Sharpening/Setting procedures

[sawmill squaw]

Sharpener and setter?  Check.
Elementary knowledge of how to use them?  Check. 
Practical experience?  Not Check.

So, I was looking for manuals for my sharpener and setter yesterday on Wood Mizer site and found Nada.  BUT...found a few articles in their online magazine.  Please check out the following link and then tell me what y'all do out in the field. 
http://www.woodmizer-planet.com/index.pl?act=PRODUCT&id=154

Told Willie about this article and he says that sounds like alot of steps.  Remember, Willie is milling...I'm sharpening.  But, I figure y'all have done this for longer than we have and you have found a 'system' that works.  I want the practical side of this process. 

I have an elderly gentleman who offered his expertise to me when we got a sharpener but I've not been able to get him on the phone for the past three days!  I'm hoping he's ok.  If I get hold of him, I'm supposed to go to his house and he'll teach me what he's learned in the past 20+ yrs of milling, sharpening/setting.  In the meantime....I await more instruction from y'all.   

By the way...have I told y'all that you are all the BEST?!!!   

[HaroldCR - AKA Fla.-Deadheader]

 First thing is, What species do y'all saw mostly ??

 From my experience, I set to .022 or 22 thousandths. That's a good average. As you sharpen, you get down to .020. Second, maybe, or, for sure third sharpen, after setting. IF you set first, you won't get a "Bad" set, from the burr left from the grind.

 On Real sappy wood, I go up to .025 or 25 thousandths. That's pretty wide set and might spill some excess dust. I also use a little more water on the wider set, to help keep the blade cooler from dragging through the dust.

 Second, with enough blades, you can keep hardwood blades separate from the softwood blades, if you cut both types of wood. Don't need but a few put aside.

 You need to turn the blade inside out, if you use a single tooth setter. Set the teeth, then, turn the blade right side out and set again. THEN sharpen. If you don't have the magnet set up, just start at the weld OR mark a spot with a piece of soapstone, welders marker .

 I always try to do the blades that pretty well match in tooth height. As you get experience, you can see that at a quick glance. That way, you avoid constantly changing stone wheel height-depth.

 Is the wheel set at the correct face angle ?? I set mine at 10°. That's 10° LESS than 90°, as the stone passes the face of the tooth, so it, slightly undercuts the tooth, as it drops down into the gullet.

 I would adjust the blade advance rod, so, the wheel just barely touched the tooth, as it dropped into the gullet, and, just barely touched the gullet and back of the tooth as it raised back up. If you don't really dull your blades before changing, this might be all you need. If not, just a very fine adjustment, and, you are ready for the final grind. Just inspect with a magnifying glass for small cracks in the gullet. If you can't grind them out without a really deep grind, paint the blade and use it for adjusting the machine when you change stones.  BE SURE to get the stone shaping tool and use it regularly, to keep the rounded side of the wheel in top shape.

 Do you know how to turn and fold blades, without all the scars taking shape   If not, Google it or watch WM Videos. WEAR GOOD GLOVES, and DO NOT throw the blade to open it.

 The other guy may do things differently than I do, so, take that into consideration, and plan to destroy one blade as you start up.  The better job you do with Blade maintenance, the better lumber and easier sawing, will keep your interest and maybe add customers.  I've seen some really bad lumber come off band mills.

 Blade setting or BORRRRING. 

 Good luck.    Harold

[sawmill squaw]

Harold...Your posts are NEVER boring!!!   

Waiting for Willie to get in here so I can read all this to him.  We sharpened two blades yesterday.  He had the sharpener set up, he thought.  I tweaked a bit while I was waiting for him to get finished at mill.  Between the two of us we messed up a few teeth on the first blade.     I had set the face angle as there are aluminum plates to help with that and Mr. Durham showed me how to use those. Mr. Durham said he thought it was set to 7.  TK tech said their blades were 10's so I set it to 10.   I remembered y'all saying the gullet really needs to be ground out and attempted to get the stone adjusted to do so.  When Willie got there the blade advance rod was hitting the stone.  (I realized that changing the angle will change the spacing between stone and rod.)  Willie found the adjust for that and did so.  I THINK we finally got it fairly well adjusted and did ok on second blade.  Personally, (not knowing what the heck I'm doing), I'm not satisfied with how that second blade ground.  It seemed the stone would go up the tooth, drop into gullet but skip the last part of the gullet...then back up the next tooth.  I inspected that second blade and saw no skips.  Listening to the grind and watching the sparks though...it seemed that way to me.  Shouldn't the sound of the grind be pretty constant?  (don't know if I'm asking that right.) And...from what I can see/hear...the stone is totally missing the the front of the tooth (on way down to gullet).  Should I be able to see evidence of grind on TOTAL surface of teeth?

If not, just a very fine adjustment, and, you are ready for the final grind.

Final grind?  Are you grinding...inspecting for cracks...and then grinding again? (fine tuning)  I cleaned blade with diesel, put on sharpener, inspected for cracks (no mag. glass), sharpened. 

Article I read on Wood Mizer site AND the salesman I talked to yesterday suggested grind first and then use a wooden block or a good stick to rub over teeth to de-burr.  I told Willie yesterday that y'all said the burr would be taken out in that first cut.  He said he figured that.   

Willie saws mostly pine.  We've had a relatively good bit of cedar brought in, a little bit of oak, sweet gum and ash.  Timber industry has been quite strong here for YEARS.  There's not alot of hardwood anymore (compared to harvested/replanted pine) and people who have it on their property usually try to keep it.  At present, Willie is letting family member use log truck to take hardwood to the mill.  Get more money that way than milling.) 

We played around with the setter yesterday...no blade.  Just trying to '0' out the gauge and see how it all works.  I think we'll have to wait for the manual to get here.     When we finished sharpening yesterday, I hung up the blades and eyeballed the sets...they looked ok to me.  (not saying alot there)  I just now informed Willie that when I set, I'm gonna go .025.  He's sawing all pine now and a good bit is 'rich lightered'.  (putting his boots on so he hasn't answered me yet...what's up with guys waiting 10 or 15 min's before they answer?! )

I DID buy me some gloves yesterday.  Willie says he doesn't know why.     I work 3 days/wk at a small grocery store/cafe.  There is a group of "more mature" men who come in everyday for coffee and to solve the world's problems.  They've been kidding me alot since I told them of my new toys.  I do my own nails and they are med. long. (artificial) One man mentioned my new work might not mix with my "purdy nails".  I told them they were safety measures...if I hit a nail...it's too close to the end of my finger!

Well...the Boss has just left the building.  I reckon I should get my posterior in gear, wake the kids and get to the sharpener.  I was informed yesterday that he expects all his blades to be sharpened today....after he tries one of my re-sharps in the mill and it passes his inspection.     Y'all pray for me!   

Once again, you give me plenty to ponder, process and practice, Harold.  And once again...Thank you!

[HaroldCR - AKA Fla.-Deadheader]

Morning SS
 When you start to sharpen a TK Blade, your machine will NOT match their profile.  You will need to keep practicing on that ruined blade, until you have gone all the way around. Once that happens, you will be in the process of establishing YOUR machine's profile.

 If you set the blade in the vise, and then run the sharpener SLOWLY, there IS a speed control on it, Then, when you get close to the blade, stop the cutting wheel, and proceed VERY slowly with the advance motor. As soon as the wheel is about to contact the face of the tooth, you can slide the blade whichever way it needs to go, to get the wheel to JUST touch that tooth face. Tighten the vise, and proceed to run the ADVANCE motor very slowly.

