Sharpen or sell blades?

[joe milana]

I have never sent a blade off to get sharpened so I don't know what to expect. I have two freud premier fusion blades and two WWII blades that are in good shape, but when I start seeing a little tear out when crosscutting hardwoods, I just get a new blade. My question is what can I expect from a sharpened blade? Will it perform like a new blade, or will it be somewhere between new and pretty sharp? I would be sending the Forrest blades back to Forrest, and the freuds to an authorized sharpening center. I have also considered trying to sell the blades for a fair price and let someone else have them sharpened. Any thoughts are appreciated.

[Jason Hallowell]

They should perform like new if sharpened correctly, which I'm sure forrest will do, and would guess most places authorized by freud will also do. I bought a cheapo dado set that was poorly sharpened brand new. I took them to be sharpened locally soon after purchasing them, and they came back better than new.

[Rick Fisher]

I just got 2 blades back from being sharpened. I have always felt that they are actually sharper than new. Its probably not true..

http://i335.photobucket.com/albums/m455/jokerbird_photo/P1140355.jpg

The ugly one is a Freud Glue Line Rip.. That was sharpening #4 .. The other is a 60 tooth Freud miter saw blade..

The company I use acid washes the blades, it destroys the red paint job.. doesnt matter to me..

[Jason White]

It will perform better than a new blade. Also much cheaper than buying a new blade.

Jason


I have never sent a blade off to get sharpened so I don't know what to expect. I have two freud premier fusion blades and two WWII blades that are in good shape, but when I start seeing a little tear out when crosscutting hardwoods, I just get a new blade. My question is what can I expect from a sharpened blade? Will it perform like a new blade, or will it be somewhere between new and pretty sharp? I would be sending the Forrest blades back to Forrest, and the freuds to an authorized sharpening center. I have also considered trying to sell the blades for a fair price and let someone else have them sharpened. Any thoughts are appreciated.

[Jason Strauss]

Hey Guys,

What does blade sharpening cost? You all make it sound worth it, but how much cake are we talking here?

[Fred Hargis]

Hey Guys,

What does blade sharpening cost? You all make it sound worth it, but how much cake are we talking here?
Sharpening is very inexpensive (usually), here's the price list from the outfit I use...they do router bits, many blade sharpeners do not.
http://www.bullsharp.com/pricelist.htm

[Ed Sallee]

I just received two of my WWII's back from Forrest - this is the third set that I've sent in and received back.

I have three sets (6 blades) of WWII's. Both 40 tooth, one is an alternating top bevel and the other is a #1 OD grind (flat bottom). These are my workhorses.

All three of my sets have been sharpened once.... and they come back from Forrest like new. And last go 'round, I sent in three sets of planer knives for my ancient DW733 and I'm still working with the first set to go on the machine. I put them on 01/03/09....still planing through the curly maple with no problems.

My most recent (June 2, 09) bill was a grand total of $51.00 for two blades. $41.00 for sharpening and $10.00 for shipping. Well worth the money spent, as it would have cost around $250.00 to replace the blades.

One of my blades was damaged, in that one of the welds on one of the teeth was coming undone - allowing for a little strip of metal to stick out perpendicular to the blade. My blade is now like new and I don't see a charge on my invoice for the repair....so, it looks like they fixed it pro-bono.

I will probably not buy another new blade until Forrest tells me that the blades I'm sending them can not be sharpened any longer. Even then, they will replace all the teeth on your blade for 80% of the cost of new blade... something to consider, but I'm a long way off from that.

The 1/8" kerf remains 1/8"..... and they plow through the hardest of wood with no problems....

I highly recommend Forrest and their sharpening service.

[Tony Bilello]

........ I would be sending the Forrest blades back to Forrest, and the freuds to an authorized sharpening center......

That is the best plan. Someone with cheap sharpening equipment can easily turn a $100 blade into a $10 blade in an instant. Also note that Freud blades have radically different angles than most other manufacturers and must be done by Freud authorized service people.
If you send Freud to Freud and Forrest to Forrest your blades will come 'same as new'.

[Richard M. Wolfe]

Sharpening circular saw blades will cost maybe a quarter of the cost of a new blade, depending on the blade's original cost. I use a sharpening service that can sharpen everything I need done...saw blades, router bits, planer knives. Besides, who are you going to find to buy a dull saw blade? I would be afraid of not only the teeth being dull but anything else that could happen to a blade.

