Why is it important to know how to sharpen a bandsaw blade? Suppose, there is a situation where you’ve put on a blade on your band saw for cutting lumber for your next project, everything is going smoothly.
And suddenly, the blade trapped in between the lumber before you could finish the cut. So you should understand that your bandsaw blade becomes dull.
No worries, folks. Such things happen too often with the band saw. The band saw can be very versatile in cutting lumber.
Simultaneously, the band saw blade can be too dull for some tasks. So either you need to choose the right bandsaw blade for your work and buy one or you need to sharpen the existing blade.
However, it doesn’t make sense to buy a new blade every time you go through similar problems. Better if you may want to sharpen your existing blade. Before that, you must know how to sharpen a bandsaw blade.
The band saw blade contains a tooth that has two-part- gullets and a tip or edge. This tip of the sawtooth is the part that becomes dull over time. So, you have to sharpen these two things. Let’s get started.
How to Sharpen a Bandsaw Blade? Step By Step
When you are looking to sharpen your band saw blade, you can do this in two ways.
Method 1:Manually( with a Dremel)
Method 2:Machinally(automatic blade sharpener)
How to sharpen a bandsaw blade with a Dremel: Manually
Purchasing a mechanical bandsaw blade sharpener can be expensive. It could be a smart choice if you need to sharpen your band saw blade regularly. Other than that, manual sharpening can save you money.
Though it may take time, you can do it easily if you follow our guide. The cherry on the cake is, you’ll be able to perform both partial and full sharpening.
Tools Needed
Before we start, make sure to get the following tools;
- A Dremel tool
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- Hand file or pencil grinder
- Sharpening stone (Diamond plate or Waterstones or Oilstone)
- A sharpie marker or blue marking tape
- Gloves and eye protection.
- And band saw (Off course!)
So, you have all the necessary tools in hand. Now you are ready to start sharpening your band saw blade manually.
Step 1: Remove the blade
At first, remove the blade from the bandsaw. You can try to sharpen the blade when the blade is already installed in the bandsaw, but sharpening on a flat surface will make your job easy.
Step2: wear your safety tool
It is really important. You must wear hand and eye protection. Because an accident is always an unexpected thing to happen.
Step3: Mark the blade
Mark the blade with a sharpie marker or blue masking tape. You can mark anywhere as far as you want to sharpen.
By marking the blade, you can maintain attention. Also, if you return to the marked line while sharpening, you’ll know you are done.
Step 2: Sharpening the back of the tooth
You’ll need a Dremel tool attachment that fits the curve of the teeth’ gullet. Now turn on the Dremel too at a low speed so you can maintain control. Touch the device with the backside of the tip of the tooth.
Try to remove any minimum amount of metal that you can. Then move on to the next tooth and do the same. When you reach the marking line or marking tape, it means you hit every tooth.
Step 3: Sharpening the front of the tooth
So, you are done with sharpening the teeth of the blade. It’s time to sharpen the front or tips of the tooth.
Place a sharpening tool against the tip of the tooth. Open the top wheel compartment and move the tool slowly toward the blade.
Move it until it touches the front of the tooth. Now spin the upper wheel, so the blade moves upward, backward, and through the guides. When the blade moves, any protruding teeth will touch the sharpening tool. Tips will be worn down a little.
It ensures that the tips of the teeth are in the same plane. So each tooth can contribute to smoother cuts. Sometimes, you’ll see not all the teeth are touching the sharpening tool.
It means the fronts of the band saw blade teeth are not aligned.
Now again, rotate the upper wheel as long as you see the marking line come all the way around.
When you reach the marking line, it means you are done with sharpening the front as well. All you have now is a sharp band saw blade.
Keep in Mind That….
- You’ll need to maintain the original edges of the blade, don’t change the angle of teeth.
- Make sure to unplug the power of the band saw before you start.
- Wear gloves: Evan a dull bade can make big damage so wear gloves before start work.
- Check the gullet while sharpening for any debris buildup.
- Wear eye protection: The blade made with steel so even a small bit can be very dangerous for your eyes.
- You can sharp your blade two or three times in this way. It is better to buy a new one after that.
- Even if it ended up with a poorly sharpened blade, it would still cut well than the dull one. So, chill!
- Finally, you can apply the same method, even though you have a portable bandsaw blade.
How to sharpen a bandsaw sawmill blade?
A Dremel is an ideal tool to sharpen a regular band saw blade. But sawmill band saw blade is much larger and thicker than a regular bandsaw blade. Therefore, the sawmill bandsaw blade has bigger teeth than a regular bandsaw blade. So, it is not a good idea to sharpen a sawmill bandsaw blade with a Dremel. You can sharpen a sawmill bandsaw blade with an automatic sharpener or you can use a circular saw blade sharpener. Check out the video of sharpening big teeth bandsaw blade with harbor freight blade sharpener.
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How to sharpen a bandsaw blade with an automatic machine:
If you have so many blades to sharpen very often then it doesn’t make sense to sharpen those blades every time with a Dremel. Also, a blade consisting of fewer teeth is make more sense to sharpen manually. But if the blade has many teeth like 1o TPI(teeth per inch), it is not a good idea to sharpen manually. Because it is very time-consuming and frustrating. Also, you can not expect the same quality of sharpening with a Dremel. So it is better to invest in a good automatic blade sharpener. It will save your time and make your job precise.
You can do it either manually by using a hand tool or mechanically using a sharpening machine. You can save money by doing it manually. But it is very time and energy-consuming. Also, it can be very frustrating.
Also if you have many blades to sharpened then it will be a tough job to do manually. Even more, a proper sharpening machine provides perfect sharpening and increases the durability of the blade.
So, if you have lots of blades and need to sharpen them very often, you should buy a proper sharpening machine. At last, there will be some bandsaw blade sharpening service near you. But you should try to do it yourself. Once, you practically do the whole process. you will find it more easily.
Recently,We have reviewed 5 best budget bandsaw.
Frequently Asked Question
Q: Should I purchase a bandsaw blade sharpener?
A: Some people think that manual bandsaw blade sharpening is frustrating and also time-consuming. Also, they need to use bandsaw too often for their projects.
Purchasing a bandsaw blade sharpener is a wise choice for them. People also try to build a homemade bandsaw blade sharpener. That is a great idea if you can build one.
Q: How often to sharpen a bandsaw blade?
It depends on your work. A dull bandsaw blade always needs to sharpen before the work. Also if you are working with the blade after a long time, then you should sharpen it before the work.
if you are using the blade too often, still you need to sharpen it after 2-3 minor works.
Conclusion
Hopefully, our afford will help you to know how to sharpen a bandsaw blade quickly. Certainly, sharpening a bandsaw blade is tricky and frustrating, but not everyone can afford a bandsaw blade sharpener. It is better to know all these tips and tricks before you jump to the new project. So, it’s time to get all your job done with a sharp blade.
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Last Updated on January 31, 2022 by John G. Anderson
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