 You do NOT want the wheel to be gouged by the tooth, as it drops, so, pay close attention to that. Once you have done all the way around 1 tooth, you can see where the adjustments need to be made. Make SMALL adjustments, and, run the machine slowly. Don't use up the whole blade just to see how it is functioning.

 Once the machine is doing it's job, then, make those micro adjustments.

 You NEVER want to take a lot of metal off the blades. Light skim cuts are what you want.

 If you set then sharpen, the first cut in the log will take care of that burr.

 I look for cracks as the blade is going around the sharpener. Rarely do I find a blade that has a crack much deeper than the rest. Going at about 1 tooth per second or a little faster, is as fast as I ever go. No need to go fast, in case something goes wrong. I usually set 2 blades, before starting to sharpen the first one. Gives me time to always have a fresh blade ready to sharpen, and still, watch what is happening. Once you get in the groove, you can pretty much just listen to the sound of the stone kissing the tooth.

 I usually go around each blade twice. Just back off the advance rod on the NEXT Blade, just a tad, so you don't take a heavy grind on the first pass.

 Like I said, others may do things differently.   Good Luck.

[sawmill squaw]

Mr. Harold...I sure wish I would have been online when you posted this.  I spent most of yesterday fussing with that blamed old sharpener until I was frustrated almost to the point of either cussing or tears.  (sometimes I hate being female) I finally resorted to calling Wood Mizer tech who was very helpful in telling me I was not, in my own opinion, an idiot.  TK blades cannot be correctly be sharpened on a WM sharpener!  HALLELUJAH!!   lol  I was soooo relieved!  WM is sending 2 blades, free of charge, for us to try and the Tech said I would find:
a) would sharpen correctly on WM sharpener. (der!)
b) ordering WM blades is cheaper than TK blades.
c) better quality blade.
d) get more resharps out of WM blade.  7-8 vs. 3-5.

Roger that, on speed control.  Going to print out your instructions and take out with me to the sharpener.  Me, WM tech and Willie had decided I would just sharpen the TK blades the best I could until they break and have ordered WM blades as soon as $$ allows so we can start using them.  I went to mill this morning and gathered all the blades I could find, including bent and broke toothed ones (practice blades), Willie hauled them to the house on tractor.  I have 40 blades in all to do today.  He's gonna be gone all day helping his brother put out fertilzer and finishing the storage shed he's building for his mom.  Armed with your instruction, my own diligence and the help of The Good Lord...I hope to pleasantly surprise him with some blades sharpened better than we had hoped. 

About gouging the grinding wheel...  ...learned that lesson yesterday.  Which led to the realization we need a dressing stone.   

I figure either today or Monday I should be receiving the manuals for both sharpener and setter in the mail.  I will then have some good reading to take to work with me! 

And so...I'm signing out to get to work. I told Willie before he left that I was not responsible for lost, broken or stolen blades.     But that he would be responsible for any injuries I incurred in the sharpening of his blades. 

Thanks again for your time and patience with me!    Will post again either this evening or in the morning to report my progress. 

[sawmill squaw]

My work for today...and maybe tomorrow...and the next day.......

[HaroldCR - AKA Fla.-Deadheader]

 When you take the blades off the mill, wipe them down good and then use an oily rag to wipe them down again. If you have a saw shed, hang them up in there, or coil them and put them in a cut off 55 Gallon barrel, with a copper wire wrap, so they don't GETCHA. 

 My Son and I built our Sawmill, and tried all sorts of different blades. One blade we could NOT make work was the WM Blade. We ended up using Munksforsager or Monkey Blades as I called them. They would not get rusty for a LONG time, sharpened very nicely, were a tad bit tough to set, but, held the set very well, and we wore them suckers clean out, without breaking but 1.

 We have trailer wheels and tires as our blade wheels. I'm sure the slightly larger dia., and softer rubber, are the main reasons our blades last so long.

 Now, you see why I modded the Cam wheel a bit, to match them Monkey Blades.

 We got them from a place in Ga. Kenne-saw is the name. Google it and give them a call. They should send you 1 free one, also. I paid $20.00 a blade in a box of 5 or 10, + shipping. GREAT SERVICE.  If they for some reason don't have them, try Menominee Saw, in Michigan. They supposedly handle Munks also.

 I hope you are using .042 thick, more or less, and 7/8" tooth to tooth. and 1/¼" wide. We use 1½" wide to saw WIDE Table tops, and, they come out nice. 1½" blades are WM's.

 As you sharpen the TK Blades, you will eventually get to where the entire gullet is being ground out. Don't sweat it. It ain't all that difficult. Just THINK before you adjust.

[Carl Middleton]

SS, have wm send you a 7 degree blade I think yall will like them. Thats all I use now on all types of wood.

[sawmill squaw]

Duly noted, Carl.  Thank you, sir!

I got 10 blades sharpened yesterday.  But...since these are TK blades and a WM sharpener, the grind was not complete or real good.  I have to keep reminding myself not to form habits till I get good blades for this sharpener.  The grind is changing the shape of the gullet from a more or less rounded shape to more of a straight lined gullet.  I asked Willie about attempting to adjust the vice on the sharpener, too.  The left side still allows a bit of slip even when clamped down.  I know it only needs a little tweak, but I'd feel better with it being a weeee bit tighter.  I noticed, too, that if I was getting a satisfactory grind at the beginning of the blade, it would change just a hair by the end of the blade...taking off a little more of the tooth than I was actually pleased with.  Also noticed that the newer TK Max blades we have been buying recently were getting more of a full grind than the older blades.  Old blades: grind on front of tooth and about 1/8" down into gullet, then barely catching the top of tooth back.  Newer blades would only have very small skip at very bottom of gullet, just a bit right of center.  I then separated all newer blades from older ones and sharpened those first.  Only have 30 more to go to have them all done!     Would have had more done but Willie's buddies kept coming by.  Had to come gawk at me sharpening blades and then ask questions, etc, etc,.   Men!

Harold, Willie is wanting another mill...larger one for big pine we keep getting.  Do ya think you would mind sharing how you built your mill?  Willie is VERY good with that kind of stuff.  Turned his Chevy, flat bed one ton into a short log truck.  If you don't mind sharing I could give you my personal email for you to send "how to's". 

About blades 'gettin' ya'.  The only thing I've had happen so far are fine cuts in my thumbs from handling that first day.  Wore my gloves yesterday.  (der)  Even had Marcus (7 yr old son) on the porch with me, scraping resin off blades for me and then wiping down with diesel.  I told him I'd pay him.  "That's ok, Mom.  I really like helping you.  And maybe this can be my job someday."  He was watching me like a hawk!  Gonna have to get him some gloves, too! 

More sharpening Monday............

[HaroldCR - AKA Fla.-Deadheader]

 SS, now you know why I "Modded" the cam. WM blades have that flat bottom gullet. Some guys like it, I prefer rounded gullet.

 The blade needs to slide through the vise easily but firmly. You might open up the vise and look around. If it is used, there will be a buildup of rust and grindings in around the moving parts of the vise, especially around the back side, where the grindings get thrown. Also, check that the springs are loose. Junk will bind them up, and then, you are working against the spring action.

 Hopefully, you have the 3 long tubing sections to support the blades as they go around. I found that I needed to put a "Spring Clamp on 2 of the tubes, so the blade rode nicely on those supports.  Mine had the plastic rollers broken off. 

 10 blades in 1 day, in the beginning, is not bad at all. How's the setting going 

 On sawing sappy wood. Get a can of Pam, spray cooking fluid. Don't know what's in it, but, just a VERY quick squirt, as the blade is moving, and, that sap will NOT stick.  We always had a couple cans of WD40, so, using the red tube that comes with the can, hit the blade a tad. Works well also.

