I bought one about four years ago just to see how it worked like you did. I sharpened the blade on my Ryobi chopsaw just like the one you have. And low and behold it was cutting near perfect. Was it worth the $49.95.? Heck yeah. I sharpened about 18 blades of all different kinds and then try them out. They worked good. Your review was just like I felt and experienced. Excellent review Brad
PRO TIP - The blades have right and left hand teeth. Each side must be sharpened separately with a 20-25 degree angle (similar to a chainsaw teeth). There is a setting on the back of tthe machine in order to tilt the motor to accomadate this needed angle. This one adjustment will make the blades cut smoother and cleaner!
Derrick Wood, Absolutely. That's why every OTHER tooth is making heavy contact with the diamond wheel. Just cut the life out of that blade in half, at least.
The kerf of the saw blade is very important because the cutting edge angle of the blade needs a relief angle provided by every other blade so as to reduce the friction of the blade cut and provide longer blade life! Obvious, both the instructions and the presenter, do not know the geometry of a saw blade!
The "right and left hand" is called fleam. Fleam is usually slight, or neutral, in a rip blade and more pronounced in a cross cut blade. A chop saw should have a cross cut geometry so my first thought was the same... running each tooth through that sharpener without changing the angle will ruin the original tooth geometry.
Since I ran a sharpening business back in the mid 70's, I already knew how to sharpen saw blades. As several other guys have stated, blades are either angled left and right to be sharpened that way unless it a flat ground blade. Also, as others have mentioned, that diamond sharpening blade is okay to do the initial grind on very badly messed up blades, you then need to go to a finer grind wheel to help with the sharpening, but then you need to go to at least a 500 grit grind wheel to hone the saw blade. The original grit on the grind wheel it comes with is a 120 grit blade which is way too coarse for final sharpening. You need to go to at least a 280 or 320 grit before using a 500 grit.
hey, don't be so picky, this isn't for the professional, its for us people out here in the woods that don't want to run 30 miles into town to pay someone to sharpen a blade> Gezz, its a damn $50 sharpener, beats the hell out of using a grinderl in which I had to do ..
@@cferguson6688 One should ALWAYS try to do the job RIGHT; regardless of their education or lack thereof; not to mention that "if you can't do it RIGHT don't do it at all". Because IF you do not follow this golden rule, your life will be as this BrushRadical lives. IE: Having tools that he has to "work around", because they have not done what they should have. Oh indeed yes. Believe it or not.
@@MrPatdeeee I agree somewhat, but some of these people are comparing this little machine to thousand dollar machines and they are stationary to get it "precise on". Of course it isn't going to be "right on". Otheres and myself agree, if the blade gets sharp and does the job, then the job was done right not matter if its not "right on". THAT is what I was getting at. The way your sounding is that "no one " should buy this and spend the money and time to go to town to a blade sharpened. Oh yea, I use to go and have the blades "professionally" sharpened until the sharpening place closed down, now I would have to drive 50 miles one way to do this, cheaper to just buy a new blade then. The little machines save money and time and gets the job done. That is all that matters to me.
Question sir... I was told that tungsten carbide teeth are square to the blade but regular blades are mitered. The carbide teeth are thicker than the blade so the cut provides the clearance needed but a 'regular' steel blade has the mitered teeth to achieve the clearance needed, cutting the left side, then the right side, alternately. Is this true?
I haven’t read all the comments but first thanks for shelling out your own money to give us a review on this product. Just a bit of advice if you don’t mind. When setting up to sharpen your blades, set the blade so the grinding wheel will take a tiny, tiny bit more off the heel of the tooth than the very front edge. You will get a much cleaner cut.
Forget about cutting anything other than paneling or thin plywood ... even 3/4" ply bogs it down a lot even when cutting a very VERY slow path. Probably Works great th-cam.com/users/postUgkxjpBI8OOeUXib_iT7UomCrQ-uauwZJ62c on drywall but who needs the mess of dust flying everywhere when a knife cut will do. Oh, and the red tab on the guard blocks your view of the cutting line once the blade is fully engaged in a cut.
Bought one of these a couple years ago and never got it set up. It has been sitting in my office with a chop saw blade on it since the day I took it out of the box. Finally decided to watch someone use it! Now I think I’ll get my stack of old blades and get them working again! Thanks for the good video!
Yet another great informative and instructional video to watch and enjoy. A problem i get on my saw blade is not always that they go dull, but the teeth get a build up of resin on the side and back of the teeth. This I find leads to burn marks appearing on the cut surfaces, especially so on hard woods. Every so often i just take the time to clean the blade and it makes a big difference. David in the U.K.
I agree 100% with what you were saying about a cup of coffee and taking the time at the end of the day. Been fixing stuff my whole life, partly due to lack of money but a lot of times back in the day here in rural Alaska you had to fix it or do without. That was way back before the throwaway economy and all of the big box stores. The way I see it is if your option is buying a new one or repairing the one you have then, the time spent divided into the replacement cost becomes your value per hour of your time. Of course sometimes it works out where your time has no value in which case you chalk it up to honing or learning new skills or just practice. Thanks for the review of the sharpener. Think I'll be adding that one to the tool pile.
I bought it today, decided to give it a shot and after watching your video as well as a few other I set it up. I sharpened 4 blades and more to go. It does a great job sharpening the blades. I have trouble getting the horizontal blade arm to stop moving... If I tighten it any more I would probably snap the knob off. As for the bolt that tightens the Guide Arm it's neither Metric or standard and using the adjustable will eventually strip out. Same goes for the Bolt that secures stop for the blade alignment. All and all for the price you can't go wrong. Great video, thank you.
