Sharpening blade tips - freehand??

[Darkwood]

Hi

I operate with a 8" radius 6-tipped blade. The guy who sold me the mill reckons that most people who use them sharpen the blade tips freehand - using no guide or mechanism of any kind, even when they are using a 240 volt grinder to do it.

Other millers I've met reckon that's rubbish and a very fast way to destroy a good set of blade tips.

What do people here reckon?

cheers

Darkwood

[Exador]

Don't know about that, Darkwood. I have a Lucas mill and it comes with a handy little diamond grinder that attaches to a bar on the mill to ensure a square grind. I'm assuming you have a steel bladed mill, rather than carbide tips, so your experience may be different, but if you want a straight cut, ISTM you need a straight edge on your tips. With steel edges, you're going to want a good, consistent set as well.

[charlsie]

darkwood if the bloke who sold you the mill looked about 90 years or older he most probably started out hand filing saws but if you dont have any guides whatsoever i think you will just shorten the life of the blade. like exador says the set up on the lucas is great set up out of the factory. the blades you are using carbide tipped or not? either way i'd take the time to make a jig to sharpen the blade that would grind all teeth the same. crickey i dont even hand file my chainsaw if can help it

[DJ’s Timber]

:wts:

[bobsreturn2003]

you can only hand file if , you know what your doing, can repeat the same on all teeth ? and you are stuck and need to cut, to finish a job , makita make a very nice circular saw sharpener , used by the lewis /eco saw guys to keep there blades right . if you are using un tipped blades hand file and discard after a few sharpens. if using tipped blades tungsten or stellite or insett teeth , get a saw doctor to sharpen ,or its costing you wood and money . cheers bob