  Too bad y'all live so far from Florida. I would sell you the one we built, ready to go. I spent a bunch of time and some money, redoing some things on it, then, the interested party backed out. 

 I could send photos. PM me your email address.

[sawmill squaw]

Gullet:  what would be the difference between straight and rounded gullet? 

Vise: there is a bolt through each spring on vise with nuts at back.  Could I clean the vise and then give just a tweak of a turn to bolt or nut to tighten just slightly?  I realize there still has to be enough slack to slide and really the left one is the only one that needs adjusted.   

Yes, there are the 3 long tubes for blade support.  They were bent when we bought it.  All bent in approx the same place, close to sharpener.  We figure either the machine was knocked over or for some reason they were bent purposely.  At any rate, Willie straightened them.  Also have 2 wheels missing on tubes, as well.  I put a PVC coupling on the right one for temporary measure yesterday.  Seemed to help a bit.  I was thinking about large, wooden thread spools. Will look at spring clamps, though. 

Setting: I haven't even attempted setting yet as neither Willie nor I have quite figured out the gauge yet.  That owner's manual should be here tomorow...hopefully.  Is the gauge in thousandths of inch...or what measurement.  It reads 10, 20, 30, etc, etc. 

We were using Dawn Dish soap in the water jug for lube.  Have to put half a bottle for each fill up of water.  We are on a REALLY tight budget and that was getting expensive.  Cooking spray sounds good; always have that.  I've been sposed to buy some WD40 for...ummm...a few days now.  I HATE going to town/shopping.    

Willie is planning on building me a shack out by the mill. (Among his list of other projects) At the moment, I'm set up on the back porch...with no steps.  All the climbing up and down yesterday has got my legs pretty sore.  Willie says it's good exercise.     I told him this morning:  no steps...no sharpened blades.

Oh!  What is best way to store blades: rolled up or just hanging?  When Willie rolls a blade he secures them with a zip tie.  An article I read at WM said might want to let blades soak in tub with diesel overnight to clean up before sharpening/setting.  I've been wiping down with diesel as alot of these blades have been hanging or stored in old bus for awhile and are fairly rusty.  Would a light go over with a wire brush and WD40 be in order for these?  Rust = build up which might interfere with setting?   

Willie is planning some 'modifications' to his mill.  Suggestions from old friend/customer.  Will tell you more 'bout that later as it's almost time for me to head to work.  I played hookie from church this morning to spend time with Willie.  Just couldn't get myself in 'rush' mode this morning. 

[HaroldCR - AKA Fla.-Deadheader]

 We use just plain water for lube. Then, spray if we need to. Dial Indicator (Gauge) is in thousandths. If you set a blade in there, make sure it is the "Straight" one. 1 left bend, 1 right bend, 1 NOT BENT, to drag the sawdust out. Then, as you push the handle forward on the setter, it should ")" out just as it touches the tooth.  Then, move the blade so you get a "Correct" tooth to set, and push the handle until it just makes firm contact on the tooth. See what it reads. You only want to bend the top third of the teeth, NOT the whole tooth.

 Once you have gone completely around the blade, NOW, you have to turn it inside out, to set the other way. Then, TURN IT BACK RIGHT SIDE OUT, to sharpen. IF YOU FORGET, it won't saw. 

 If you have the room, hanging blades is good. Make sure you keep dull blades in another area. Zip ties can get expensive. Use short lengths of soft wire. Just bend it around the blade a couple times. There isn't much power needed to hold a blade closed. Just don't EVER get on the wrong side of those coils when you open one.

 If the blades are just rusty, you should be good to just wipe them with a chunk of Denim rag and oil. If they feel rough, a little sandpaper will work better than a wire brush. Just wear them gloves.

 Wood Mizer has great ideas, as long as you live in town. That barrel of diesel will cost a fortune and be full of bugs, snakes and mice, right quick. As soon as the sharp blade gets into the log, it will self clean. Then, it's easier to KEEP THEM CLEAN, instead of letting them rust. That's another reason we liked them Munks. We lived about 3 miles from the Atlantic ocean, so, things were always rusting.

 Before you buy any blades, call them Munks people. Kenne-saw first.  http://www.kenne-saw.com/content/18.htm

[sawmill squaw]

Had a man suggest to me the other day: take out those straight teeth.  He says this will take out more sawdust.  Sounds messed up to me, as well as time consuming. 

Gloves:  getting better about wearing them.  Also found out that flip flops aren't really good footwear for this job either.  Almost took off a toe the other day.  Now sporting my steel-toed Redwings, grudgingly.  When it gets hot around here...which it has...I can't breathe with shoes on!  Would rather go barefooted...but I love my toes, too.   

That barrel of diesel will cost a fortune and be full of bugs, snakes and mice, right quick.

LOL  Remember...I have small children.  That barrel of diesel would be full of more than just bugs, snakes and mice!  When Derek (aka Boogie) was little he saw Willie dipping our dogs in diesel to get rid of flees.  Boog figured he'd help Poppa by dipping the cats.  Hmmm...cats and diesel don't mix.  Wiped out our whole feline population in one fell swoop!   

I might get the blade with broke teeth to 'play' with on setter today.  I've not even tried that yet. 

Hanging blades and space:  As I said, at present I'm set up on the back porch so space is not too much a problem.  I'll make sure that Willie builds my shed roomy enough for doing this.

We do NOT live in town, thank God!  I've been told we live so far out in the woods...we have to pump in sunshine.  And that's the way I like it.  Reckon I'm gonna have to go to town today to get WD40, though.  *sigh* 

Have Kenne-saw on my list of things to do today. 

btw...Willie says to tell you thank you for all your help!  I overheard Marcus (7) telling his cousin yesterday, as they were peering up on the porch at the sharpener and setter, "Yeah, Momma is sharpening Poppa's blades and our uncle Harold has been teaching her how on the computer."  I told him Harold is not kin to us...that I know of.  "Oh...then why is he helping you?"  "Just because he's real nice just like the others on that website are real nice, too."     (and they were 'peering' from the ground...I've made some serious threats of physical harm if I catch ANY kids up there messin' with my stuff!!!)

Gotta get up and get busy.  Them other 30 blades ain't gonna get sharp just sitting there.  And "the boss" just walked out the door.  "You ain't got that machine cranked up yet?" 

[HaroldCR - AKA Fla.-Deadheader]

 Just glad to be able to help. 

 If you take out those straight teeth, you will end up with the blade acting up, I'm thinking. Just imagine a chainsaw when you have some teeth messed up a little.

 I may be the lead man in helping you, but, trust me, if I say something wrong, the guys on this site will jump right in and set (US) straight. 

[sawmill squaw]

I figure those teeth are there for a reason.  I mean, I'm all for modifying where it's needed and possible...but I think that's taking it a bit too far. 

And what about the gullet?  How does the shape of the gullet affect it's purpose?

Everyone on this site has been friendly and helpful and I thank you all!!!!  I always make sure to give y'all the credit when someone asks me about something concerning the sharpening. 

Man who comes into the store where I work is doing HUGE kitchen renovation for "financially well off folks" on the lake.  He heard me talking to my boss about the sharpener.  Now...he says he's gonna be looking for a sharpener for circular saw blades for me.  Says he has to drive 60 mi to Lufkin to have them sharpened...and they send them off.  Says he has a 2' stack of blades waiting for someone to sharpen them.  I told him to wait on that...cash is scarce after buying our 'new' equipment.  "Don't you worry about that, honey." and he turned around and walked out.  I have no idea what he means by that...but I'm almost skeered!     Willie says if I could do that, I would have more work than I'd have time for.  So...who knows about sharpening other types of blades?   

