin_H.]

I have sharpened my blades on the saw by using a dremel and a flat disk, but the edge will not last as long as if it was done on a real sharpener.

I did not do anything to set these blades

the dremel really comes in handy if you have hit something and need to take the burr off the face of the tooth

[johnjbc]

If a person were to grind away the jaws of a pair of vice grips. Removing the red in the picture you could put set in your blade by pinching every third tooth in one direction and then turning them over and doing it the other way. You would have left set then right set then no set. You might ruin a few pair of pliers until you got the bend right.
I was going to try it then I got a setter

[logwalker]

There was a good thread about 3 months or so that discussed using a bench grinder to dress the whole tooth at once . It looked like it would produce good results. He used a red line on the tool rest to give himself the hook angle and moved into the wheel in one smooth movement. The wheel was shaped with a diamond dresser to the profile of the tooth. LW

[Larry]

chrisl, do a search using the terms sharpener or setter.  You will come up with all kinds of ideas, plus pro's and con's of home made stuff.

logwalker was probably talking about sharpener.  If your interested get on your horse and come on down.  I can show you how it works and provide plenty of broken bands for you to practice on.  Got dull bands...bring them too.  If you come across a picture of my setter don't pay it no mind.  Got a vastly improved and easier to use new model...still in the prototype stage but working on a production model right now.

[chrisl]

Thanks Larry I would appreciate that.  I PM you latter and find out when a good time is for you.

Chris

[Mikeysmill]

I have personally been down this road.....Suffolk Machinery use to offer plans on sharpening with a bench grinder...A friend of mine does it in this manner, like I use to!! I found your blade life is decreased and they do not stay sharpvery long also. My buddy now brings his blades over and I straighten them out every couple of times he sharpens....I bought a Norwood sharpener, basically due to the price.....I only saw for myself!! For the price it does an outstanding Job...The setter .....They are easy to make...Plans all over the net!! If you do not know a machinist that can help you I would save up and purchase a Norwood sharpener.....Just my opinion....You will get a lot more blade life!! Mike