Very useful video. I have accumulated a box of blades over the last 30 years that I have never gotten around to resharpening and this will turn a 3 week job into a day or two. Thanks man
Or maybe a couple of hours. I clean the pitch from the blades by soaking them in a pan of Simple Green from a couple of hours to overnight, then use WD40 to prevent rust. The cleaning/soaking takes most of the time.
I've owned one for 6+ years. I dress my finish blades as soon as they start to show fuzz or chipping. For an inexpensive machine it's held up well and it's saved me a lot of money in not replacing blades! Joinery requires extremely sharp tools!
Dave I use to use and collect all my friends metal drill bits because my grandad gave me a drill bit sharpener and before then I’d grab a new drill bit or cut it on the edge off a grinder until the drill bit sharpener now I just save them up in a box until I need one and stick the radio on and sharpen 30/40 at a go I hate throwing stuff away and at first I thought it was a gimmick when he gave it to me and showed me how to use it I’ve had it now going on 8 years and it’s still going strong your videos do make me smile because your resourceful Thank you
Yup, every other tooth is different. That's why the grinding blade hogged in on every other tooth. Should have checheed the pitch and skipped one all the way around. Then reset the grinder for the new angle an cut every other one all the way around
@@Bushradical I did some research it is commonly 1075 or 1084 both would be good for knife blades. I may try one and see and will let you know. I often see old saw blades at yard sale for nothing so it may be a good source of cheap steel.
And , despite having to watch the grinding action a bit too often, the different angles helped answer some questions. Liked the different size diameter demonstration as well...but the question that brought me here is - how to sharpen hole saws?
Bushradical Good video and review friend! I’m seeing this tool online for $55-$70 new, less for used. I’m a woodworker, not in concrete, short of small jobs. Wondering if a steel blade would be best for your dirty lumber for concrete work. Carbide doesn’t like sand and minerals. I’d think you’d be loosing teeth with a carbide blade on that type of lumber. Also, wondering if adjusting blade stop on steel in gullet, below the carbide would give more consistent tooth grind. If carbide tooth is chipped, you’d end up with different grind depths I’d think. Thoughts? Also, for dedicated wood working, I’d spend the extra bucks on a bit better blade. If wood being cut is clean, they’ll stay sharp a good while. The red Freuds are a great mid range economical choice. For high end, Forrest is hard to beat. As to the question of hole saw sharpening - I haven’t tried that yet. I’d think Dremel or hand file, and a steady hand, might be the only options there.
I, also, found the presentation to be logical, well presented and very informative - as opposed to other, not-so-well-done, ones from other sources. Based on the clearly and logically done content I chose to buy a sharpener, too. I have plenty of blades to work on and I'm sure the neighbors will have even more, too. The clear camera work was exceptionally well done as well.
I do a LOT of hobby woodworking, using all sorts of soft and hard woods. and over the last 3 or 4 years that i've owned this machine i cant even estimate how much money it has saved me... YES it takes some fiddling to get set up right but once done, i've sharpened half dozen blades in prob way less than an hour start to finish. have not bought a new blade in in at least 5 years. at some point the carbide will wear down into the socket in the gullet, and by then i'll feel justified in buying new, but for the forseeable future, i'll just keep sharpenin' away. great value for $$
What other reviewers made it complicated you've made it easier,. Great review and demo. Thanks for posting it. I have one of these tools, and yes, mine came up with some issues that neede to be addressed. Like the knob that tightens the blade kept getting loose while sharpening, and what I did to fix it was to get a longer stud and add a thrust bearing of 11 millimeters. (eBay item that cost me less than a dollar). Another problem I dealt with was the base that slides towards the blade, that is mounted on two bars, and fastened to the bars with a small plate. I replaced the small plate for a full-size brass plate to make it more stable. After these little work, I got rid of all problems an now it works like a charm. I hope this comment will help someone.
Thanks for showing this. I've got several dozen blades that need sharpening which would cost $288 At the saw shop. I'll have to give it a shot this weekend and pay myself instead. Most blades being the same styles will help minimize setup times. It's ordered.
Really well done Dave! I have to agree, this is by far the most competent review of this product yet. Thanks for taking the time to produce this video! Cheers ...
I'll definitely have to check one of those out myself, thanks Dave! BTW...I've had good luck with the Harbor Freight chainsaw chain sharpener. Had mine for about 4 years and it's really come in handy and makes quick work of sharpening chains.
I've been a carpenter for over 11 years and I use to have my blades professionally sharpened. They were exceptionally sharp but it use to cost me $70.00 to have them all sharpened. Since I bought the Harbour Freight sharpener I've been sharpening my own blades and I have to say for a low cost machine it does a fine job. I've even put different diamond blades on the sharpener to do different types of sharpening jobs. For the amount of money it cost you really can't go wrong. Thumbs up.
Nice show and tell video with great description and instruction, a good fair and honest endorsement from someone who uses tools for a living, well done Dave :) stay warm, be safe.
I have this and use it when my blades get dull, Works really well for me, just a diy type girl. But It does get to a point where you run out of carbide on your blade and you have to toss them. But the machine is a great value once you learn to set her up correctly. Great no nonsense video, handsome fellow.
