Sharpening teeth

[woodsman]

How good is that grinder that attaches to the Mobil D's blade to sharpen the teeth. You know the one you don't have to take the teeth out to sharpen. Also what type of teeth do you use for general use cutting. I cut mostly softwoods with the bi metal teeth, is that a good choice? Also do you ever send your teeth out to a grind shop to have them sharpened? I just use the jig that came with the mill or free hand it on a 8 inch grinder. The thought on sending them out to a shop that has a surface grinder is they could get them exactly, ( with in 10 thousands of and inch) to each other and get a ideal angle for cutting.

Thanks Jason

[Frank Pender - AKA "Tail Gunner"]

Jason, I have never used one, but have watched Jim use one at the logging conference a couple months ago and seemed to do a fine job on the logs I was sawing, at the show.

I use the stelite teeth from the MD folks.  You can get carbide teeth asnd I have a set.  I tried that set a friend bought for me as well as the grinding tool, while the teeth are on the blades.  I do not even use it any more.

I bought the grinder that is set up for setting the correct angle for the teeth.  I have used it for almost 20 years without any problems.   It was a great investment for me.  I always remove the teeth to sharpen them.  I just found that it was precise for me to do it that way.

[woodsman]

How do those stelite teeth work, are they more expense. Do they keep there edge better than the stadard bi-metal? Don't you need a diamond wheel to sharpen the carbide, and don't they chip easy. I cut lots of dirty logs, I have some monster Alaskan cedar logs from the upper Hoh River that came down in a slide, as well as a lot of river bar wood. So wear and tear on the teeth is significant.

[Frank Pender - AKA "Tail Gunner"]

They run around $4 each and I am not familar with bi metal teeth, so nothing to compare with.  I have always used the same kind and no, there is no need for a special wheel for sharpening, like with carbide teeth.

Another thing for me is that I wash all of my logs, to rig them of such things as dirt and rocks.  I have even been able to see some protruding nails and such by washing.  If I have any additional suspicions of metal, I run my Rens metal detector over the logs.