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Kinked blade.

Started by Joe Hillmann, June 25, 2014, 05:17:17 PM

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Joe Hillmann

I was cutting a log and halfway through the cut the head of the mill hit a knot.  I started to back it out with the blade still spinning and the blade came off the wheels.  The blade got a slight kink in it where it went into the log.  After I pulled it out of the log I straightened it back out.  After a bit of thinking I figured it was a bad Idea to run it again.  I ended up bending the blade and snapping it in half to make sure I didn't accidentally use it again when I change blades in the future. 

So now I am wondering if the blade was salvageable or if breaking it was the way to go.

Dave Shepard

I don't think you could get it straight enough to run smoothly again. I wouldn't worry to much about it. I think most of us have backed up with the blade spinning. Once. :D
Wood-Mizer LT40HDD51-WR Wireless, Kubota L48, Honda Rincon 650, TJ208 G-S, and a 60"LogRite!

redprospector

I've had a few of them get kinked over the years. I used to straighten them out as much as possible and save them for logs that were suspect of having metal in them, and such. But they wound up just sitting there until I finally threw them out.
Dave Shepard is right, you'll never get them straight enough to run smoothly again.
1996 Timber King B-20 with 14' extension, Morgan Mini Scragg Mill, Fastline Band Scragg Mill (project), 1973 JD 440-b skidder, 2008 Bobcat T-320 with buckets, grapple, auger, Tushogg mulching head, etc., 2006 Fecon FTX-90L with Bull Hog 74SS head, 1994 Vermeer 1250 BC Chipper. A bunch of chainsaws.

hackberry jake

I have kinked a couple as well. When I first got my mill I tried to get every cut I could out of a blade and ended up just running a lot of lower quality blades. I have realized since then that my time is worth more than past-their-prime blades. Change it out and dont think twice.
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EZ Boardwalk Jr. With 20hp Honda, 25' of track, and homemade setworks. 32x18 sawshed. 24x40 insulated shop. 30hp kubota with fel. 1978 Massey ferguson 230.

GDinMaine

Some of us have backed up with the spinning blade more then once. I think I'm up to three. No kinked blades but it jumped off the wheels two out of three. That was enough to learn.
It's the going that counts not the distance!

WM LT-40HD-D42

WDH

Backing up with the blade spinning?  Pulling the band off the wheels?  What?

Yes, it has happened  :) ;D ;D.

Woodmizer LT40HDD35, John Deere 2155, Kubota M5-111, Kubota L2501, Nyle L53 Dehumidification Kiln, and a passion for all things with leafs, twigs, and bark.  hamsleyhardwood.com

Nomad

     If it's kinked it'll never work right again.  Bust it into short chunks and make filet knives out of it.  Works great.  Fugetaboutit.
Buying a hammer doesn't make you a carpenter
WoodMizer LT50HDD51-WR
Lucas DSM23-19

Magicman

But save a section about 30" long to use as a sawdust cleanout tool in the future.  You also need a couple of plastic wedges to lift the board off of the cant.   ;D
Knothole Sawmill, LLC     '98 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic   WM Million BF Club Member   WM Pro Sawyer Network

It's Weird being the Same Age as Old People

Never allow your "need" to make money to exceed your "desire" to provide quality service.....The Magicman

jmouton

hey magicman  , thats what we do except we got these really cool long chisel  and it does the same thng
lt-40 wide ,,bobcat,sterling tandem flatbed log truck,10 ton trailer, stihl 075,041,029,066,and a 2017 f-350,oh and an edger

reswire

Quote from: Dave Shepard on June 25, 2014, 05:25:43 PM
I don't think you could get it straight enough to run smoothly again. I wouldn't worry to much about it. I think most of us have backed up with the blade spinning. Once. :D

NAWWWW!!!!!   I'd say two or three times! :D
Norwood LM 30, JD 5205, some Stihl saws, 15 goats, 10 chickens, 1 Chessie and a 2 Weiner dogs...