(y'all are gonna get so tired of me!)

[mike p]

(y'all are gonna get so tired of me!)

naaawwwwwww

[HaroldCR - AKA Fla.-Deadheader]

 Not gonna happen, SS. 

 Us guys with Swing Blade Mills, sharpen right on the mill, at least us Peterson guys do. I can see you getting plenty of blade work. That's a whole nother thing, but, if that guy comes through, you can do those blades as easily, or more easily, than Band Blades. 

[Kirk Allen]

If there is one investment I am glad I made it was the upgrade to CBN wheels for my WM sharpener! 

The wheel is the excat profile and it grinds it in one down stoke, thus no messing with reshaping the old stone I use to have to make sure the profile stayed the way it should.

I can do about 10 blades in an hour now.

[sawmill squaw]

Thanks for the votes of confidence, guys! 

Kirk, there was a moment while looking at products on WM site when I thought about using CBN wheels...but then I figured they would not fit on my machine.  It's the "Vitreous Wheel Sharpener".

Harold, I looked around at Circular Saw blade sharpeners yesterday.  I could either pay about $4000 or $69.95.  Hmmm....such a decision.     But, I read the comments (on cheaper model) and all said there were alot of adjustments they had to make right out of the box.  Am I smart enough to make those adjustments?  Hmmm....  Need to do more research on this one. 

I got "0" blades sharpened yesterday.  My excuse:  I don't normally eat breakfast.  Fix for everyone else but I don't eat.  Yesterday, I shared breakfast with Willie when I took his to the mill for him.  Sausage sandwich.  I weren't worth shootin' all day.  Just wanted to lay down on a board somewhere, curl up and go to sleep!  Ain't eatin' breakfast this morning!  Took me 2 hrs to get back from town.  All those people!  AARRRGGGHHH!

Gonna check around and see if anyone in our area has a Swing Blade Mill.  This is where my "talent" comes in handy.  Willie says I'll talk to a fence post about the weather...(translation) - I don't meet a stranger!    (as if y'all haven't figure that out yet.)  More research...more practice.  Willie has had no complaints with my blades yet.  Whew! 

[HaroldCR - AKA Fla.-Deadheader]

 SS, that swing mill blade sharpening was just to let you know, round blades are not difficult to sharpen. You still have to learn about things like, blisters, out of round, out of plane, (Wobble), things like that.

 I would just wait and see what the Cafe guy comes up with. He may know someone that knows someone with a machine for cheap, or free. Used to be a LOT of Belsaw sharpeners being used. Ads were everywhere in magazines.

 Great news on the "Boss's" lack of negativity. 

 Find that email, yet ?? Did you check all your junk folders-spam folders ?? Gmail says it went out, and, I did not receive a Non-delivery message

[sawmill squaw]

Yes sir...was checking Quarantine folders periodically yesterday.  Still nothing. 

And yes, I told Willie I'd have to get where I feel confident with all this sharpening.  No way I'm gonna work for someone else when I don't feel confident with my work. And btw...cafe guy is talking about skill saw blades.  He's in cabinetry. Son-in-law says a carbide blade cannot be resharped.  Says carbide tips break off.  Comments on blade sharpener yesterday were talking about sharpening carbide blades and didn't say anything about tips breaking.  Now...I'm confused.     (not a rare occurrence)

[HaroldCR - AKA Fla.-Deadheader]

 Hate to say this, but, open up a Gmail acct. Use it strictly for Internet based stuff, not really personal.

 I will try the first one you posted, on Gmail, again.  I don't like Silly named sites like "Twitter"  and "Facebook". Sounds like childish stuff to me. 

 "I'm tweeting on twitter."  What the hell 

[HaroldCR - AKA Fla.-Deadheader]

 Gmail says "Message Sent".   This was your first address you sent.   

[sawmill squaw]

LOL Harold!  I talk to much to Twitter.    Opened up an acct but couldn't really get into it.  Had some back problems last yr and couldn't do anything but lie down or sit...spent WAAY too much time on Facebook.  Found a cool game to get into and got addicted.  When my back got better, it was still a habit.  Willie were not a happy camper.    I had to quit "cold turkey" for awhile.  Now, I'm on there just long enough to post my Devotion, check political news my friends post and make a comment or two...then I'm here!  Was checking into something for Willie and figured I'd check in here, at the moment.  

Will look at Gmail.......................

[sawmill squaw]

setting up gmail acct now...will PM you my address.

[sawmill squaw]

Updates on sharpener:
Called WM yesterday to ask them to walk me through using the setter.  Got to talking to Tech support guy about sharpener and we figured out I've been sharpening our TK blades, which have a 10 deg. profile...with a 9 deg. cam.  Hmmm...could be a problem.  So, I ordered a 10 deg cam, dressing stone, new grinding wheel and one more bottle of coolant.  The person who took my order also let me in on how the magnet works that stops the sharpener when it makes a full round!  Revelation, man!     My package should be here Friday!  We figured out this is why I'm taking the hook out of the teeth while I'm grinding, squaring off the gullet and not grinding very much of the gullet.  I understand I will still not be getting a "perfect" grind using a WM sharpener on a TK blade...but I'm thinking it will be better.  I've GOT to get that gullet! 

Even got a compliment:  Tech guy said in all his years of milling, sharpening, and working at WM...I was the first EVER woman he'd talked to who does this.  I told him I was educated on the Sawmill Forum...and he said "they must be teaching you good, 'cause if all you've done is 17 blades, you seem to know alot about what you're doing...or should be doing."  He said there were alot of people out there who order sharpeners/setters and then they get discouraged cause they can't do it right. Hmmm...that's a shame when all this information is sitting right here! 

Salesman also emailed me copy of Setter manual...it's downloading in my email right now.  Have today off from the store, so I'm gonna go set some blades!!!  WOOO HOOO!  I still haven't received the manuals in snail mail.  Also emailed me a blade profile sheet.  Ain't he so helpful!!!  I'm gonna have stuff tacked on the walls everywhere (Harold's posts...manual...profile sheet...) 

Thank you all again...one more time!  I'm gonna have to get a diploma or something when I finally get good at this:  "Degree of Blade-ology...from The Sawmill Forum...professors Harold, Frank, Carl, Kirk, etc, etc, etc,...."     (and what do you call this "science" anyhow?)

[mike p]

(and what do you call this "science" anyhow?)
 
 
 
FUN

[sawmill squaw]

LOL Mike!  I thought I was already a "fun-ologist"!!  Am I delving into just another specialty of fun?   

Please tell me that the rest of you men out there at least occasionally read directions.  Took the setter to the mill so Willie could get the broken bolt out of where the blade supports are supposed to go.  Got it.  Then he straightened the blade supports for me as they were bent when we bought the set.  Have had them on the sharpener and it hasn't been a problem.  Guy at WM said I NEED straight supports when setting.  (yup...i can see that)  Got 'em straight.  I'm about to tote setter BACK to my porch when Willie decides to 'zero out' gauge and set the set himself....without ever having read the manual.  I quietly held 'this' and did 'that' while he tinkered....and I seethed.    I THINK he might have actually done it...maybe.  I'm gonna set HIS blades the way HE has the setter set.  If it ain't right...it ain't my fault!     and yes...if he indeed got everything set right...even that ticks me off.   

Called mills for timber prices and specs...ate lunch...checking email...and about to go set some blades!  Later dudes!   

[HaroldCR - AKA Fla.-Deadheader]

 Hello from Florida.

 Got in last night, and, promptly forgot my password for this site. It's all written in my Internet Book, which sits above the computer, IN CR. 