Great review, I burn a lot of wood especially old pallets lots of nails and crap to cut through. I will be investing in one of these. Use old transmission fluid in a squirt bottle on the blade every pallet or two keeps the blades cleaner longer
I have one and the motor tilts, if I find my blade has alternate angles i can tilt the motor, sharpen every other one then go back to the beginning, tilt the motor the other way and sharpen the others, trust me it's a great machine
You can find saw blade sharpeners that cost over $500.00 and even way higher than that. For $45.00 this baby is a steal. How can you not buy one? I just ordered mine yesterday and have at least 25 blades waiting to be sharpened. Some of my blades are in the $50.00 and up range. Once my unit arrives, I will examine it and remove the "play" from the entire mechanism. I'm sure a few washers here and there will increase the performance. You can always find small things that need a slight improvement. Also, the unit can probably sharpen knife blades with a couple of add-ons. This was a very good video. Great job!!
As ProTip pointed out, there are left hand and right hand kerfs on any blade. Some high end finish cut carbide blades have a center chisel tooth every third tooth. When sharpening high and low end blades you should expect to re-set the machine for each tooth condition ie. every other tooth is facing right or left with a corresponding angle so on a low end blade you need to do half the teeth in one direction and then flip. On some high end finish blades you will need a third process for the chisel tooth configuration
ATB tooth set up or ATBR tooth set up. There are just Flat top tooth blades which are basically all raker teeth. These blades are used for joinery work or ripping.
I applaud you for your great video showing precisely the steps and mechanics of this machine. I can see the issues which I know will be problematic on this device due to its design, and the imperfect condition of older blades. The "stop" for the blade tooth is never accurate from tooth to tooth, some will be damaged or more or less worn, and the next tooth will not contact the diamond blade accurately or at all, so care must be taken to adjust the teeth at each step. I would have gone with a two step process for advancing teeth. First advance the machine to a static guard set to the placement of the grinding wheel (part of the grinding wheel guard itself), lock the blade, remove the static guard by pulling the lever and grind the tooth, the second arm is not needed at all.
Great video....funny thing, I've had that exact tool for several several years...still in the box right next to my stack of dull blades... Now that I know it works..... I'll set it up and get to sharpening ... 👍👍👍
I was at Harbor Freight today and saw this sharpener. I wanted to see a demo/review before buying. My questions are answered... great video thanks. Like and subscribed.
Thanks. I bought one! Your video helped me decide. Because you had never used one before, and then showed close ups of how to make adjustments, I gained the confidence to give it a try. I bought the Harbor Freight chainsaw blade sharpener a couple of years ago. The two sharpeners appear to work similarly. Wish me luck. Thanks, again. Why don’t you do a video on chainsaw blade sharpening?
Very nice video and thanks for explaining how the sharpener works. Don't really feel like arguing with anyone but I took a look at an old blade of mine and the faces were all set 90 degrees to the body of the blade, so the procedure you outlined will work perfectly. There may indeed be blades where the grind of the face is at angles with the body of the blade and so you would have to take that into account if you have such a blade. In the blade I have, the tops of the teeth do indeed alternate angles, but that is a function of how the top of the teeth are ground. I've read that this sharpener will do that but my opinion is that if you have a sharp edge on that tooth, it really wouldn't make much of a difference. Mind you, I don't need super fine cuts to do the work I do.
An excellent review. I've worked with cheap Chinese made tools in the past, and while they are no German engineering marvels, with enough practice, one can become very proficient. This is on sale (clearance) at Harbor Freight for $34. I'm heading there tomorrow.
Hello Bush radical. I think you've done us all a great service. And these people that are criticizing you be nice and pray for them because they need it
Thanks for the review video. I have this, I bought almost a year ago and have yet to set it up. Need to get it going as like you I bought it because it is cheaper than a couple of my chop saw blades. I have a HF chain saw sharpener I have used for several years and it is way more accurate than my attempts at hand filing. Found your site after watching your wife and her stihl saw video then some of her fire ones. thank you both!
Mine is a few years older so the chain vise part is different but this is the model now www.harborfreight.com/electric-chain-saw-sharpener-61613.html have a stihl 034 super, old saw but still a great one and a newer 170. sharpens both style chains with out much adjustment between them. Only $28 on the web today. Thanks again
I used to run a 036 but I sold it on the Yukon river 5 years ago. I replaced it with an 034 a guy had for sale. It was like new. Looked like the guy never used it. It had like a 24" bar on it. I think I put a 16" on it as Its a lot of load to run that big bar through some of the big hardwood I have on the property.
I bought mine lightly used about 20 years ago. Like I said it is a model 034 super which I forget made it dif. I have 16 on it and a 20 if i need it. I live in central new york state cutting my firewood every yr and it only has had a couple plug changes in that time. It gets heavy so I got the 170 about 10yrs ago for the smaller and limbing.
Hi Jim. Your best indexing off the gullet as the last tooth to grind will be indexed off the first tooth which has already been ground. Also if the blade has a tooth missing you've got nothing to index off. Tony
sharpeners ROCK!. i have a drill doctor too and that is awesome for drills. my dad could free hand sharpen a drill on a pedestal grinder and sharpen a saw and a saw blade with a file. But having good sharpeners for your tools will make them last for generations. I have been agonizing over bench sharpening knives, it took me a little time to realize i was fighting knife geometry. (story for another time) my point is a Tormek for sharpening blades for of planes, chisels, jointers, and thickness planers is worth it's weight in gold... sharpen on man! J
@@Bushradical Try oven cleaner on them with a wire brush. Then give it a good rinse off afterwards. A plastic bucket lid makes a great tub for cleaning saw blades in. When I'm done after a rinse I give my blades a shot of WD-40 too. Helps keep them from rusting up.
Diesel fuel and emery cloth works decently. For rust, 48 hours in apple cider vinegar will have rust wiping right off. Mind you, you'll have to put a light coat of oil on them afterwards.
