just came up on your video and this certainly makes a very logical yet not intuitive method to salvage a dull blade. I will definitely try this to extend some of my resaw blades that are no longer cutting straight on wide boards
On a 102" blade I literally sharpened every tooth on a 6tpi blade like a swiss army knife saw blade, a high alternating bevel...took almost 3 hrs. but there are few blades on earth that can compare in cut quality. No more offset teeth that are not razor sharpened. I'll cry the day it finally breaks LOL.
Nice tip. Thank you for posting. I use a small (75mm X 15mm X 30mm) fine stone that I keep for just my bandsaw and use it as you used your diamond plate. Works good, too. It's also handy for applying to the rear of the blade to get rid of sharp edges thus allowing (especially for some of the smaller blades) ease when cutting small circles. Regards Doc from Australia.
Really interesting video. I have in the past used a diamond stone to correct drift. If you overdo it you lose too much kerf. Best solution is to keep a second new blade in the workshop. I guess it’s comparable to honing planer knives in situ.
It makes sense in a way. But this method only removes any dulling on the extreme upper edge of the blade. It doesn't clear out any hooking that may be in the gullet of the tooth. It'd be a good quick fix sharpen to get a job done or to get the last few hours out of a worn blade if the local wood shop is closed. But if it works, it works!
If I understand correctly, you're sharpening one side of each gullet. Do you have to repeat, tilting the plate to dress the other side also? Any tracking issues after sharpening in this manner? It does seem like a useful technique. Thank you for sharing.
Method I was shown was to stone the sharp side for a couple seconds. I'm guessing this is actually adding some sharpness back in. I've got no excuses really, since I tend to keep 10-20 assorted blades on hand, and just stop being lazy.
having sharpened many hundreds of bandsaw blades with a dremel and a diamond cutoff wheel, I'd have to say "brilliant effort" and I see no reason not to give it a go. I will also add though that if you give the teeth a clean beforehand, it will make a difference. A blade with dirty teeth from cutting say acacia melanoxylon will heat up a lot and blunt the teeth much faster than a clean blade. I use a cordless drill with a brass wire wheel chucked in it for cleaning. I run the direction of the wheel "with" the teeth, from both sides. As it happens, I will be in a position to test this technique out tomorrow on a couple of laguna 14" machines which have both hardened steel and bi-metal blades installed. I imagine Richard Raffin might put in an appearance, so I will get his opinion on whether he likes the result, while I am at it
There are many tips on how to clean blades, including strong solvents. For most hardwoods you get very good results if you put the blade in hot water a minute and brush off the dirt. Often it is the sugar in the sap that makes it stick and it is easily revoved with hot water. The wheels are also cleaned with hot water, a brush and a piece of wood with an edge.
