blade sharpening

[Seamus]

I have a Frued combi blade on my 12" jet saw, I have read these can be re-sharpened, does anyone know of anywhere that actually provides a sharpening service. I visit the states frequently, particularly Florida and could have it done whilst I am there.

[Gregory Paolini]

I send my blades to Forrest Manufacturing to be resharpened. I own mostly forresst blades, but even my freud blades get sent back to Forrest - I think they do a real good job, and many times the blades come back sharper than they were when new.

Here's a link
http://www.forrestblades.com/aboutsharpening.htm

[Seamus]

Thanks for the info, I was thinking about getting some Forresst blades as well, its good to have spares down here.

[wfahey]

Just out of curiosity, what does it cost to get a tablesaw blade sharpened? I tossed the blade that was on my TS and purchased a Rigid 1040c blade. It was only $40 and the cut appears to be very good. One of the magazines scored it high, that is why I felt comfortable buying it.

If a high dollar blade is that much better and sharpening is not too much, it would make sense to get one and keep this Rigid blade as a back up for when the pricey blade heads in for sharpening.

On the other side of this equation, I probably don't push near the board feet of lumber through a blade that you guys do so a high dollar blade my just be overkill for me.

[Gregory Paolini]

I think I only spend 7 or 8 dollars to have a blade sharpened... Although shipping is another story... I usually wait till I have 3 or 4 blades that need attention, and send them all at once.

As far as frequency between sharpenings, well, it all depends on what I've been working with. Quarter sawn oak is tough on blades, cherry is more forgiving, and Ipe or locust will dull a blade quickly

[wfahey]

Thanks Greg. Is there a tell tale sign that you look for? I know the blade that came on my TS would bog down and then I noticed it started to leave burn marks. When I bought the new one I could feel the difference right away just by touch.

[Gregory Paolini]

Quality of cut, and the effor required to make the cut are the two biggest things I look at when determining if a blade is sharp. If I notice a change in either of these, I clean the blade. If there's still no improvment, then it's most likley time for sharpening.
There's really no time line for sharpening either. It really depends on what you cut. For example, when I have a bunch of Particle board, or MDF to cut, I can usually expect a blade to wear significantly - All the glue in these man made boards cause a blade to dull quickly. Also, Using a standard combo blade for a bunch of thick ripping can wear it out faster...

All in all, I probobly send 2 or 3 blades out to be sharpened each year.