I really liked the video, you've shown how to use it better than anyone else on TH-cam. Now, I agree with GR, clean the blade of rust and other ick and it should be better!
I've had one of these for about 6 or 8 years and never took it out of the box. Seeing how easy it is to use, I think I'll give it a shot. I've got a 10" and a 12" chop saw and a 10" table saw. My 10" chop saw blade is in the same as your 12" blade was. Maybe mine doesn't smoke quite as much, but it does smoke. Thanks for this video.
The contrast in tooth grind is most probably due to the crosscut blade as opposed to a rip blade ( which is what this sharpener is designed for. It’s for flat faced ripping blades. It doesn’t address the alternating bevel blades of a more complex blade designed for combination cuts or specific cross cuts. Nonetheless a sharp blade is better than a dull blade even if it’s grind is less efficient
Bushradical, I added a washers in a couple of the areas to allow easier adjustment. Also to eliminate any gouging the metal parts into the cast Aluminum.
Nice review. Tip: Mark the tooth you start with a felt tip marker. Tip: When you find a tooth where it barely touches put a dot on that tooth. When one misses, put 2 dots. After you make the first round, move the stop up by a bit (This tool needs a screw adjustment for that.) and regrind all the teeth. Repeat this until it has the same contact on all teeth. In theory you need to do the top face of the teeth too. This one doesn't seem to be able to do that.
You should also be able to pitch that diamond wheel and motor forward or backward and sharpen every other tooth then pitch the diamond wheel and motor the other way and sharpen the rest of the teeth.
Thanks man! I bought one a few years ago but didn't get around to setting it up to use it. I have at least 10 dull blades and like you the blade on my combo chop saw is dull as crap. You got me motivated to get r done. Thanks
@@Bushradical So far so good said the guy from the eightieth floor to the ground......Am a bit leery of the wobbly chop saw at 11:12 but good video demo of the sharpener overall....Thanks
I found this quite useful! I'm too lazy to build my own jig and use an angle grinder and don't mind spending $60 on a piece of equipment that will save me money. Great video, thank you.
i believe you only need to touch each tooth once, probably a little sooner than when it starts throwing smoke though, and notice next time youre aat the store the 100$ blades have alot more carbide on them than the 40$ ones, so you can sharpen them 8-12 times rather than 2-4 times and theyll last alot longer and cut cleaner between sharpenings.. might have a dedicated blade for the concrete uincrusted nail embedded wood though
Great video, u saved me a ton of time figuring out the setup with the instruction that are cryptic. However, a hint, it will take u all day to pull the wheel into the blade. I removed the stupid stop and just rotated the blade about halfway, pulled the grinding wheel down to the stop, and then pushed the blade up against the grinding wheel until I was satisfied with the sharpening. Also, old used blades are so inconsistent that it would take twenty passes with adjustments to catch the depth on some teeth. Took me about three minutes to do a 10 inch blade with one pass. The old blades then cut as good as new. I’m really surprised, this Harbor Freight tool is really well designed and works better than any Harbor Freight tool that I own.
Dave, I'd say your video swayed me into buying one. First off, it's NOT a machine a professional blade sharpener would use. The construction could be better, but it could be worse. I found the Quality of job it does is directly proportional to the time the user spends in setting everything up beforehand. Second, TAKE YOUR TIME!! As I learned in the Army over a half-century ago; "There's Never time to do it right, but ALWAYS time to do it over." Thus far, I've sharpened one blade, and I'm impressed with the results. I'll test it against a dull blade to check the difference. The technique I used; adjust the arm holding the blade so the diamond wheel just passes the bottom of the carbide tooth. I rotated the blade and extended the diamond wheel into the gullet, and the rotated the blade clockwise to make contact with the diamond wheel. I felt that gives me more control over the grinding process than pulling the diamond wheel into the carbide tooth. Like you, I made three complete passes (rotations) of the saw blade, making light passes each time. One final test will be chucking the blase in my milling machine and checking each tooth height with a test indicator (1/10,000" of an inch). If the teeth make a perfect circle, and the tooth face is sharp.... Well, I'll let you know how it works out..........
@@PoisonShot20 "Poison".... yes, and no. I've yet to test the diameter of the individual blade teeth, but I sharpened a half-dozen blades, and I'm VERY PLEASED with my results. I replaced the knob on the adjustable arm with a washer and metric nut that I can tighten as desired with a 17mm wrench. I cut a 2x4 the appropriate length and bored a hole thru it to support that arm that holds the blade. (Creating more rigidity in the blade support seems to be the best improvement to the machine). I threw away the blade indexer, and put a mark on blade teeth with a Sharpie to index where I'm sharpening. The diamond blade the comes with the machine is Very Aggressive. Take your time and go easy. You're sharpening the tooth, not grinding it away. Buying a finer blade (400 grit +/-) would improve the machine also. Now, I'm designing a mount to use for sharpening drill bits, and cogitating on a mount for things like dressing chisels, shaper bits, maybe router bits, etc. It's a good tool with lots of potential uses....
After seeing this review. I am going to have to buy one of these. Over the years I have cleaned up numerous garages and old barns that contained hundreds of circular saw blades. Buying one of these sharpeners would be the ticket to having a low cost supply of decent quality blades. Using self sharpened blades on less than quality cuts would be great saving my newer blades for finish cuts.