Cedarman

I have straightened many a kinked blade.  I have learned through trial and error how to hold the blade and over bend at the kink and remove the bend.  I have used cresent wrenches to get hold of the blade to be able to bend at whatever angle is needed.  Not all blades lend themselves to straightening.
Sometimes they will leave marks, but over 31 years I have saved many thousands of dollars worth of blades. 
Our multihead throws most of the blades.
Our LT30 very rarely throws a blade.
Experiment with straightening them.  The worst that happens is that you end up throwing the blade away.  Best is that you learn the skills to straighten bad blades.
If you spend 5 minutes to save a blade and get 1/2 life out of it, then you have made $10 in 5 minutes.  That is a pay rate of $120 per hour.
I am in the pink when sawing cedar.

ely

I too have cut lumber with a re-straightened blade.

Dave Shepard

Quote from: Cedarman on June 26, 2014, 10:16:48 AM
I have straightened many a kinked blade.  I have learned through trial and error how to hold the blade and over bend at the kink and remove the bend.  I have used cresent wrenches to get hold of the blade to be able to bend at whatever angle is needed.  Not all blades lend themselves to straightening.
Sometimes they will leave marks, but over 31 years I have saved many thousands of dollars worth of blades. 
Our multihead throws most of the blades.
Our LT30 very rarely throws a blade.
Experiment with straightening them.  The worst that happens is that you end up throwing the blade away.  Best is that you learn the skills to straighten bad blades.
If you spend 5 minutes to save a blade and get 1/2 life out of it, then you have made $10 in 5 minutes.  That is a pay rate of $120 per hour.

But what is that resaw loosing you in the time that it is down. When I'm making timbers, I'm making way more than $120 an hour.
Wood-Mizer LT40HDD51-WR Wireless, Kubota L48, Honda Rincon 650, TJ208 G-S, and a 60"LogRite!

Peter Drouin

For me , I have to get the wood out, I have no time for bent, Or blades that give me a hard time :D :D
A&P saw Mill LLC.
45' of Wood Mizer, cutting since 1987.
License NH softwood grader.

ladylake

 
I didn't know you couldn't straighten a blade so I did.  Quite a few have taken lots of sharpening after being straightened.  Steve
Timberking B20  18000  hours +  Case75xt grapple + forks+8" snow bucket + dirt bucket   770 Oliver   Lots(too many) of chainsaws, Like the Echo saws and the Stihl and Husky     W5  Case loader   1  trailers  Wright sharpener     Suffolk  setter Volvo MCT125c skid loader

Cedarman

I probably have 150 to 200 blades in inventory.  When I sent to resharp it was 100 plus at a time to get the discount. 
The resaw is down only long enough to change the blade.  The kinked blade is put in a pile with other damaged blades to be worked on when I get a chance.  I have 7 people working in the mill.  They do the physical work.  I am simply a gopher and a finger pointer.
It is true that doing the most important thing possible at every available moment is one of the secrets to success.  By hiring more help at $10 to $15.00 creates the time to do those important things such as blade maintenance.
Does it make sense to try to salvage blades?  Just depends on whether there is something that will make more money that makes up for discarding the blade.
I am in the pink when sawing cedar.

drobertson

I guess it really is just how kinked is Kinked?  never seen one get straight enough to give a good finish,  but, then again, lots of tolerance for some types of sawing.
only have a few chain saws I'm not suppose to use, but will at times, one dog Dolly, pretty good dog, just not sure what for yet,  working on getting the gardening back in order, and kinda thinking on maybe a small bbq bizz,  thinking about it,

backwoods sawyer

Quote from: drobertson on June 26, 2014, 10:41:04 PM
never seen one get straight enough to give a good finish

