Blade Sharpening

[Clint Schlosser]

I have a few saw blades that need sharpened and I was wondering if it would be better to pay the $10 a blade (25 cents a tooth) cost or purchase a dedicated machine. LIKE THIS (http://www.harborfreight.com/120-volt-circular-saw-blade-sharpener-96687.html?utm_medium=cse&utm_source=googlebase) In addition I also have some planer blades that need sharpened. What is the best way to go about this? I have a local reputable shop that can do the job. I am wondering if I will be better off just doing it myself since it is a bit of a hassel to drop off and pick up the blades.

[Thomas S Stockton]

Pay for the sharpening service. I would only use a tool like that on really cheap circular saw blades used to cut up wood with nails in it. There is just no way you can do as good a job compared to a saw shop that use computer controlled sharpening machine. I would say the same thing about your planer blades, have a shop do them it is way easier than doing them yourself
Tom

[george wilson]

They don't even say how coarse the diamond wheel is. Carbide only gets real sharp when it shows a POLISHED cutting edge. There is a big difference in performance if the edge isn't polished to a very keen edge.

I have touched up carbide blades with a 120 grit diamond wheel,but it isn't as good.

[Tom Walz]

A good saw shop uses a machine something like this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9RHXzC6k08&feature=related

Typically the operator or shop owner will have decades of experience on millions of saw blades. They can also hammer, flatten and straighten your blade if it needs it.

B.A.M. is Bob Malone in Oregon. A fine person and great technician.

If you search youtube for Vollmer you will see lots of Vollmer machines sharpening saws.

Or you can even do it without a machine. DMT makes some great diamond hones. Some guys do this for touchups.

It depends on how good your blades are and how well you want them to perform.

Diamond wheels are not cheap and you need diamond to get a real polished and sharp edge. Green silicon carbide will work sort of.

[Clint Schlosser]

Good advice. Most of my blades are fairly expensive (WWII and Frued GLR) they are definitely carbide and I will take them to a shop.

On the Planer Blades, if they just need touched up would one of those hand held honing stones do a decent job?

[Bruce Wrenn]

Check out either Scott Whitting, or Dynamic Saw (dynamicsaw.com). I use Dynamic more because of return time than anything else. UPS takes four to five days from Scott's to here, but from Dynamic to here is two days. Either way, I send them out using flat rate box from postal service, which take 2-3 days to either service. If you want to pay TOO MUCH, then send your blades to Forrest.

[Phil Thien]

I have the HF sharpener. I was the original guinea pig a few years ago.

As a sharpener, it is awful.

But I've found it is handy for cutting HSS items (don't ask why I do this, but it has come in handy on occasion).

Send 'em to Scott. He is a member here. I've only heard good things from him.

[Myk Rian]

Send the circ. blades out.
Jointer blades can be done with a flaring cup grinding wheel, chucked in the drill press. Make a jig to hold the blade at the proper angle.
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31tVD51B43L._SS500_.jpg

[Dan Coleman]

After touring Quinn's Saw Sharperning Shop last year with the St. Louis Woodworkers' Guild I won't think twice about letting a small shop sharpen my carbide. It was computerized site to behold.

[Tom Walz]

Quinn's is an excellent shop however it is more than the equipment.

Even a shop with the finest CNC equipment can produce bad blades with a sloppy operator. Conversely a really good operator can do a great job with pretty simple equipment.

I would give any new shop a fairly inexpensive blade as a test and see how it cuts.

Tom

[Jim Andrew]

Has anyone tried this machine to sharpen a hss blade? Years ago I used hss saw blades, and they cut very well when sharp. Of course you needed a lot of blades and had them sharpened regularly. What I would really like to be able to sharpen is bandsaw blades.

[Bruce Wrenn]

What I would really like to be able to sharpen is bandsaw blades.Ther was an article in FWW many years ago about building a sharpener for band saw blades. Some one who has the CD probably could get you a copy.

[Joe Chritz]

I have a fairly decent saw sharpening system (Foley/Belsaw) and I send my good blades out for sharpening.

Joe