 SS, before you go buying stuff, post on here. First, post a photo of the Sharpener and Setter, so we know exactly what you have.

 I just did a little watching and grinding to mod the cam. It's NOT a big deal. Doesn't require much grinding, to get the wheel to drop further down, to get the Gullet.

 Sounds like you are doing a good job on those blades. 

[Stevem]

Hey found this video that might have some hints about sharpening and setting.  FWIW

http://linnlumber.com/product/blade-sharpener

[sawmill squaw]

Mental note made:  before spending money...talk to The Guys, first!  lol  Thank you, Harold! 

Got my package Friday...but was too tired to do anything but be excited.  Schedule change at work has me working Fri & Sat mornings:  there at 5:30, open at 6:00, off at 1:30.  Since I AM female, this means I have to get up about 4:00 to fix hair, put on face, etc.  Willie waited till I got home yesterday to install new cam.  Then we fiddled...and fiddled...and fiddled...trying to get adjusted to blades.  It just wasn't coming together like I expected.  Then I remembered that we also got 'hard copy' of manuals in the box, too.  Aha!  Read the directions!  (not one person had better mention my rant on men not reading directions!   )  There is a knob adjustment at left, back of grind stone.  We figured out, from manual, this is ONLY to be used with tooth spacing of 5/8".  It's to be backed out on all other blades.  Wow!  It's amazing how things work so well when one reads the directions!  We are now getting tooth face, 80% of gullet, and tooth back!  There is a small space ('bout 1/8") at junction of gullet and tooth back that I'm missing.  This is just gonna have to work.  I'm not squaring the gullet anymore...not taking out tooth hook, either.  Willie started laughing at me.  I didn't realize that I had let out a long sigh when we realized it was doing much better with sharpening. He made me sit on his knee on his bucket and he told me I was such an odd woman:  I'm relieved to be able to sharpen blades decently. 

Also found (in the book) how to prepare the new grind stone with dressing stone.  Good info to have.    

Steven...adding that video to my list of things to watch when I get to my Mom's or daughter's...they have high speed.  I'm on dial up due to living in Cattle Gap, Egypt.  lol  Tried to sign up with HughesNet.  Installer wanted to charge me $40 for 4' of galvanized pipe to put dish on.  I told him I could go out in the pasture and find a rusty pipe to use...but there was NO way I was gonna pay that much for that little pipe!  He packed up and took himself and his pipe back home!  lol 

Gonna read the setter manual today and work on getting some blades set, after church.  STILL haven't got that done.  Willie's gonna use the WM blades tomorrow.  I'm anxious to see what he thinks of them. 

[Kirk Allen]

I had Hughes Net for all of two weeks.  It had all kinds of problems and was down EVERY time a storm went through Houston, TX, their central distribution point.

Cancelled it then they TRIED to get $300 our of me for cancelling.  Didnt work!  I DID NOT initial that part of the contract when they presented it, ON PURPOSE! 

[mike p]

Tried to sign up with HughesNet

we had HughesNet for about 2 years what a night mare there box kept not working & they charge $125. trip charge to come out & tell me i need a new one then $160. for new box we went through 3 of these in 2 years. if you downloaded a video then all your bandwith is used up till 6 am the next day
now have verizion & like it & its a lot faster

[HaroldCR - AKA Fla.-Deadheader]

 SS, you and Willie sit down, and run the sharpener as slow as possible, and watch EXACTLY where the cam drops the wheel to it's lowest point. Watch it several times, and, have a piece of chalk or soapstone ready.

 RIGHT at the spot the wheel stops dropping down, is where you need to take off just a tad of the cam, for just a LITTLE ways, to allow the wheel to drop down enough to get that last bit of gullet. That would be where the roller rides on the cam. Take just a LITTLE.

 Then put a broken blade in the machine and run it 1 tooth. If you need a tad more, grind it a LITTLE bit, then run ANOTHER tooth through.

 You will want to "Feather" the grind, so you don't get shoulders on both ends of YOUR grind. DO NOT keep testing on the same tooth.

 That's the mod I made. Only do 1 cam. Keep the other for customers, IF They have the WM Blades.   SOME GUYS WON'T CHANGE THE GULLET.  IF in doubt. let me know, and I can try to explain it better. 

[sawmill squaw]

I did an informal poll on FB for Hughesnet:  results were mixed but mostly the positives were because they couldn't get anything else.  We are too far out for highspeed through local ph company.  Tech who came here to house to install second ph line told me it might be "awhile" before they could "push" it out this far.  The ISP I'm with is fantastic!!!  Techs are extremely helpful, cost is low, service great...but it's still dial up.  They recently built a tower for high speed in our area, but I'm juuuust out of range.  My Tech friend there says he'll let me know when they "power up".  So...I wait and learn to be patient.   

Harold...guess what I was thinking about as I was going to sleep last night?  How to modify that 9 deg cam.  LOL  Told Willie this morning.  He says I'm pitiful and taking my job way too seriously!     But...I log in here this morning and there you've posted how to do it!  "Ask...and ye shall receive..."    I have been thinking about the fact that if when I start doing this as business, I will have to have a way to do other brands of blades...not just WM, which it seems this sharpener only does.  Buying another sharpener, that would do varied brands of blades, would be a goal further in the future due to cost. 

Your explanation is very clear, Harold.  Thank you!  Willie is gonna be quite busy today so I might try this one on my own.  Have to sneak down to the mill and 'steal' his hand grinder, though.     He just "loves" to see me digging around in his truck/tool box.     Ain't never done anything like this before...but that's usually the story of my life.  I just ask knowledgeable people...then do it. 

Will get pics to post today. 

 

[HaroldCR - AKA Fla.-Deadheader]

'  SS, you change the ° angle, by loosening the bolt on the back of the machine, and tilting the wheel more or lees, depending on what you want. I would stay at 9 or 10°. You drop deeper into the gullet, by taking thin grinds on the cam edge. Has NOTHING to do with angle of tooth.

[sawmill squaw]

Gotcha now, Harold.  Funny how when you think you're understanding something, you start missing the simple things.   

Got nothing done with blades today.  Catching up on errands and such.  Maybe tomorrow.....

[HaroldCR - AKA Fla.-Deadheader]

 Sure hope SS and Willie haven't gotten on each others nerves, more than usual. 

 Very quiet since the 6th of June.

 Maybe SS is neck deep in sharpening customers blades ??

[Kirk Allen]

I did a bunch of blades yesterday getting ready for this week of cutting and wouldnt you know it, its suppose to rain all week!

[HaroldCR - AKA Fla.-Deadheader]

 BUT, you built a shed over the mill, right

[Kirk Allen]

Yes, however the logs are not under it and the forklift likes to sink in the mud!

[Kirk Allen]

Ok Willie and SS, we need some updates!  Sure hope some of those storms didnt hammer you guys.

[HaroldCR - AKA Fla.-Deadheader]

 That's why I posted a few days earlier. Just like they turned off the computer or something ??  Was not aware they had bad storms down that way.

[sawmill squaw]

LOL  updates:

See my intro for internet story.  I'm back now.

Willie and sawmill:  The man has been working his butt off!  lol As you all are familiar with.  A long time friend of Willies made a large order and we made some good money.  I've heard Willie talk of this man for years and now I've fallen in love with him, too!  When Thumper comes to the mill...the whole family drops what their doing and runs to the mill to sit and listen to "Mr. Thumper" (as the kids call him) tell stories.  Willie is cutting some Ash for him now.  VERY pretty lumber!  (slabs will be used in my woodstove when cold weather gets here.  Ash makes a quick, hot fire...great for cookin'!)

