Blade sharpening

[Apozorski]

Anybody tried sharpening their own blades? Lately it seems I have been having blades sharpened too much. When it starts to burn or takes more feeding pressure ill usually sharpen them. I tried cleaning them with CMT 2010 solution(I think thats what it is) and I also tried Windex and other all purpose cleaners. The blades will make a couple cuts and then they are back to requiring more feed pressure. My fence is aligned properly and I'm not horsing it threw the saw either. Any input?

[TDHofstetter]

It sounds to me like you're either not getting a very good sharpening job or you're not getting/keeping the blade clean enough. I've had carbides last through thousands of feet of cutting between sharpenings.

When they come back, the exposed surfaces of each tooth should be fully brightly polished, and with no roughness, rounding, or crumbling at all on the cutting edges. Anything less warrants finding another sharpening service.

Test a blade just before sending it to the sharpener next time - every tooth should easily raise a curl on your fingernail. If it still does, it's not dull.

If the wood you're using is just pitchy, try spraying PAM or one of its competitors on the blade before use. That helps prevent crud buildup. Also pay attention to your blade/fence/slot alignment, especially if you're seeing burning on your workpieces.

-- Tim --

Member of the
Robert "Limey" Bolton Memorial
International
Volunteer Mentorship and Assistance
Programme

[Apozorski]

Ill have to give that a try thanks Tim.