Sharpening Bandsaw Blades

Sharpening Bandsaw Blades

by Leonard Jack "Timberwolf" Edgar Sr.

This article first appeared as a thread on theWoodnet Forum. It was compiled and reproduced here for easier public consumption. All Text are the property of Leonard Edgar Sr.

My procedure for sharpening Timberwolf bandsaw blades is as follows:

First let me say that, so far, I have only sharpened the Timberwolf ¼" 6tpi blades..they have a 1/8" gullet. Other brands can be sharpened if they have a round gullet. This will require a high speed rotary tool such as a Dremel, preferably with a speed control, and a 1/8" diamond cylinder shaped burr. The procedure will not restore a blade that has been damaged, but it will make a dull Timberwolf blade sing.in my experience.even better than new.and it will work on any brand of blade that has a round gullet..

First unplug the saw.

Raise the top guide all the way up and lock it.

Wrap a piece of masking tape around the blade as a witness mark for the starting point.

Turn on the rotary tool to medium- high speed.

Holding the burr level, insert the burr into the gullet and move it back and forth 3 or four times. It isn't necessary to remove very much metal.

Then, exit the gullet with the burr, moving it DOWN THE TOP of the tooth JUST BELOW..hold the burr level and just lightly "sweep" it down the top of the tooth. .. You don't need to apply very much pressure on the burr.Let the diamond do the work.... Take care to use some finesse here.it's easy.... so don't sweat it...

Continue the procedure until all the teeth have been sharpened..you will be surprised at how sharp they will be.

If the teeth have been damaged or knocked out of set, this procedure will not restore them. But if the blade is not bent, try it anyway.it could save you money if you're successful, if you're not .all you have lost is time.It has always taken me around twenty minutes to sharpen a 93 ½" blade..it could take you more time on your first try, but you will develop speed as you gain experience.

Save money for other tools by sharpening your own blades.

The procedure will work for larger blades...it just requires that the diamond burr fits the gullett correctly...

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