Me and sharpening:  Willie was asked just this week if I'm any good at sharpening.  He told the questioner that I sharpen better than the guys at Timberking and he's damn proud of me!    And all this leads to a new question I have.....

Last evening Willie called me down to the mill (I bought walkie talkies...save ALOT on the running back & forth).  He told me to get on here and ask y'all a question.  Problem:  some of the blades I'm sharpening are good and sharp but are making the sawhead shake back and forth.  Not a violent shake.  Not a small vibration.  Kind of a slow back and forth movement...like every now and then you'd push one side of the saw head while it's traveling down the log.  Maston and I noticed that when it does this it also pulls the motor down.  Willie made a pass down the log he was cutting so I could see.  Log was an Ash.  The cut was nice and smooth; only the sawhead is moving.  We have been thinking I need a new gauge on my setter since the needle sticks occasionally.  (remember I bought sharpener and setter used)  The few times I've set blades, Willie says he thinks I'm putting too much set in the teeth.  The first use after setting makes ripples in lumber.  Second use is great.  By the gauge, I'm putting .22 on the teeth.  

So...with all that, we think we need a new gauge so I can be more sure of my set.  And could y'all remind me about setting blades for soft wood vs. hard wood.  (yeah...I could look it up but I'd rather ask y'all)  

Second question:  On some blades, when I first started setting, I would turn blade wrong side out first, set teeth.  Those teeth would be around .16 - .18, and I would set to .22.  Turn blade right side out and those teeth were measuring .32 - .35.  What up?!  Again, I'm wondering if it's the gauge.  Does set wear more on some teeth than other teeth?  I realize the set has to be consistent.  I would mark these blades so Willie would know they might cut questionably.  

I've come up with a system:  I mark blades with purple nail polish every time I sharp; pink nail polish for every set.  This way I know how many sharps I get out of every blade and I know to set every 2-3 sharps.  Nail polish does not wear off running through logs.  

And...I have incurred only one injury while sharpening.  Yes...y'all told me to where shoes while doing my work...but I can't breathe if my feet are hot.  Was turning a blade wrong side out on the edge of the porch (easier that way), it swung back toward me and a tooth caught me right in the end of my big toe.  Who knew a toe would bleed that much!  There are now little red spots on the porch floor where I kept walking around bleeding all over the place.  Didn't hurt all THAT bad at the time but the next day that sucker knowed it hurt!  lol  And no...I still refuse to wear shoes.  I'm just alot more careful where my toes are in relation to my blades!  

I am training Gracie (9) and Marcus (7) as my apprentices now.  Both are great at cleaning resin off blades for me.  Gracie loves to get my magnifying glass and check gullets for cracks...and she's really good at it, too!  When she finds one you'd think it's a nat'l emergency!  "Whoop!  MOMMA!  I found a crack!!  I found one!!"  She marks with fingernail polish and then checks when I finish sharpening to make sure I got it.  "Yup...you got that one, Mom.  Gooood job!"  LOL  Gracie is starting to watch me sharpen and is asking questions.  I figure by next year, if I'm not home and Willie needs a blade, she ought to be able to get 'er done!  

Latest experiment:  Willie hit some nails with two different blades.  We chunked one but I kept one to see if I could fix it.  On many tooth faces there were metal curls right at the tips.  I sharpened it yesterday and checked it personally and thoroughly for cracks anywhere in the blade.  Willie is supposed to try it first thing this morning to see how it does.  

We have found a local sawmill shop where we can get blades for $15 ea.; $10 if you buy 15 or more.  We're about to make an order to give them a try.  And...I can't remember the brand at this moment.  Everyone else has gone up so much on their prices!  We also found a local shop where we can get the guide roller bearings for $5/ea...instead of $25 from TK!  And they deliver!  I meet the delivery man in Hemphill so no shipping fees!  They last a wee bit longer than TK bearings.  And I prefer to buy locally, anyhow.

Whew...I think that's it! I await instruction, kind sirs.  And by the way, when Willie brags on me, I make sure to give credit to all of you on my skills.  I wouldn't know squat if it were not for y'all!  You're patience and knowledge has been my benefit.  Thanks...again!

[HaroldCR - AKA Fla.-Deadheader]

 Good to see you back. Thought we might have ran you off, or something similar 

 With sawhead "shaking", does it do it more often than not ??  Could it be something dragging in a track wheel, like a piece of stringy bark or a bearing binding up ??

 The only shaking I have ever had, from blades, was when sawing a terribly hard piece of Tropical wood. The saw would "Chatter" from the teeth grabbing into that hard wood. I would check bearings and try spinning each one by hand, to see if there is any binding going on. Might look down the track for something mashed against the rail the wheels ride on. My big Corley production sawmill would get pieces of bark or a lump of sawdust mashed onto the track, and make the carriage bump bump bump, as it traveled over that stuff.

 I try to keep the area around the mill itself as clean as possible, every day or half day, if needed. makes life so much simpler.

 You mention needing to change out the blade roller guides ??  We are still on the original rollers, and have probably 250,000 bd/ft of sawn lumber run through the mill. We have changed out the bearings a couple of times, though. We pop off the seal on one side, and add a little more grease to the new bearings, but, NOT filling the space. We also use a hose and wash off the mill after each use. We try to keep things well greased, to help keep out water from bearings and such.

 Exactly what part of those rollers wear out ??  How much down pressure is on the blade ??  We try to maintain 1/8" to 3/16 of down pressure. Do you run the blade so it does NOT touch the back flange or bearing, if it has one, while the blade is running but NOT sawing ??  The back of the blade should not touch the flange or backer bearing while not sawing. Also, the blade should ride flat on the roller, not putting excess pressure on the front edge or the back edge of the rollers. You may be "Steering" the blade flat instead of HELPING it stay flat in the cut.

 On the gauge needle sticking, put a little mineral spirits on the shaft of the gauge, where it goes up inside the tube to the gauge. They get sticky and will not travel smoothly. Might take a couple 3 times to do this. Keep pushing the travel part in and let it pop back out, until it runs smoothly. I would not oil it at all, after cleaning it. Gauges hardly ever go bad, but, they will act up from sticky grease and dirt on that shaft.

 Setting, IF the blades get too narrow, the teeth will ride on the rollers and take out the set. I'm not familiar with the mill y'all have, so, I'm going rule of thumb here. Do you have metal wheels and metal where the blade rides on the wheels ?? Do you have "V" belt tires on pulleys that the blade rides on?? Do you have rubber tires, like trailer tires that the blade rides on ??

 Metal wheels have a crown, or higher center than the edges of the wheel. That makes the blade always try to stay on top of that ridge. It MIGHT be the teeth are riding on the metal and mashing the set.

 IF you have "V" belts that the blade rides on, it MIGHT be that the blade is touching the teeth to the edge of the pulley, because the belts are worn down or "SEATED" deeply into the pulley groove. This is common and needs new belts installed.

 Trailer tires should cause NO problem. That's what we built our mill with.

 Over set teeth (032) can be reset back to .022, if you make a tool for banding the tooth. Take a small piece of flat metal, say 1/8" thick, and cut a groove in it to fit the thickness of the tooth. Make it just long enough to bend where the tooth is bent. It should be bent 1.3 of the way from the tip to the bottom of the TOOTH, NOT the gullet. You don't want 2 different settings on a blade. Also, sounds like you get a BURR on the blade, and, that's what scores the log in the first cut. Wears off after that and cuts smooth. Might want to take a VERY fine kiss of the wheel on the last go round of the blades, to take off that burr.