I did a review on this tool here years ago. It works pretty good but I only delegate it to older blades. My good ones I send out to be professionally sharpened. Another note: If you look at the directions I think you left out a very important part. Notice underneath the sharpening wheel there is a place to put an allen wrench in and tilt the whole motor/sharpener unit up or down. One tooth needs to be sharpened at one (+) angle and the other at another (-) angle. This is how a saw blade works. The same reason teeth are offset on a handsaw. Your blades would cut much better if you did that. So you sharpen every other tooth in one angle then change it and do the other teeth the negative angle.
Thanks Daniel....but I don't understand exactly what you mean. Ive been hand sharpening saws for years. I know all about set. These teeth have alternating tips (left /right) when you look at the blade face one.....but the faces of the carbides themselves seem to be totally flat like a rip saw.
Yes, I should have said tooth angle. The term 'set' is only used for handsaws. Most circular saw blade types have alternating angles. If you don't tilt the grinding wheel, each angle will be square. Here is a graphic I found that shows different blades and angles. And, look beneath the grinding wheel. There is a -10 degree and +10 degree adjustment for just this purpose. The directions that came with the device go into length about making this adjustment. s26462.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/Sawblades_5F00_anatomy1.jpg Also, a link to the old 2012 video I did on this. It shows me doing it. th-cam.com/video/qBSjO0HKBDM/w-d-xo.html On another note: Nice cleanly done video BTW.....
This video is very helpful to a guy that Tinkers in the garage once in a blue moon. Or 4 BAD pizzas against the brick wall, repeat eight days a week if a Pro Carpenter? I like the simplicity of this video and clarity as well. Thank you for the honest appraisal of this tool.
I like this video ! If nothing else this is a honest review ! What is more is the fact that you really can get a no cutting blade to cut again ! A highbrow cabinet-maker is liable to tell you This can not be done ! I am not a cabinet-maker ! If it cuts it cuts :) Best TU U and TNX
I hate buying new blades and I don't think I have ever seen a blade sharpener like this. I have always resorted to files myself. I think I will take a look at this machine. Thanks Dave !!!
Fantastic review. You did a great job of showing what you were doing and why. I will buy one after seeing your review. Thanks for sharing and well done.
Soak the blades in a pan with Simple Green for a couple hours to overnight, use old toothbrush for scrubbing. WD40 for rust. Works great and inexpensive.
As many of the commenters here , I have one . But I don't use mine the same way , I don't use the blade stop and I don't feed the diamond wheel across the tooth . I simply pull the diamond wheel into the gullet of the saw blade then spin the saw blade to very lightly kiss the face of the tooth for a second or two . That way the tooth touches a completely flat surface on the diamond wheel . I have tried both ways and get much sharper blades my way . When dragging across the tooth the diamond wheel pushes off and you don't get a perfect flat cut and it seems to have a smother finished surface on the face of the tooth , adding to longer sharpness from the blade and less heat on long rips . Great video , try my way and see if you agree .
Nice review! I understand that the nature of your work beats the hell out of those blades and so you buy cheap ones, but try cleaning the blades and see the improvement in the cutting. Less friction will also prolong the life of the saw.
Looks like your purchase of the saw blade sharpener was better than my drill bit sharpener who's tolerances were designed by the hand grenades and horse shoe engineers specifications
Great video. I’ve been looking at that HF sharpener for 2 years now, but haven’t seen a review yet that has convinced until now. You’ve done a great job with the review. I’m headed to HF to get a blade sharpener because I have a life time of saved blades that need sharping. Have a blessed day. After watching the video, I subscribed, I want to see more. Keep up the good videos.
They do adjust to sharpen the alternating angles of saw teeth.....I didn't cover that in this video because I didn't know it was adjustable at the time. Good luck
Good info, I have 10” and 12” blades that varies between $30 to $55 and it is expensive and does add up after replacing the blades over time, having the ability to sharpen our own blades will help cut costs down.
Great demonstration, and you use the equipment and it pays for itself over and over again ,,, A great buy I'd say. A thumbs up on the equipment and the video.
Why would there be 207 thumb's-down? He walked us through every single aspect and showed the results? Screw these idiots. Well done and thanks for taking the time to present a totally unbiased opinion of this product.
Great review, I didn't know HB had one! I keep buying cheap blades for my skill saw (not Skill brand) and before I know it, its dull! I have also seen blades that threw me off my line because the two sides were sharpened unevenly. So make sure you are considering the two sides of the blade and its angle or it can drag you off line.
Get rid of the tooth holder and use your hands to push the saw blade against the diamond wheel. Also mark a few teeth with a marker to confirm the angle is correct. you can do this by turning the diamond wheel against the saw blade. When the marker is scrapped off on the tooth you will see your angle adjust angle if needed. Be careful of saw blades that have a angle on every other tooth.
Good advice on getting rid of the tool hold and pushing the saw blade against the wheel. I’ve had one of these sharpeners for several year and sharpened countless blades. The tooth holder is just a big nuance and can even lead to a lot of frustration.
@@Bushradical Not good info. The force of the wheel is going to push backwards and you end up with a negative angle face. If your just touching the face to a wheel you may keep it straight only if the face of the wheel matches the size of the tooth. Still, you won't be taking an equal amount off each tooth. Not to mention losing a fingertip because you have no control over the blade anymore.
Very useful video! There are several of these grinders around with different logos on them so this will be applicable to most of them. This is what I need!! Thank you!
Hi Dave, great review bud. Love when you review things, both new and old, your honest and detailed description make them all worth watching, thanks for sharing, Rock On!
