Saw Blade Sharpener.....

[Monte55]

A great saw shop will replace missing carbide saw tooth. Is that next on your to do list.

Oh no........not for me to do

[uncrichie]

Not interested in this unit for blade sharpening but it looks like a good start for a tool post grinder for a lathe! Especially the mount with attached motor. I'll have to check the length of the motor/arbor shaft for a different wheel. Thanks for the writeup with pictures. Uncrichie.

[yorkiepap]

Hey Monte55,
Glad to see you are having success with sharpening & took the time to sit & evaluate your needs and methods to accomplish. Your setup is correct and your methodology to determine the precise grind to get a true face cut that is square by simply using a Sharpie, basically, is all you need to do. Back in my 'ol tool & die days, we used ****m(the blue marking die), for proper setups to grind all our tooling. Also, the simple thought to just mark your first tooth with a black arrow as I did in my last photo(left of the grinding wheel) will insure you do all the teeth. By examining all the features of adjustments on the sharpener, and just thinking, you discovered the technique to back clearance.... nice job. For the price, I feel the unit does a very commendable job and already has paid itself off several times already.

Resharpening any cutting tool takes a bit of homework. You have to understand the parameters of the cutting edge, rake, & clearance to insure the tool is cutting at optimum whether it be saw blade, drill bit, lathe cutter, or end mill. There is nothing like the "feel" of the cut and believe me, you can "feel" the difference when a tool is starting to lose its' edge.

I get my replacement tooth carbides from the fellow who does our company blades. He has a supply of 30-40 sizes for the different blades he reconditions. They are not hard to replace as you need to remove the broken tooth and square & clean the tooth seat and then silver-solder the new tooth. I made a jig to set the new tooth in place and I use an O/A pin flame to re-melt & add just a smidgen of sil-sol that has been dipped in Handi Flux paste. One of these days I'll try to post the procedure.

Anyway, thanks for a good followup and enlightenment to help others who may be considering doing their own blades & think it is quite difficult. It is not, and it just takes a little "brain work" and patience.

Denny

[wayne50]

Based on what I read here and the fact I like all kinds of devices like this (drill bit sharpeners) I bought one also. Shipping was pretty fast for HF. It seemed pretty well packaged in a pastboard box with 2 styrofoam inserts. I had to approach it more as a kit than ready to use out of the box.

I had to add washers to the bolts that hold the motor in place as well as to the bolts that the motor pivots on that show the degree angle. The degree indicators, which may or may not be useful, were too tight to work without an additional washer as a spacer. After this the motor would pivot freely and the degree indicators would work correctly after they were approximately calibrated.

The spring on the blade stop was not in the correct position and I fixed that from looking at the picture on the box. Also the blade stop lever had to be bent up slightly to keep the spring from coming unhooked from its postion.

The blade support rod was not perpendicular to the table, which did not matter that much, but I wanted it to look straighter so I bumped it with a hammer lightly to make it perpendicular to the table. I put a little lithium grease on all sliding surfaces.

As stated by others the manual is "poor" at best. With the pictures from this board, along with the manual, I finally attempted to sharpen a blade. I started with an old "non carbide" blade and the emery wheel. To my satisfaction, it looks to do a very good job. As others have said, this machine does seem to me to be worth the $64 I paid (including shipping and $5 discount), although mine needed a little tune-up out of the box.

[wayne50]

I need to correct one part of my previous post after further investigation. The pivot points on the sharpener have metal sleeves which are approx. 1/2" in diameter and approx. 1" long. The problem I finally figured out I had in this area was the metal casting that the sleeve goes into was the same length as the sleeve and it would not let the grinder motor pivot. I just filed off about 1/16" from the inner portion of the casting and that seems to have solved my problem. Now the sleeve is slightly longer that the csting it rides in. The angle pointers can now be tightened and the grinder motor will still pivot easily.

I sharpened a slightly used carbide tipped blade and it did a good job as previous posters have stated.

[tigster]

monte,
thanks for the pics. they were very helpful. and, as usual, thanks yorkiepap for the helpful advice. gotta get me one of those!

have a good one...

[Monte55]

Another good use for the sawblade sharpener with the diamond wheel:
Since I TIG and have a need to sharpen my tungstens, I had another idea on how to use the sawblade sharpener.

In the past, I had purchased some inexpensive dial indicator magnetic bases from Enco. It just so happens that the round column that screws into the base is the exact thread (metric) as the blade support on the sharpener. Even if it wasn't it would be easy to retap. As can be seen in the pictures, the tungsten holder is simply a piece of 3/8 in round stock center drilled for the size of the tungsten. The following pictures will explain.
It seems to work well.

So, what we have here, is a sawblade sharper ...tungsten sharpener...
and it will make mounds of Julienne Fries...but I swear you have to hit those suckers just right...all for the low price of $59 on sale at HF.

[B_C]

That works great for long tungstens......might be kinda tough on shorter ones .....

[wayne50]

Just got a new Harbor Freight catalog today and it has a set of replacement blades for the sharpener for $12.99. Item #98862. It also shows up on the web site.

[Monte55]

Thanks man................I'm glad they have the replacements.

[smedlow]

I know its an old thread, but here is a link to a you tube video demonstrating the Harbor Freight sharpener.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FV-H6...eature=related

[aametalmaster]

That is a cool video. Thanks...Bob

[Rbeckett]

Great review Yorkie. I used to do all the mill wright work at a Pallet factory in Newberry Florida and we did it all. Band saw set and sharp. Replaceable and non replaceable carbide. Diamond set and all. That little sharpener looks like a real time and frustration saver. Glad you found a decent tool to keep your stuff going, plus it could make you a buck or two on the side if you get good enough at it to make a small profit. I remember several years ago they were advertising the sharpening business in a box deal and for the old retired tinkerer (that would be me), that would be a good thing to get into. Just go to the local job sites and put up a flyer and be responsible enough to return em in a timely manner and a man could make a little money. Good find.
Bob

[yorkiepap]

Hey Bob(beckett),
Yes, I like to post a good tool that is reasonably priced that may help others do some of their own services & save a few $$$. Being able to go to the local HF & look at the unit was what sold me. It is well made, great design & setup, & does exactly what intended to do. With the posting by Monte55 being able to easily sharpen tungstens, that will be another feature that some can consider. Thanks Monte. Mine has paid itself off 10 times over & I do some sharpening on the side for a few carpenters & that helps spread my welding/fab operation nicely & the xtra $$$ is quite handy. Also, thanks to smedlow for posting the vid that shows the unit in operation.

Denny

[Ironman50]

Sharpening did not work for me before. I might try that unit. When my blades get dull, I usually go to www.sawblade.com for new ones.