[Matt Tawes]

I've always used http://www.dynamic-saw-blade-sharpening.com/ over the last 8-10yrs. and blades come back exceptionally sharp (new sharp) and they will replace knicked or missing teeth. Good prices and fast turn around.

[Frank Drew]

I can't imagine not resharpening good blades; that would be like throwing your clothes away after one wearing.

I think I read a post here once that purported to add up all the costs associated with sending your blades and other tooling off to be sharpened, and how it might not, in fact, be economical to do so once you included shipping expenses. Missing from that analysis was the waste factor -- it's bad enough that we throw away all those cans, bottles, packaging, etc., but perfectly good, renewable tools?

[Jason White]

I believe my local Woodcraft charges $.40 per tooth to send them out. I'm sure there are cheaper places around, though.

Jason


Hey Guys,

What does blade sharpening cost? You all make it sound worth it, but how much cake are we talking here?

[scott spencer]

Every answer to this really depends on a bunch of factors... A good sharpening should make it perform like new, but you need to be fussy about who you pick to do it.

Regarding the value...that also depends on what you paid for the blade and how much you get for it used, plus what a new replacement costs....those all vary. Figure roughly a 50% hit...possibly more depending on how they look, and whatever the current market will pay. People have been pretty tight lately due to the economy. There are other factors to consider too...time to list a blade for sale, time to package and mail it, PAyPal costs, etc. There's also time ramifications to consider ....travel, gas, or shipping, plus time the blade will be gone.

If a new WWII happens to be on sale for $65 with free shipping, and it'll show up in 4 days, and you can sell your current blade for $45, it'd be tempting to sell it and buy new. If a new blade is $109 plus tax or shipping, then sharpening is more attractive.

[Eric Larsen]

I have never sent a blade off to get sharpened so I don't know what to expect. I have two freud premier fusion blades and two WWII blades that are in good shape, but when I start seeing a little tear out when crosscutting hardwoods, I just get a new blade.

Send one of each back for sharpening. That way you always have an "on deck" blade.

Sharpening is less expensive, just as effective as buying new, and gives someone a chance to work for a couple hours.

[Greg Crawford]

If you choose not to send them back to the manufacturer and get them sharpened locally, make sure the shop uses CNC equipment and original specs. Also, make sure they will inspect the blade for any defects, loose or chipped teeth, plate flatness, etc. Check costs of repairing, and find out if they will just fix the problems or get your approval first. Most reputable shops will replace one or two teeth if needed, but any more than that they'll ask if you want it done. It would be a good idea to get some references from others that have had their blades sharpened there.

[Curt Harms]

Hey Guys,

What does blade sharpening cost? You all make it sound worth it, but how much cake are we talking here?
I just picked up a 60 tooth blade from a local sharpener. $16.00. I've had pretty good success with them. I also had them do a couple carbide router bits--$4.00. That worked out well too.

HTH

Curt

[David DeCristoforo]

OK, I don't want to be "getting all up in your face", but really... buying new blades instead of getting your blades sharpened? That's... well... absurd! I have blades I have used for years and years. They have been sharpened down to the "nub", re-tipped, sharpened some more... I only buy new ones if a blade gets ruined in some way... maybe they overheat and the plate warps or the blade gets bent somehow. Local shops with good sharpening machines will usually charge between .20 and .40 per tooth and, typically around $3-5 for tooth replacement. Cost wise, sharpening beats buying new "hands down". If you carry your line of thinking to it's extreme, why not just buy a new saw when the blade gets dull? Then you will never have to change a blade.... OK, not really. But you get the point?

[Byron Trantham]

Sharpen or sell blades? How about cleaning them first? I always amazes me how much sharper they feel after I clean them. I use all Forrest blades and have sharpened only one after years of use.

I use Simple Green and a brass bristled brush. I clean every blade at the start of each project.

[scott spencer]

OK, I don't want to be "getting all up in your face", but really... buying new blades instead of getting your blades sharpened? That's... well... absurd! I have blades I have used for years and years. They have been sharpened down to the "nub", re-tipped, sharpened some more... I only buy new ones if a blade gets ruined in some way... maybe they overheat and the plate warps or the blade gets bent somehow. Local shops with good sharpening machines will usually charge between .20 and .40 per tooth and, typically around $3-5 for tooth replacement. Cost wise, sharpening beats buying new "hands down". If you carry your line of thinking to it's extreme, why not just buy a new saw when the blade gets dull? Then you will never have to change a blade.... OK, not really. But you get the point?