I bought one about four years ago just to see how it worked like you did. I sharpened the blade on my Ryobi chopsaw just like the one you have. And low and behold it was cutting near perfect. Was it worth the $49.95.? Heck yeah. I sharpened about 18 blades of all different kinds and then try them out. They worked good. Your review was just like I felt and experienced. Excellent review
Brad
Thanks Bradley
PRO TIP -
The blades have right and left hand teeth. Each side must be sharpened separately with a 20-25 degree angle (similar to a chainsaw teeth). There is a setting on the back of tthe machine in order to tilt the motor to accomadate this needed angle. This one adjustment will make the blades cut smoother and cleaner!
Derrick Wood,
Absolutely. That's why every OTHER tooth is making heavy contact with the diamond wheel.
Just cut the life out of that blade in half, at least.
I was suspicious about this. Not all blades are the same angle. Thanks for letting us know about the adjustment on the back. I hope he sees this.
Indeed! The lack of alternating set angles was the first thing I wondered about as I watched him set it up.
Thanks for the tip!
The kerf of the saw blade is very important because the cutting edge angle of the blade needs a relief angle provided by every other blade so as to reduce the friction of the blade cut and provide longer blade life! Obvious, both the instructions and the presenter, do not know the geometry of a saw blade!
The "right and left hand" is called fleam. Fleam is usually slight, or neutral, in a rip blade and more pronounced in a cross cut blade. A chop saw should have a cross cut geometry so my first thought was the same... running each tooth through that sharpener without changing the angle will ruin the original tooth geometry.
Since I ran a sharpening business back in the mid 70's, I already knew how to sharpen saw blades. As several other guys have stated, blades are either angled left and right to be sharpened that way unless it a flat ground blade. Also, as others have mentioned, that diamond sharpening blade is okay to do the initial grind on very badly messed up blades, you then need to go to a finer grind wheel to help with the sharpening, but then you need to go to at least a 500 grit grind wheel to hone the saw blade. The original grit on the grind wheel it comes with is a 120 grit blade which is way too coarse for final sharpening. You need to go to at least a 280 or 320 grit before using a 500 grit.
hey, don't be so picky, this isn't for the professional, its for us people out here in the woods that don't want to run 30 miles into town to pay someone to sharpen a blade> Gezz, its a damn $50 sharpener, beats the hell out of using a grinderl in which I had to do ..
@@cferguson6688 One should ALWAYS try to do the job RIGHT; regardless of their education or lack thereof; not to mention that "if you can't do it RIGHT don't do it at all". Because IF you do not follow this golden rule, your life will be as this BrushRadical lives. IE:
Having tools that he has to "work around", because they have not done what they should have. Oh indeed yes. Believe it or not.
@@MrPatdeeee I agree somewhat, but some of these people are comparing this little machine to thousand dollar machines and they are stationary to get it "precise on". Of course it isn't going to be "right on". Otheres and myself agree, if the blade gets sharp and does the job, then the job was done right not matter if its not "right on". THAT is what I was getting at. The way your sounding is that "no one " should buy this and spend the money and time to go to town to a blade sharpened. Oh yea, I use to go and have the blades "professionally" sharpened until the sharpening place closed down, now I would have to drive 50 miles one way to do this, cheaper to just buy a new blade then. The little machines save money and time and gets the job done. That is all that matters to me.
thorlo6 I’m glad you’ve explained what a professional think of this. I have a clearer view now. Thx
Question sir... I was told that tungsten carbide teeth are square to the blade but regular blades are mitered. The carbide teeth are thicker than the blade so the cut provides the clearance needed but a 'regular' steel blade has the mitered teeth to achieve the clearance needed, cutting the left side, then the right side, alternately.
Is this true?
I haven’t read all the comments but first thanks for shelling out your own money to give us a review on this product. Just a bit of advice if you don’t mind. When setting up to sharpen your blades, set the blade so the grinding wheel will take a tiny, tiny bit more off the heel of the tooth than the very front edge. You will get a much cleaner cut.
Thanks!
Forget about cutting anything other than paneling or thin plywood ... even 3/4" ply bogs it down a lot even when cutting a very VERY slow path. Probably Works great th-cam.com/users/postUgkxjpBI8OOeUXib_iT7UomCrQ-uauwZJ62c on drywall but who needs the mess of dust flying everywhere when a knife cut will do. Oh, and the red tab on the guard blocks your view of the cutting line once the blade is fully engaged in a cut.
Bought one of these a couple years ago and never got it set up. It has been sitting in my office with a chop saw blade on it since the day I took it out of the box. Finally decided to watch someone use it! Now I think I’ll get my stack of old blades and get them working again! Thanks for the good video!
Compliments on your editing and camera work. And also keeping your video short to-the-point and focused.
Thanks Leo
Yet another great informative and instructional video to watch and enjoy. A problem i get on my saw blade is not always that they go dull, but the teeth get a build up of resin on the side and back of the teeth. This I find leads to burn marks appearing on the cut surfaces, especially so on hard woods. Every so often i just take the time to clean the blade and it makes a big difference.
David in the U.K.
I agree 100% with what you were saying about a cup of coffee and taking the time at the end of the day. Been fixing stuff my whole life, partly due to lack of money but a lot of times back in the day here in rural Alaska you had to fix it or do without. That was way back before the throwaway economy and all of the big box stores.
The way I see it is if your option is buying a new one or repairing the one you have then, the time spent divided into the replacement cost becomes your value per hour of your time. Of course sometimes it works out where your time has no value in which case you chalk it up to honing or learning new skills or just practice.
Thanks for the review of the sharpener. Think I'll be adding that one to the tool pile.
