buying sharpening equipment vs resharp service

[fat olde elf]

IMHO, One more time on this somewhat subjective topic. MM and Zopi got the handle on this one.  It is a individual decision.  I started out with a 281 Husky saw and a grandberg Alaska sawmill a long time ago. I had eleven chains in rotation Cost me $33.00 to get them sharpened.  Bought an Italian
chain sharpener. Still use it and sharpen for others. Bought my Cooks MP32 and had an "older" man sharpen my bands.  He taught me how to fold bands and set and sharpened for $4.00. Just before he died I bought a Cooks Cat Claw used on the Sawmill Exchange and got a setter from Cooks.  TOM and my "older" friend helped my a lot. Now they both are gone and I miss them.

I do sharpen and set for others. This is "nit picky" work and I love it. I do a lot of carving and that is "nit picky" work too.  I love it.  You really should do what you love to do.  Say your prayers

[terrifictimbersllc]

I sharpened 6  150" blades in 45 minutes this morning before i went on a saw job, comes out to $72 a hour at $9 per blade.  I'll take that any day.  I really can't see whats nit picky about running a sharpener, put a blade on, adjust the hieght and how much it hits the face and go do something else for 6 minutes.  Steve

Not that, but getting the set right and knowing it's right.  At least  for me that is what takes most of the time. Maybe I'm still on the learning curve. If I check only 2 or 3 teeth it goes fast, sort of like vacuuming a room without turning the lights on.   When I check a few more than this I find things aren't always what they seem.

[bandmiller2]

What are you resharpers going to do when the price goes up and shipping goes through the roof.?If you sharpen your own you have control.My sharpening equipment has already paid for itself each band now is money in my pocket,or I should say money that never left.Its an investment that will pay dividens but only if your a serious sawyer. Frank C.

[FeltzE]

Terriffictimbers - what are you checking that takes so long?  It takes me less time to set the blade than it does to sharpen one.

I don't even check the actual set with a micrometer (only rarely) any more. Years of using the setter and just looking at the saw cut tells me if I need to run a touch more or less set.  IF I'm running a bunch of oak I can run my set slightly smaller, and wide knotty pine, much wider. 

The concept of having a specific number on the micrometer is a great way to teach someone what the starting point or range of set should be. If I were sharpening for others I suppose I'd check my set so that I can quantify it to the customer but even then only a few seconds.

[ladylake]

Terriffictimbers - what are you checking that takes so long?  It takes me less time to set the blade than it does to sharpen one.

I don't even check the actual set with a micrometer (only rarely) any more. Years of using the setter and just looking at the saw cut tells me if I need to run a touch more or less set.  IF I'm running a bunch of oak I can run my set slightly smaller, and wide knotty pine, much wider. 

The concept of having a specific number on the micrometer is a great way to teach someone what the starting point or range of set should be. If I were sharpening for others I suppose I'd check my set so that I can quantify it to the customer but even then only a few seconds.

I'm in the same boat here,  less time to set than sharpen and a couple of thousands is not going to matter. Setting sure could be nit picky if every blade had to be perfect but mine cut fine without being perfect.    Steve

[Bibbyman]

We (I should say I, as Mary has yet to get involved) have been sharpening our blades for two years now.  I'm still pretty conflicted that it's the right thing to do mainly because I hate to sharpen blades. I'd about rather eat a bug.

As to the economics,  if you are only dulling a few blades a year sawing as a hobby, then it's hard to justify the expense of the equipment and the learning curve that goes into getting a blade sharpened right.  If you're running production mode where time is money and you can be making more money with your time by sawing rather than sharpening blades, then paying to have them resharpened is the way to go – and many do.

So..  I don't know when it pays to invest in the equipment and the development of the skills it takes to properly sharpen a blade.  Maybe the guy in-between that saws a lot but still has time left over to mess with sharpening and thinks it fun?

We had a couple hundred old blades that for one reason or another were not worth sending to Wood-Mizer to resharpen.  I used them up last summer and fall.  I still have less than ten old blades yet to go.  Did I save money by using up these blades?  I'm not convinced.  They didn't saw as well or last as long as the blades I get back from Re-Sharp.  All finally died on the mill – thus taking time to change out.  I saved a couple thousand on blades but it cost me a lot of time and performance.

