Circular Sawmill Blade Sharpening
Opinions on the best equipment and techniques for sharpening circular saw blades. October 28, 2008
Question
I'm looking for advice on the best way to sharpen saw teeth on a 56" blade mill.
Forum Responses
(Sawing and Drying Forum)
From contributor A:
Depends on the type of teeth. I run steel on mine and file by hand and then swag. If they get chipped or out of sorts I just change them out at a buck each. I do this because I hit lots of junk with it. Carbide and others often use a diamond wheel grinder. The Jockey grinders that clamp on well give a good grind and keep the angles right.
From contributor T:
Thanks. I have seen that Jockey system, but at $800 it seems somewhat steep. Is there a place less expensive?
From contributor D:
I take my saw off and put it on a post grinder. Easier to keep the edge square. I get my teeth from Arsaw and he was trying to sell me their grinder. I've just started using their teeth and they seem excellent, so their grinder might be good too. Taking the saw off is a bit of a pain.
From contributor B:
Meadows Mills sells a hand crank filer that works good.
From contributor S:
If you can find a Jockey grinder you can afford, that's the way to go. I thought I was good at hand filing until we got the Jockey. I got lucky and "stole" my grinder - I offered a guy 50 bucks for his jokingly, and he said sold.
From contributor A:
Look for sawmill auctions. There are lots of them now. I got a grinder at an auction in IL for $35. Most go for around $250.
From Professor Gene Wengert, forum technical advisor:
With a 56" blade, some time you will have to have it re-tensioned (hammered) to keep it running straight and not wobbling. At that point, consider cutting it back to 48", as very few mills need 56" and it is quite unstable at times. It also has more teeth than you really need today (unless you are cutting very large logs). We had a 56" on my mill in VA, and also a 52". After we cut it back to 48", it was fantastic. Jockey grinder is worth the money. Have someone show you how to use it best so the teeth are straight and do not turn blue, etc.