Thanks Rabbycracker. Where in Alaska are you. I have a place north of Fairbanks
I bought it today, decided to give it a shot and after watching your video as well as a few other I set it up. I sharpened 4 blades and more to go. It does a great job sharpening the blades. I have trouble getting the horizontal blade arm to stop moving... If I tighten it any more I would probably snap the knob off. As for the bolt that tightens the Guide Arm it's neither Metric or standard and using the adjustable will eventually strip out. Same goes for the Bolt that secures stop for the blade alignment. All and all for the price you can't go wrong. Great video, thank you.
Thanks
Try putting a lock washer, had the same problem. Adding the lock washer dit the trick.
I have one,I have used it for years and still using the first set of blades .I have sharpened many blades of all sizes.
L)
J H Thanks for this. I’ve got one, but I’ve yet to use it because, as usual, HF instruction manuals are lacking.
Very useful video. I have accumulated a box of blades over the last 30 years that I have never gotten around to resharpening and this will turn a 3 week job into a day or two. Thanks man
Let me know how you like it.
Or maybe a couple of hours. I clean the pitch from the blades by soaking them in a pan of Simple Green from a couple of hours to overnight, then use WD40 to prevent rust. The cleaning/soaking takes most of the time.
I've owned one for 6+ years. I dress my finish blades as soon as they start to show fuzz or chipping. For an inexpensive machine it's held up well and it's saved me a lot of money in not replacing blades! Joinery requires extremely sharp tools!
right on
Dave I use to use and collect all my friends metal drill bits because my grandad gave me a drill bit sharpener and before then I’d grab a new drill bit or cut it on the edge off a grinder until the drill bit sharpener now I just save them up in a box until I need one and stick the radio on and sharpen 30/40 at a go I hate throwing stuff away and at first I thought it was a gimmick when he gave it to me and showed me how to use it I’ve had it now going on 8 years and it’s still going strong your videos do make me smile because your resourceful
Thank you
Thanks Marvell.
Yup, every other tooth is different. That's why the grinding blade hogged in on every other tooth. Should have checheed the pitch and skipped one all the way around. Then reset the grinder for the new angle an cut every other one all the way around
Excellent Vid. Bought this 6 years ago, and haven't used it. Your instructions saved me a lot of time. Thx,
Dave I love your channel! You don’t just throw money away. Most guys would spend 35$ and buy a new blade... I like your style!👍
Thanks Ddbronco! I like making things work again.
@@Bushradical I did some research it is commonly 1075 or 1084 both would be good for knife blades. I may try one and see and will let you know. I often see old saw blades at yard sale for nothing so it may be a good source of cheap steel.
@@kevintulak9987 Thanks. for the very good two tips.
most guys also would be back in the stone age if the walmart went down for a few days hahah
@@justpettet3506 since they put all the old regular places out of business with predatory pricing, that is the way the cookie crumbles.
Great video, it speaks for itself when you sharpened the 12 inch that was smoking and didn't when you sharpened it says it all.
I believe this could easily be the best video review so far on this machine. I like your properly focused close ups as well.
Thanks!
And , despite having to watch the grinding action a bit too often, the different angles helped answer some questions.
Liked the different size diameter demonstration as well...but the question that brought me here is - how to sharpen hole saws?
Bushradical
Good video and review friend!
I’m seeing this tool online for $55-$70 new, less for used.
I’m a woodworker, not in concrete, short of small jobs.
Wondering if a steel blade would be best for your dirty lumber for concrete work. Carbide doesn’t like sand and minerals. I’d think you’d be loosing teeth with a carbide blade on that type of lumber.
Also, wondering if adjusting blade stop on steel in gullet, below the carbide would give more consistent tooth grind. If carbide tooth is chipped, you’d end up with different grind depths I’d think. Thoughts?
Also, for dedicated wood working, I’d spend the extra bucks on a bit better blade. If wood being cut is clean, they’ll stay sharp a good while. The red Freuds are a great mid range economical choice. For high end, Forrest is hard to beat.
As to the question of hole saw sharpening - I haven’t tried that yet. I’d think Dremel or hand file, and a steady hand, might be the only options there.
I, also, found the presentation to be logical, well presented and very informative - as opposed to other, not-so-well-done, ones from other sources.
Based on the clearly and logically done content I chose to buy a sharpener, too. I have plenty of blades to work on and I'm sure the neighbors will have even more, too.
The clear camera work was exceptionally well done as well.
Well done
I bought the sharpener today. The instructions were crap. I watched this video and understood how to set it up. Thank you.
good luck
I do a LOT of hobby woodworking, using all sorts of soft and hard woods. and over the last 3 or 4 years that i've owned this machine i cant even estimate how much money it has saved me... YES it takes some fiddling to get set up right but once done, i've sharpened half dozen blades in prob way less than an hour start to finish. have not bought a new blade in in at least 5 years. at some point the carbide will wear down into the socket in the gullet, and by then i'll feel justified in buying new, but for the forseeable future, i'll just keep sharpenin' away. great value for $$
Right on!!
What other reviewers made it complicated you've made it easier,. Great review and demo. Thanks for posting it.
I have one of these tools, and yes, mine came up with some issues that neede to be addressed. Like the knob that tightens the blade kept getting loose while sharpening, and what I did to fix it was to get a longer stud and add a thrust bearing of 11 millimeters. (eBay item that cost me less than a dollar).
Another problem I dealt with was the base that slides towards the blade, that is mounted on two bars, and fastened to the bars with a small plate. I replaced the small plate for a full-size brass plate to make it more stable. After these little work, I got rid of all problems an now it works like a charm.
I hope this comment will help someone.