??? ???
Never seen one that had been kinked and straightened leave anything other then a good finish. If it is not quite flat you can hear it pass over the guide rollers but it don't show up in the cut.
Quote from: ladylake on June 26, 2014, 12:35:13 PM
I didn't know you couldn't straighten a blade so I did.  Quite a few have taken lots of sharpening after being straightened.  Steve
It don't take a lot to straighten the band.
I work for myself, a saved saw or ten is money in the bank ;)
Backwoods Custom Milling Inc.
100% portable. . Oregons largest portable sawmill service, serving all of Oregon, from our Backwoods to yours..sawing since 1991

WH_Conley

I straighten them like Cedarman does. Seldom have to throw one away.
Bill

terrifictimbersllc

Ditto the above 2 posts.  Had a blade yesterday making a sound but cutting smooth.  Looked at it rotating slowly on the mill saw the back side had a bit of a bend in it.  Left it alone. Previous day had a snaggletooth cut and also looked at it on the mill and easy saw two teeth knocked out of set so I just bent these with a pliers and went back to smooth sawing. 

Thinking I'll save any attempted straightening for blades while they're on the mill.  They're stretched out tight, easy to inspect, and if it takes more than a minute they'll get trashed. 
DJ Hoover, Terrific Timbers LLC,  Mystic CT Woodmizer Million Board Foot Club member. 2019 LT70 Super Wide 55 Yanmar,  LogRite fetching arch, WM BMS250 sharpener/BMT250 setter.  2001 F350 7.3L PSD 6 spd manual ZF 4x4 Crew Cab Long Bed

crowhill

Talk about timing! This past Wed I threw a new blade forgetting to raise the saw head after third cut, slight bend, decided to change it with intent of trying to straighten later. Next blade ran fine for about 3.5 hrs on knotty pine, getting dull change it. Third new blade of the day on, couple of cuts, not with it, forgot to lower the log stops! I knew, I heard, I saw! Saw was done for the day! Checked the blade and could find no visible damage to blade, changed anyway. Haven't forgot the stops in 12 years, backing the blade off, close to ten years.
TimberKing B-20, Kubota M-4900 w/FEL with tooth bar, hyd thumb and forks, Farmi winch, 4 chain saws.

Chuck White

Most likely, you were in a hurry!

Happens a lot when we don't take the time to check and recheck!

Lesson learned.

Happy sawing crowhill.
~Chuck~  Cooks Cat Claw sharpener and single tooth setter.  2018 Chevy Silverado and 2021 Subaru Ascent.
With basic mechanical skills and the ability to read you can maintain a Woodmizer  LT40!

dboyt

I've found that a kink is easier to straighten when the blade is folded into thirds.  The kink is easy to spot, and it is fairly easy to tell when it is straight, because the curve matches the curve on the other two folds.  I very seldom have to throw one away.  It may not be as cost effective, but I just hate throwing them away.

Magic Man's suggestion about using wedges is a good one.  Sometimes there is just too much stress in the log to allow you to back the mill out.  But always with the blade stopped.
Norwood MX34 Pro portable sawmill, 8N Ford, Lewis Winch

barbender

I've jumped and bent many blades- when I get jamming out and not disengaging the clutch on the gig back. I am a slow learner, my daughter watched me jump 2 brand new blades off, one after the other >:( You know, that didn't work, I'll try it again ::) What happens a lot of times is when I am opening a face, if it gets too thin on the end of the log my board drag back misses the slab and the blade hits it. Kabaam! :o So, now I disengage the blade on opening cuts, and leave it engaged when I am cutting a cant down and pulling boards off. At any rate, I have a large pile of bent blades that I need to straighten out "someday" when I learn the technique. Maybe I should change my handle to "Bladebender"  ;D
Too many irons in the fire

Brucer

I've kinked a few. Like Steve, I didn't know you couldn't straighten them, so I did (sort of). Haven't had to trash one yet.

And like Richard, I don't waste valuable sawing time trying to straighten bent blades. I mark it with a Sharpie, put it aside with the dull blades, and straighten it at home while I've got another blade in the sharpener.
Bruce    LT40HDG28 bandsaw
"Complex problems have simple, easy to understand wrong answers."

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