 Also, nails usually are softer than blade teeth. Take that curl of metal off the teeth, and, you can probably keep sawing, IF there are no broken teeth. Some guys save broken teeth blades solely for cutting "Yard" trees. A few teeth missing will still saw good lumber, IF it's sharp and set correctly.

 If you were a production mill, sawing separate types of wood, Pine for several days, oak for several days, etc. it MIGHT be OK to have different blade set ?? We never changed the set sawing from Cypress to Live Oak, and, tropical short pieces of wood, for a Fish carver. We didn't have time OR the ambition to keep blades separated for this. .022 or 22 thousands was all we ever did, except for Heart Pine. That Turpentine smelling, sticky, heavy Pine. Then, we set to .24 or more and used a squirt of Pam every other pass, to keep sap off the blades. Never did live sawing that Heart Pine, for any length of time.

 Did you ever try to sort out the grinding of the cam, to drop deeper into the gullet ??

 Do y'all have much Red Cedar in your area ??
 
 

[sawmill squaw]

*sniff sniff*  I've missed you, Harold!     LOL

ok...answers in order of asking:

No...y'all couldn't run me off with a big stick!

Saw head shaking has, apparently, just started, since this is the first he's told me about it.  But, he says it has stopped this morning with a change of blade.  Got to be something about that blade.  Willie religiously cleans the mill every evening when he's finished.  Several times during the day he cleans out sawdust from inside "cabinet" where the blade runs.  We have a TK 1220 which has the big wheels and a 'V' belt drive.  Current belt is new ('bout a mth old).  (note to self...again: start maintenance log) 

Bearings: Watched Willie grease a bearing just yesterday.  He packed that sucker full!  lol  I do remember reading in something, somewhere that you're not supposed to fill it full...and was going to say something...but...a wife learns there are times to speak and then times to hush.  "hush" felt right yesterday.    The original bearings lasted almost a year.  TK tech told me that this is common: original bearings last a long time, changed bearings go like hot-cakes.  This makes no sense to me and I figure he was shooting "the poor, ignorant" woman a line in hopes of selling her alot of bearings.  (btw...I HATE that attitude!)  How the blade is riding on the bearing is something I'll have to ask Willie about and go look for myself. 

Sticky gauge:  I actually thought about putting W-D 40 on the shaft...but thought better of it.  I figure this is supposed to be a fairly sensitive piece of equipment which I don't totally understand so leaving it be was the best thing I could think of.  And the part that I can actually SEE sticking is actually the needle on the face of the gauge.  It looks like the tip is veeeerrry slightly bent and catches on the face of the gauge.  I keep a small metal rod handy to lightly tap on the side to unstick and double check the reading.  I have noticed the more I use it the less I have to 'tap'.  Will definitely get the mineral spirits. 

Over set:  the setter came with a reset tool...but I didn't get that when I purchased it.  WM sales rep asked if I wanted one but I declined.  Might rethink that now.  Or making one sounds simple enough, too. 

Nails: We were using a metal detector on yard logs.  It needs new batteries and someone keeps forgetting to buy them.  Wouldn't know who that is, though.    Willie came in earlier and said he wasn't going to try that "fixed" blade in the Ash.  Too 'purdy' a tree to mess up the lumber. 

Last night I suggested different sets/profiles of blades for different types of wood and Willie said that was too much bother for him.  We mostly mill pine, with the occasional rich lightered log mixed in there.  We have one occasional customer who brings mostly oak.  WHEN I set...I'm doing about .22".  Is that good enough?  Remind me again what sets are good for what wood, please.

We've actually been doing a pretty good bit of Cedar with some real Red Cedar.  Smells good but Willie has found that the dust makes him sneeze, gag and cough for days!  Willie's cousin brought down several med. sz. logs to be milled for his "super-dooper" BBQ pit: on a trailer complete with seating area, roof, water heating capabilities, etc, etc, etc.  The cedar we milled is for tables and seating, picnic style.  It's BEE-U-TEE-FUL!  And he's only asking $12 K for it.    I'll see if I can get pics of it to share. 

Let me get me-self down to the mill.  The boys just came in, which means that Poppa isn't doing anything.  It's gotten to where the only time we get to talk alone is at the sawmill.  lol  Is that sad?...or good?     Will pass along all this good info and get back to ya probably in the morning. 

[HaroldCR - AKA Fla.-Deadheader]

 WD40 will do. Just sparingly. I really doubt the needle is hitting the face, unless that setter took a drop on a concrete floor and loosened the needle, but, I doubt that, also.

 If you buy electric motor bearings, they will last a long time. It's getting hard to buy stuff not made cheaply in China.

 Sent a PM.

[sawmill squaw]

The bearings we are buying are made in China.  The less expensive bearings are made in America...and lasted even less time than the China ones.  Willie was all about buying American but they didn't last. 

And...I haven't had a chance to read your post on bearings to Willie.  Waiting for him now.  I tried to relay the info yesterday but got all confused.  lol  That's what happens when I 'bout half understand what I'm talking about. 

Will try some WD40 this morning...ain't gonna be able to order new gauge for another couple weeks.  Willie has decided that since I mentioned...years ago...that I wanted to learn to weld, he's gonna buy an old but good welding machine from one of his cousins...for me!  "This one will be alot easier for you to learn on."  Over the past 22 years I've learned I have to be careful what I say around my husband.     Of course, I also know he's gonna enjoy it, too.  lol  And, our 14 yr old daughter has done a little welding with some of the guys who come up here to weld for Willie.  They say she's quite good!  I reckon it will be a family experience!

[HaroldCR - AKA Fla.-Deadheader]

 Be SURE to buy Electric MOTOR grade bearings. No matter if they come from Germany or Japan.

 Unfortunately, made in the USA only refers to crooked Politicians, these days. 

[Aunt B]

Hello my friends!
I had to re-register to get in and thought it would NEVER go through.  Been busy with all kinds of stuff!  (for once I'm too pressed for time to go into detail...you'll just have to wonder.  tee hee) 

Problem: ordered blades from new, local company.  Been using 3/4 teeth...they only had 7/8 teeth when I ordered.  I'm just getting around to sharpening them for the first time.  Getting the tooth front and all the tooth back, no gullet.  Lady at the blade shop says I won't be able to sharpen 7/8 with this cam.  Should I change to my old cam?  I've had others tell me "this" is not possible and you guys always come up with instruction to the contrary.  I'm gonna go piddle with this one blade I'm on and wait for an answer.  Willie's down to his last blade and I have to get one sharp for him.  Answer quick!   

[Kirk Allen]

Depends on what type of sharpener your using. 

Its a pain in the arse but you could do one tooth at a time and manualy advance the blade to the next tooth.   Grind the stone to match the new profile and that will get you going for now, but again, one tooth manualy at a time can take some time! 

[HaroldCR - AKA Fla.-Deadheader]

 Howdy
 Ya got me cornfuzed. 

 How long have you been using 3/4 blades ?  I was certain we had taught you on 7/8 blades ??

 Near as I know, about everybody uses 7/8 blades ??

 You have to adjust the push bar to change the amount of movement of the blade for every time the wheel drops down the tooth. Also, 3/4 blades will take less of a cut per tooth ??  Let me clear that up. Say a 3/4 blade moves the tooth about 3/4 of an inch, for each tooth to be cut.  The 7/8 takes a little more movement to get that same tooth cut. You have to slowly run the sharpener, WITHOUT dropping the wheel down each time, and keep adjusting until you get the proper amount of travel of the blade, OR, you will start grinding the tops off of the teeth and making the whole blade unusable. !!!!!!!

  Whatever you do, check out any clients blades before you start sharpening. You don't want to be buying new blades for your clients. 

