Went to a local makerspace to use their bandsaw and changed my mind about sharpening blades

I visited the Tool Library downtown last Tuesday to cut some hardwood, and the guy running the place showed me how he sharpens his own bandsaw blades with a simple jig. He said buying new blades every time they dull is a waste when you can get 3 more uses out of them with a 10 minute touch up. Has anyone else tried sharpening their own saw blades with a bench grinder or does it mess up the set too much?

2 comments

2 Comments

emmajackson5d ago

Oh man that jig thing sounds way too fiddly for me honestly. I tried sharpening a circular saw blade once with a dremel and ended up with a blade that looked like it had been chewed by a angry beaver. The teeth were all different heights and it made this horrible screeching noise before I gave up and threw it in the trash. My neighbor swears by using a bench grinder but he also thinks you can fix a lawnmower with duct tape so I take his advice with a grain of salt. Maybe I'll stick to just buying new blades every six months like a normal person.

emma_burns965d ago

Oh totally I did the exact same thing with a miter saw blade last year and it was a total disaster. I spent like two hours trying to get it balanced and the saw just vibrated like crazy before I chucked it. Honestly buying new ones every six months sounds like the smart move to me too, why make life harder than it has to be right?