How to mark the band

[Digger Don]

I've read that some of you can sharpen your bands multiple times. How do you keep track of that? Obviously, Magic Marker will wear off in the first few cuts. I wonder if stamping them would inflict weakness and lead to early breakage. A log book might work, but that seems like quite a nuisance and easy to forget. So, how do you real sawyers do it? Thanks. Don

[YellowHammer]

I used to mark mine with a little impact pen engraver but....it really didn't matter in my operation and stopped it pretty quickly.  Bands only have a limited flex life before they crack and break, some people can get a lot of sharpening, some (me) not more than a few.  

Either way, instead of marking them, I sharpen them in batches, with all the bands of a batch (whatever number in the batch you prefer, typically a box of 10 or 15) on the same sharpening cycle.  This really speeds the process up because I don't have to make large adjustments to the sharpening and setting equipment, band to band, and when one band breaks, they all are probably going to begin to fail, on the same sharpening cycle.  

So, I'd recommend getting a box of bands, use them all, then sharpen and set them all, and use them all again, and so on.  No need to track each band individually, as long and they are still cutting, cycle them again.  Once one or two breaks, their useful life is over, so dispose of them and open up a new box.

Breaking bands not only costs the band and time, it's not unusual to damage the band wheel belts if you use a Woodmizer, and that adds more damage and money per break, especially if it messes up both of them.  So bands breaks should be avoided, if possible.  

Just the way I do it.

[Chuck White]

For years I've been using a vibrating engraver, and it works great.

I mark them like this, sort of.   IIII IIII 

You can probably get an engraver at a hobby or craft store for around $10.00

[Southside]

I do it the same way Yellowhammer described, keep them batched together based on number of sharpenings. 

Makes the whole process a lot easier.

[terrifictimbersllc]

Woodmizer Doublehard bands have serial numbers on them that I used to keep track of along with information about sharpening,  set etc., but it is very time consuming to record all this so i havent done that for several years.

I can tell everything I need to know about a band by measuring its width with a calipers. From the gullet to the back of the band. How many times has it been sharpened? why does it matter? The thinner the band is , the more it has been sharpened and probably the sooner it will break. The reason I measure is because I sort them by width when I am sharpening them on my BMS 250. Knowing the width lets me turn the sharpener height knob the right amount, or not at all, so that I get it right on the sharpener quickly each time.

In more detail, In my case I only use seven turbo bands. That's 7/39.5. New, these bands have a gullet to back width of about 1.165". In a mix of dull bands, new ones are easy to batch together, and then the ones that have been sharpened once,  say about 1.158 inches, then there are ones that are less and so on. At sharpening time,  I just measure each band and write the width on it with a sharpie, lean them up against the wall, and put them on the sharpener in order of decreasing width as I adjust or do not adjust the sharpener knob.

I agree with the suggestions to keep bands grouped according to the amount of times they have been sharpened, and while i do that to some extent,   in reality, for me, this gets mixed up and would need schemes as well as truck bed and shop space to keep track of. As this order  gets lost, for me, just measuring the width of the band at sharpening time takes care of everything i need to know.

[Crossroads]

I just got my sharpening equipment this year and haven't come up with any real system yet. Last year I had about 150 bands in rotation due to slow sharpening turn around and wanting to make sure I had enough bands to run for another week. Once I run through all of these blades I'll probably get into a batch routine as I open new boxes. 

[SawyerTed]

I thought that keeping up with bands and some numerical system would be a necessity when I started milling.  

As others have said, it isn't.  When I was running the LT35, I had two batches of Turbo 7s and three batches of 4° bands.  It was too many once I got sharpening equipment 

[Digger Don]

We bought the mill (Timberking B20) used and it came with about 50 bands. Some appeared pretty good; others looked like they had lived in an old chicken house for about five years. (They had.) So, we have a batch of 50, give or take. We tend to try to sharpen them all in one batch, during the winter when it's too miserable to be outside.

I don't think it would be too difficult to sort them as terrifictimbers described. No more sawing than we do, ten or fifteen might last most of the year, but you guys must be sharpening on a monthly basis. If not more. Correct? I think we'll try to sort them into smaller batches and sharpen as you all seem to do. Thanks to everyone who replied!

Yellow Hammer. It's a good thing you live in Alabama and not New Market, VA. I'd be pestering you every other day!

[terrifictimbersllc]

I usually have about 50-75 bands and sharpen them about 20-30 at a time. 

When sharp they are stored in flat packs where they take least space.  When dull, they are piled in coils in truck and at home where after about 20 of them they are taking too much space.   Then I uncoil,  measure, and sharpen them.  As each gets sharpened and set it goes back in flat packs again (packs of 10, these are 195" x 1-1/2 x 055). 

[JoshNZ]

My mill is not at home so bands get transported in the back of the truck, inevitably some get left in there while I go away and do other stuff. I got sick of rogue teeth from tweaked bands so pinned together little stackable trays for mine.

