# First For Real Cuts



## Jammer (Jul 15, 2009)

Made my first For Real, hoping to get paid cuts this morning.

Wasn't there a thread running on Darren's kilns? I can't seem to find it now...

Well, doesn't matter. I bought the plans, and am planning on using his kiln to dry my stuff.

Because it took me so long to get off the dime, all my maple (one big tree) is heavily spalted. Me thinks this is good.

So, out of the gate, the first questions are these:

How do you guys sharpen bandsaw blades?

How often to you have to stop and sharpen?

Darren, does you kiln dry all the way down to 6 or 7%?

Thought I'd ask my questions out here in public, and that way everyone can benefit by the answers. I'm too old to care how it looks if I ask stupid questions. 

(Yes, there are stupid questions. Just get my apprentice talking...)


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## Daren (Oct 14, 2006)

Jammer Six said:


> How do you guys sharpen bandsaw blades?
> 
> How often to you have to stop and sharpen?
> 
> Darren, does you kiln dry all the way down to 6 or 7%?


I send them to a sawmill blade sharpening service to have them sharpened and set most often. I do a few of my own on a homemade sharpener (jury rigged chainsaw sharpener) when I am in a pinch...but for a beginner I would suggest sending them out. They only cost $7-$8 to have sharpened and set (set is important) and done wrong you will ruin them/make then cut badly and even break prematurely. I keep ~100 bands around and try to keep at least 30 sharp, for a weekend warrior I would suggest no less than 10 blades (20 is better)...I have went through as many a 6 in one day before I decided to call it quits.

I can cut all day without changing the blade on some woods...then when I do change it I hit something in the first 10 minutes :furious: You will know when you are getting dull, the cuts will wander. *Edit*: If you don't hit metal 300-400 bft on a good band is doable on maple before you have to worry about the band dulling, just for reference. So you should make it through that log on one band...but like I said I have ruined 6 (hitting nails) on one log before I rolled it off the deck pissed 1/2 sawn out. (someone elses, they just said keep going and were paying for blades) I had to just stop, I had had enough...Dirty logs dull bands much faster than clean ones too, that is why they make debarkers. At the very least don't put a muddy-filthy log on the deck, wash it off and you will get many more bft per band.

Yes the kiln dries that low.

Good luck, show us pictures of your first cuts.


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## Jammer (Jul 15, 2009)

Thanks. Well, I'll get some pictures up.

Let me measure, but so far I've run through three standard blade and one "carbide embedded" blade. The "carbide" blade was from Grizzly, and it DID last considerably longer than the others, but it, too went dull.


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## Daren (Oct 14, 2006)

Oh, I was confused...I thought you were asking about a bandsaw mill...Not a shop bandsaw :icon_redface:...So I guess disregard all but the kiln question/answer.



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## Jammer (Jul 15, 2009)

Nope, it's a shop bandsaw, with a some extra boards.

I know, I know, I'm working at LEAST five times as hard for each board foot as I should be. But I'm starting with what I have, and the first target is two grand, or thereabouts, and a Harbor Freight sawmill. When that comes through the door, I'll look around, and set the next target on the path.

For now, though, that's where I am, and it's what I have to do.

Okay, I got some pictures, and as soon as I figure out how to post them, I'll put them up.


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## Jammer (Jul 15, 2009)

Looks to me like 66-67 board feet, using FIVE bands, one of which was the carbide.

Pictures coming, I promise.


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