David - His intent was to resell the used blades, not just waste them, so he'll recoup some of the cost. Sending a single blade to Forrest is the cost of sharpening plus 2-way shipping, which can easily eclipse the $35 range for me. The cost comparison is really the total cost of resharpening vs the differential cost between selling his used blades and buying new, which really makes the two possibilities much closer depending on a few variables.

[joe milana]

Good advice Byron. I clean with pitch remover frequently. Especially after cutting ply. I'll try simple green next time.
I may give sharpening a shot, but I was under the understanding that sharpening was going to cost me around $40 plus S & H. I'll look into it, send a couple in, and report back.
Thanks for all the replies!

[Bruce Page]

I've had Forrest resharpen my WWII's twice. Both times the blade cut like new.
It's a lot cheaper than buying new.

[David DeCristoforo]

"David - His intent was to resell the used blades, not just waste them..."

OK... fair point... but why can't I stop laughing? I'm imagining the ad... Dull blades for sale... cheap....

[glenn bradley]

Send one of each back for sharpening. That way you always have an "on deck" blade.

This is what I do. I find a pair of 80T, 40T and 24T plus a couple special blades keep me from being interrupted.

[scott spencer]

"David - His intent was to resell the used blades, not just waste them..."

OK... fair point... but why can't I stop laughing? I'm imagining the ad... Dull blades for sale... cheap....

Now that you put it that way! ...:D

[Bruce Wrenn]

First check out Dynamic's web site (Dynamicsaw.com) and look at what they use to sharpen your blades. Check their prices also. You will find them cheaper than Forrest, and do as good as, if not better work. Both Dynamic, and Forrest will sharpen your both of blades. Yesterday, I had to cut a piece of plexy for my son. I put a newly sharpened (Dynamic Saw) 80 tooth blade on the table saw. My son noted that the teeth literally shined in the light. Use a 2-3 day Priority Mail Box from the post office to send your blades back for sharpening.

[Jay Yoder]

I am interested how the fusions turn out if you do resharpen them. I cleaned mine good and it helped but i think it is due!!

[Matt Ellis]

i take all my stuff to the local guy, including my WW II. he is about 70 years old, and runs his shop out of end of a largely abandoned strip mall. the shop is the coolest collection of old machine works around...very neat just to visit. the old guy is cool too...we talk about machining, gardening, and about anything else while i am there.

he charges about .30 a tooth---just got back 2 GP blades for a whopping total of about $24. he also does router bits, and blade repair...he replaces teeth with C4 carbide, which is the same grade forrest uses if i am not mistaken. he always tells me to bring a blade back if it doesn't cut well...I've never had the need.

edit: i've answered an ad before on some 12" freud blades for my CMS, but the guy wanted enough for them that by the time i was done getting them sharpened, i could have bought a new blade. had he been cheaper, i would definitely have taken them.


-matt

[Myk Rian]

I sent a Freud combo blade in and it cuts better then new after being sharpened.

[Greg McCallister]

I sent a Freud combo blade in and it cuts better then new after being sharpened.
Myk,
Did you send it local or ?
I am looking for someone in MI that sharpens.

[Kyle Iwamoto]

Sharpen them. Forrest does have a special grinding, unless your sharpening dude knows how, and what specs they grind to, you won't have a Forrest when you get it back. They say that on their website I believe. No offense intended to anyone out there.

I sent my cheap Oldham combo, just for a test, to a sharpener to see if he actually could sharpen a carbide, and he did a good job, so I sent my Freuds to him. Hard to find sharpening places here. I never even thought of sending them out.

Bottom line, I think it's a great deal to sharpen, until you can't anymore.

[Jim Kountz]

Well to me if you're not sharpening your blades you're just throwing money away. You dont need to send Freud to Freud and Forrest to Forrest but what you do need to do is find someone who knows what the h*ll they are doing. There are way too many BAD sharpening services out there. Im lucky in that I have a guy near me who has been doing this with the same machines for over 50 years. These machines are the size of a small truck, no kidding, and they purrr like a kitten. He can do any angle, any grind and they are better than new when I get them back. He charges me $12 for a 10" 40 tooth blade.

Look around and even if you have to drive a little ways or ship them you're still way better off. But make sure the guy is competent.