I still sent two new boxes of 15 back to Re-Sharp after their fist run just to keep in reserve.  The sharpener is set up in a shed without heat so it's not real comfortable in the cold of the winter to work out there.  Even if I bundled up to keep warm,  the oil would be too cold to flow.  Anyway,  we've used one box of these reserve blades in the past month.  Wood-Mizer is having an open house at the end of April so I plan to use the other box and take the two boxes along with me to Re-Sharp to get them sharpened.  Not having to pay shipping is the big deal maker.  I'll take inventory of our blade stock and we'll probably buy more new blades – thus maybe I won't have to be out in the bake oven of a shed sharpening blades in July and August.



 

Here is one of the "survivors".  I've ground away almost 3/16" off it and its still going.  I don't think I can even get the grinder to sharpen it again unless I moved the pins up to the 1" level.

[FeltzE]

I hate to sharpen blades. I'd about rather eat a bug.

IMO - Bibby you summed it up, the difference between those who sharpen and those who don't...It's a matter of what you want to do.

If you're running production mode where time is money and you can be making more money with your time by sawing rather than sharpening

Production mode or not, I have yet to find someone who averages $40+hour operating their mill throughout the day every day. Cleanup doesn't pay back, yard maintenance doesn't pay back (both need to be done), sharpening blades pays directly back by offsetting the resharp service essentially netting an income [comparitavely] considering most saws are not runnin 40 hrs a weeks. Note I said SAWs not Sawyers. I suppose if your sawing at a net of $40/hr to offset sharpening 4 blades (a $40 value) your even... if you don't count fuel/electric to run the sawmill and wear and tear parts.


Don't mind my bullheadedness, I run my saw throughout the week as orders demand, it could be 50 hrs or just 4. I have time to sharpen, and make time if I don't. And I'm financially ahead for it. No question.

[terrifictimbersllc]

Terriffictimbers - what are you checking that takes so long?  It takes me less time to set the blade than it does to sharpen one.

I don't even check the actual set with a micrometer (only rarely) any more. Years of using the setter and just looking at the saw cut tells me if I need to run a touch more or less set.  IF I'm running a bunch of oak I can run my set slightly smaller, and wide knotty pine, much wider. 

The concept of having a specific number on the micrometer is a great way to teach someone what the starting point or range of set should be. If I were sharpening for others I suppose I'd check my set so that I can quantify it to the customer but even then only a few seconds.

I agree if one doesn't carefully check the set, that setting doesn't take very long.   I am checking the set with the WM set gauge.   I don't care about +/- 2-3 thousandths.  It's when I'm targeting 26 thousandths and I find a bunch of  teeth at 34-36 or something like that.  I am using a depth gauge which I posted on earlier, to set the top of the gullet 1/16" below the top of the clamps.  I don't think one could do this better by eye.  This seems to be the biggest factor affecting reproducibility of the set, if one leaves the dials alone.  Part of the problem is probably that some teeth have more set than others before setting.   I wish I had a roller or something to crank the blade through, to flatten out or bring the set down to a uniform under-size, before setting.  I think this would get rid of the problem.  Cranking through twice also helps make a uniform set. 

[Chuck White]

I think Sharpening your own and Resharp both have their merits!

Basically if you're a hobby sawyer, you would normally have the spare time to sharpen your own blades.  In this respect you're making/saving money!

If you're a production sawyer, most times you don't have much for spare time, so that's where the resharp comes in.  With resharp, you're making money (in a sense) because you're sawing (making bigger money) while someone else sharpens your blades.  In this respect, you're making more money than you would if you were taking time to sharpen blades!

[Peter Drouin]

You get what you pay for . My WM sharper and setter will sharpen a box of blades in an hr. thats $100.oo for resharp or me.  not bad money for an hr. just playing in the barn. I have a place thats dry and not cold to sharpen my blades. if your going to sharping your blades set your self up to do a good job. You do when you set the mill up to cut. same thing with the blades

  

  like this I;ts easy ;D ;D