 As I said earlier, ya got me bumfuzzled

3/4 blades are more for resaws I believe. ??

 UHHHHHHH  This ain't April 1st is it

[Aunt B]

No sir...it ain't April 1st and we've been using 3/4" blades.  I think.  LOL Now you gonna get me bumfuzzled!  I'll have to check.  Yes, if I drop the stone down too far, I'm taking way too much off the top (back) of the next tooth.  I started out real slow and started with arm adjustments.  Just never could get the grind stone adjustment to get the gullet.  Tooth back is getting most of the grind.  Willie says that these blades are cutting fine but, of course, my worry is that they will break faster if I'm not getting cracks out of the gullet. 

Also, something I'm noticing on these blades (as I continue to write I'll try to recollect what brand they are)....on almost all blades, where the weld is, the tooth space is almost half what it is the rest of the blade.  I've never seen this on any other blades.  I know it's from putting the blade together but the on other blades, the only way to tell where blade was put together was the weld...not limited tooth spacing with the weld.  I always start a couple teeth before the weld in sharpening and have everything set to sharpen within about 5 teeth after weld.  On these blades...you CANNOT sharpen that tooth/gullet on the weld because the gullet/spacing is so small.  I had fallen behind on sharpening and Willie came to sharpen one himself.  I had pointed this little idiosyncrasy out on another blade but apparently he wasn't payin' me no 'tention.  ;-)  He almost messed up my stone by not starting his grind at the weld (in which case he'd have noticed right away) and almost let the stone grind that space.  But...he caught it in time to stop grind and skip over that tooth.  "Hey Bonnie?  Did you know....."  Yes, Sherlock...I noticed that AND told you about it yesterday.  tee hee 

At any rate, today I will check my receipts to see what blades I have been using.  Will get back at y'all later. 

Willie's actually getting to work today.  Been raining and he hasn't worked in almost 2 weeks.  But...I'm NOT complaining!  Rain is good and a gift from God.  God knows what we have need of, when we need it and how much we need.  We're all trusting in His will and praisin' Him anyhow!  :-D  Not driving skidder has given him a chance to catch up on mill orders.  Is even breaking in a new mill hand:  DeAnna's new boyfriend!  lol  I think Poppa spends more time with the young man than De does!  ;-)

[HaroldCR - AKA Fla.-Deadheader]

 That small spacing in the weld area is just lazy operator stuff.

 You should be able to get that wheel to drop down and get the gullet, and, NOT change the height of the top-back of the teeth. You don't change the amount of drop in the adjustments. You change that by grinding the cam just a little at a time, so IT allows the wheel to drop down.

 I will draw out what you need to do, later today, and post a photo.

 I am changing out my non-running Honda engine, for an electric motor on my Peterson Swing Blade mill. Been gathering dead logs by myself, from off hillsides. Broke my wooden loader arm, so, had to make adjustments. 

 I sent a bunch of photos for y'all to see, about the time you went off line, a while back. Did you get them ??

[Wudkutter]

The more you dress the stone on the lead side, the deeper you can go in the gullet, to a point.  If the cam  is designed to cut the profile, then there should be a point where the stone can be shaped to follow the profile.  Taking more out of the back  of the tooth, making a steeper slope, will allow the teeth to penetrate easier, thus feed rate can increase as well.  However the length of the gullet and the shape of the back of the tooth are more tied to the cam configuration.

[Aunt B]

Yes sir, Mr. Harold!  I got your pics...and then the next day computer went down!  lol  Got it back and promptly and very rudely forgot to answer you back on them pictures.  Willie had a good time looking through them, too. 

Wudkutter...I actually did think about dressing the stone.  Or...putting that new one on that I've had for quite awhile, needing to install it.  I'm pretty sure it's the cam, though. 

Thank you, Harold, your efforts in education me!  I always give all of you credit when I'm talking to someone and they brag on my amt of knowledge as compared to my time actually doing this.  You're all a God-send!

[HaroldCR - AKA Fla.-Deadheader]

 I have drawn that cam several times, and, just can not get it so you can understand what I'm trying to say.

 Anyway, take the sharpener, and start it up without a blade. Then run it as slow as you can. Watch the cam as it lowers the wheel down, and, imagine the blade gullet as the wheel stops dropping.

 NOW, just stop the sharpener at that very spot. You may have to run it a few times to get what I am saying.

 JUST as the wheel is about to hit the lowest part of the drop, make a chalk or soapstone mark on the cam, right where the roller is sitting. Mark the side of the cam.

 NOW, turn the machine by hand, NOT by power. As soon as the wheel is about to start rising, make another mark on the cam, same side.

 This area between the 2 marks, is where you need to grind a LITTLE bit off the cam, so it allows the roller to drop the wheel a little further down to get the gullet. DO NOT take off a lot, A little bit will allow that wheel to drop down quite a bit. I did ours right on the machine. Keep the curves smooth, so you don't get any bumpy jerky shapes in the gullet. You are going to take off less than 1/16" of an inch off that cam. Remember, that area is not very long on the cam, so, a little at a time. !!!!!

 DO NOT change anything else. The profile will remain the same, just changes the drop of the wheel, into the gullet. IF you grind off too much, now you have a problem with taking out too much gullet, and, need to change the profile shape on the rest of the cam.

 GO SLOW, PAY ATTENTION, CHECK AFTER EACH GRIND. REPORT BACK HERE.    I got lots of faith in y'all doing this correctly. You have caught on so well, with everything else, you can do this, too. Chase all the kids and distractions off, then, go for it. 

 Changing the wheel should be done, OR, shaping the wheel should be done, before you attempt the gullet drop grinding. Once you have this all working correctly, all you do is adjust the whole motor assembly as the wheel gets smaller. Nothing else needs to be done.

 I would definitely talk to whomever you buy blades from, and get them to weld the blades correctly, or, go to another supplier. Did you ever contact Kennesaw, to buy Munks blades ??

 If y'all would like to see more photos, just say so. I thought the kids would like them.

[Kirk Allen]

Damn Harold, Great job! Even I understood that awesome explanation! 

[HaroldCR - AKA Fla.-Deadheader]

 If only you knew how long it took me to figure out how to do it, in the first place. 

 I have taken the flat gullet out of WM blades, and they worked much better, on OUR mill. Still can't beat them Munks blades, though. I love them things. 

[Aunt B]

Harold, you teach me...you make me laugh...what a good friend! 

Ok.  I totally understand grinding the cam!  I even read it to the kids and they get it.  They did take slight offense to the "running off the kids" comments.     Either Marcus or Gracie are always helping me clean the blades. 

Anyhow, Willie said for me to just sharpen the best I can with what I've got and we'll be getting 4, 3/4" toothed blades here pretty soon.  I will read this post to him and see if he'll let me give it a try.  I really wanna do this now...just to see if I can.  And say I did if I do it right!  LOL  Hmmm...will have to be Thursday after work before I can give it a try.  I have....ummm...court Wednesday.  Last July I got busted in a TABC sting at the store where I work.  Yeah...I didn't ID the young man who came in and bought beer.     I thought about it but figured he was old enough.  I have NEVER agreed with this type of operation.  I agree with it even less now.  I promise ya one thing...I sure ID anyone that looks under 30 now!!  Pray I can keep a civil and logical tongue in my head tomorrow!  Have to talk to Cty Attorney first to see what they decide to do: drop case or charge.  If they decide to go with it, then I'll go before the Judge.     I have "opinions" on such things and it might be best if I keep my opinions to myself.   

I'll let ya know how everything goes, Harold.  Again...thank you for your help and your confidence in me!