[Rod Sheridan]

I'm lucky, FS Tool is about 5 miles from my house.

The last blade I had sharpened was an 80T Triple Chip Grind which cost $16, including ultrasonic cleaning.

Regards, Rod.

[Myk Rian]

I have Freud blades and take them to Marsh Power Tools in town for sharpening. A fellow 2 hours away makes his rounds to pick up/drop off.
In by Friday, back by Wednesday. The blades I have sent in cut better than they did when new, and Freud blades can be picky about how they are sharpened.

[Rick Frye]

Almost 15 years ago I had a very good quality Amana blade that I had sharpened locally. When it came back, my chain saw made a better (read smoother) cut than the freshly sharpened blade. Check for references before you commit to having your blades done locally. Recently during a kitchen rehab I sent about 6 blades to Forrest for sharpening, including several WWII and the mangled Amana, all came back as good or better than new.

[Greg Cuetara]

One place to check out is ridge carbide. It is an outfit in NJ and they make a top notch blade to begin with. They will sharpen any blade out there and it is the same equipment they make the blades on. I think if you do 5 blades the shipping is free so not a bad deal if you have a bunch of blades to send out.

[Bruce Wrenn]

Sharpen them. Forrest does have a special grinding, unless your sharpening dude knows how, and what specs they grind to, you won't have a Forrest when you get it back. They say that on their website I believe. No offense intended to anyone out there.

Can I sell you my Brooklyn Bridge Stock. That line from Forrest is pure bunk. Any qualified (either by experience, or owning a Walters machine, which automatically does the measuring) sharpener can sharpen a Forrest blade. Locally here we have a company that uses a machine that is probably fifty years old (definitely before CNC ), and an operator to match. This guy knows how to "read a blade." Does a great job. But for other reasons, I send my blades to Dynamic.

[Kyle Iwamoto]

What grind is the Bridge blade? LOL

I stand corrected. It's just what they say. I can see why they say that. More business for them. I don't thnk my local sharpener dude can do it. I guess bottom line is to ask if they can duplicate the grind.

[Tom Walz]

Saw blade sharpeners are like woodworkers in the range of skills and equipment.

For information on sharpening see

http://www.carbideprocessors.com/sawsharpening.htm

[Thomas S Stockton]

My local sharpener has a Walter machine and it does a real nice job. I have had one screwup with them using the machine some how it ground way to much off. The shop owner called me and told me they were ordering a new blade, this is why I deal locally.
I've run into problems with almost every sharpener I've used including Forrest it isn't always an exact science, to me it is how they address the problems and take care of them that is as important as the quality of work.
The thing I find interesting is that Forrest used to say in their ads that other shops could sharpen their blades they just gave you some guidelines to make sure the shop used the correct techniques.
My advice is find someone local with a computerized grinder and you should be fine. Ask the local cabinet shops who they use and if there is a local woodworking group ask them.
And read the link Tom Walz posted some of the stuff is kinda technical but there is a lot of good info in it
Tom

[Rob Price]

I just had my Freud 40T combo blade sharped by a local guy, $0.25 a tooth, and the thing cuts ALMOST as nice as my brand new WWII. It's at least as good as it was new. I just finished cutting some melamine, with a ZCI there is zero tearout, looks like it was cut with a razor.

I don't know if I'd trust him with my WWII, although there were several there lying on the counter after being sharpened. A lot of the guys in my local WW club use the guy.

[Thomas Syrotchen]

I was very lucky and found a high quality shop locally that I came across near my local woodcraft. I brought them a junk blade I had that came with a tablesaw I bought used. The first time I used the tablesaw, I was convinced the fire department needed to be present it smoked that bad. Needless to say I bought a new blade and the original went on a peg hook. Well, I tried this local shop with the original smoker and wow what a difference. These guys know what they are doing. This was probably a $25 blade that was ripping better than a carbide blade I had sharpened 6 months ago by a shop that didn't do nearly as well. As many others have said, the shop makes all the difference. They will be getting the rest of my blades and router bits. I'd hate to see what a $12-$15 blade would do, but I'm pretty happy with a $12 - $15 quality sharpening job will do. While I appreciate that the factory has their spec etc, there is something about the shop owner handed you a sharpened blade showing the pride of his shops work, and explaining what his capabilities are, and letting you know if anything is wrong come back and see him personally. Tough to get that via priority mail, but like I said I was lucky to find this shop.