Only one tray is ever empty at either end sharpening or sawing, and I mark the tray with where it's at. Teeth up sharp, teeth down used, and a mark for needing to be set, one for set, one for sharpened, one for a blade strike. Seems over kill but it's easy to do and I like to be able to pick a good band when I put something of someone else's on the bed for e.g. and need it to go well the first cut!



 

 

[caveman]

I write on the outside of the band with a marker as we take them off of the mill (.055, 1.5" WM ST 7/39 new, or one sharpening, check set, cut great, metal strike, dove, etc.).  Earl, the guy who sharpens for us, calls me a nerd but he appreciates the info.  We also still have quite a few Kasco 4's and 7's, so this info helps him know which wheel to run.

I hang them up with others of the same profile and manufacturer and also separate the ones that have had metal strikes.  They get boxed up for transport to Earl based on where they were hung.  Most of the time, before a band breaks, it will start to flutter and sound a little different.  When this happens, we generally inspect the band and find cracks in the gullets.  It then gets folded/broken and put in the pile.

[kelLOGg]

I used to mark mine with a small rotary grinder. I put hook angle, set, number of sharpenings and brand of blade. Life is simpler now: I use Kasco blades, 4° hook angle, 0.020" set for everything so no more marking.

[Digger Don]

So, grinding the bands didn't cause them to break any sooner? I was afraid any sort of marking like that would weaken them and lead to premature breakage. That's good to know.

[esteadle]

We use wire labeling tags that are available in large quantities to hold the band when folded up, and label it with usage and notes for the filing room.

[redbeard]

Been marking blades for years like Chuck White dose with a cheap engraver, stamping or grinding may help create a crack if it was deep enough.
Scratching the metal like you would putting initials on your tools hasn't effected our blades.
I need some kind of reference due too tooth spacing we use 7/8 - 1"- 1-1/8"
All with various thickness mostly .055.
Also use colored paint marker too mark notes and the weld too start my sharpening also too mark the right hand tooth before and after weld for setting there's usually a couple of straight teeth by weld that don't match perfectly due too blade lengths.
I like too also use colored Zip ties too give me a quick visual of what resharp blade too grab. I use the award ribbon scenario
Blue 1st sharpening Red 2nd green 3rd ect. Box store sells a variety pack of 5 different colors .
Use couple different colors for metal hit blades that I resharpened for special suspect logs.

[Digger Don]

I like the labeling tags and awards scenario ideas. Both sound like they would be worth trying, when we get some new blades. At this point we are still using up the bands that came with the mill.

On a slightly different subject, do you guys set your blades every time you sharpen them? I'm thinking the repeated bending would lead to tooth breakage. We have a setter, but haven't taken the time to really figure out how to use it, correctly. I won't claim that we know how to sharpen, either!

[JoshNZ]

If I didn't hit anything and it's still cutting nicely by the time I take it off I don't set it. You can measure a few teeth with calipers and figure out where it's at easy enough.

[terrifictimbersllc]

I set every band after sharpening with my BMT 250 sharpener. It measures as well as sets, and if I am careful it does not overset. I don't think there is any fatigue loss because of keeping teeth set properly. 

In any case I have never had teeth broken off by anything other than hitting metal, in many years of sharpening and setting bands.

[Durf700]

I saw until I notice the band is slowing down and not throwing the saw dust like it should and then I change out the band.  it goes on the dull band hook.  I sharpen about 25 at a time , taking my time , usually 2 trips around the sharpener.  I then check them with my caliper to see if the teeth need setting.  if so they go in the BMT 250 for a quick trip.  I have weeded out the bands that I pushed to hard when I started milling..  you will know because they break easy.  I don't push the mill hard though. 

I don't keep track of how many sharpenings I do either.  just run them and change once you notice a slow down.  if a bunch start to break then I guess its time to invest into some new bands. 

[charles mann]

Not sure if it would work, but what about chemical/acid electro etching? I know depending the type (carbon, high carbon , 15N20 or spring steel) depends how well it accepts/resists the acid, 15N20 tends to resist an etch more than carbon or high carbon, yet will still take an etch, just less depth than the others. It would be as permanent as mechanical etching but without the potential for going to deep and premature breakage. 

[kantuckid]

We use wire labeling tags that are available in large quantities to hold the band when folded up, and label it with usage and notes for the filing room.

I like this idea as I'm old and shipping tags have been useful for years to ID items. 
 Small serial numbers (WM numbers, etc.) are much harder to locate and use on a blade unless you like handling blades a lot? 

[Redhorseshoe]

I do the same as Yellowhammer.  I have about 100 bands in inventory but use them in batches of 10 or 15.  Once they start to break, I grab another 10 - 15 from the pile and use them.

[Digger Don]

Using bands in batches seems to be the most common way to go. But, I like the idea of tags, too. We don't saw as much as we'd like due to so many other projects going on. Thanks for everyone's input!