Dropped $2k on a new band saw blade grinder. It's a total game changer for edge retention, no more sending them out.

3 comments

3 Comments

That's the sound of my wallet crying from across the internet. My "game changer" was finally remembering to flip the blade before it's completely toast.

river_allen2mo ago

Actually, a grinder is for sharpening the teeth, not really for edge retention on the wood itself (that's more about the tooth geometry and set). The big win is getting a perfect, even sharpen so each tooth cuts cleanly. Sending them out always felt like a gamble on how they'd come back.

clark.alex2mo ago

Read an old woodworking forum post that stuck with me. Some guy said a perfectly sharpened saw feels like it's pulling itself through the wood, not fighting you. That's the clean cut @river_allen is talking about. My last hand-sharpened attempt was okay, but one tooth was a hair taller and it left those tiny ridges in the cut. Sending it out would just make me nervous about getting it back exactly right.