Thanks
Thanks for showing this. I've got several dozen blades that need sharpening which would cost $288 At the saw shop. I'll have to give it a shot this weekend and pay myself instead. Most blades being the same styles will help minimize setup times. It's ordered.
Really well done Dave! I have to agree, this is by far the most competent review of this product yet. Thanks for taking the time to produce this video! Cheers ...
Thanks
I'll definitely have to check one of those out myself, thanks Dave!
BTW...I've had good luck with the Harbor Freight chainsaw chain sharpener. Had mine for about 4 years and it's really come in handy and makes quick work of sharpening chains.
Thanks for the tip
I've been a carpenter for over 11 years and I use to have my blades professionally sharpened. They were exceptionally sharp but it use to cost me $70.00 to have them all sharpened. Since I bought the Harbour Freight sharpener I've been sharpening my own blades and I have to say for a low cost machine it does a fine job. I've even put different diamond blades on the sharpener to do different types of sharpening jobs. For the amount of money it cost you really can't go wrong. Thumbs up.
Thanks Craig
Nice show and tell video with great description and instruction, a good fair and honest endorsement from someone who uses tools for a living, well done Dave :) stay warm, be safe.
Thanks Gordon
I have this and use it when my blades get dull, Works really well for me, just a diy type girl. But It does get to a point where you run out of carbide on your blade and you have to toss them. But the machine is a great value once you learn to set her up correctly. Great no nonsense video, handsome fellow.
Great review, I burn a lot of wood especially old pallets lots of nails and crap to cut through. I will be investing in one of these. Use old transmission fluid in a squirt bottle on the blade every pallet or two keeps the blades cleaner longer
I just got this for Mother’s Day. Used my 25% off coupon.
Then I saw your video. I 🔥 a 🕯 and said a 🙏🏻 that it would work!
Praise the Lord!
Amen!
thanks
a guy named kevin got this for mothers day ? hmmm
I have one and the motor tilts, if I find my blade has alternate angles i can tilt the motor, sharpen every other one then go back to the beginning, tilt the motor the other way and sharpen the others, trust me it's a great machine
You can find saw blade sharpeners that cost over $500.00 and even way higher than that. For $45.00 this baby is a steal. How can you not buy one? I just ordered mine yesterday and have at least 25 blades waiting to be sharpened. Some of my blades are in the $50.00 and up range. Once my unit arrives, I will examine it and remove the "play" from the entire mechanism. I'm sure a few washers here and there will increase the performance. You can always find small things that need a slight improvement. Also, the unit can probably sharpen knife blades with a couple of add-ons. This was a very good video. Great job!!
Thanks
I have one of those, they do the job pretty good, not perfect, but good enough. Well worth the money.
I just bought one of these and then decided to do some digging if it was worth it. Thank you for your review. Really set my mind at ease.
Thanks
I never knew this tool existed - thank you for the review; I love your style !!
Thanks Robert.
Very good review..thanks for all the tips on sharpening saw blades..I have about 20 dull blades...no more. I'm sold...
As ProTip pointed out, there are left hand and right hand kerfs on any blade. Some high end finish cut carbide blades have a center chisel tooth every third tooth. When sharpening high and low end blades you should expect to re-set the machine for each tooth condition ie. every other tooth is facing right or left with a corresponding angle so on a low end blade you need to do half the teeth in one direction and then flip. On some high end finish blades you will need a third process for the chisel tooth configuration
ATB tooth set up or ATBR tooth set up. There are just Flat top tooth blades which are basically all raker teeth. These blades are used for joinery work or ripping.
I applaud you for your great video showing precisely the steps and mechanics of this machine. I can see the issues which I know will be problematic on this device due to its design, and the imperfect condition of older blades. The "stop" for the blade tooth is never accurate from tooth to tooth, some will be damaged or more or less worn, and the next tooth will not contact the diamond blade accurately or at all, so care must be taken to adjust the teeth at each step. I would have gone with a two step process for advancing teeth. First advance the machine to a static guard set to the placement of the grinding wheel (part of the grinding wheel guard itself), lock the blade, remove the static guard by pulling the lever and grind the tooth, the second arm is not needed at all.
Great video....funny thing, I've had that exact tool for several several years...still in the box right next to my stack of dull blades... Now that I know it works..... I'll set it up and get to sharpening ... 👍👍👍
right on
I was at Harbor Freight today and saw this sharpener. I wanted to see a demo/review before buying. My questions are answered... great video thanks. Like and subscribed.
The areas you pointed out where you think it’s been attempted to be sharpened are most likely where metal has been removed to balance the blade.
Gullet difference is when they balanced the blade after attaching carbide teeth.
Thanks. I bought one! Your video helped me decide. Because you had never used one before, and then showed close ups of how to make adjustments, I gained the confidence to give it a try. I bought the Harbor Freight chainsaw blade sharpener a couple of years ago. The two sharpeners appear to work similarly. Wish me luck. Thanks, again. Why don’t you do a video on chainsaw blade sharpening?
Very nice video and thanks for explaining how the sharpener works. Don't really feel like arguing with anyone but I took a look at an old blade of mine and the faces were all set 90 degrees to the body of the blade, so the procedure you outlined will work perfectly. There may indeed be blades where the grind of the face is at angles with the body of the blade and so you would have to take that into account if you have such a blade. In the blade I have, the tops of the teeth do indeed alternate angles, but that is a function of how the top of the teeth are ground. I've read that this sharpener will do that but my opinion is that if you have a sharp edge on that tooth, it really wouldn't make much of a difference. Mind you, I don't need super fine cuts to do the work I do.
You can set the angle on the sharpener.
An excellent review. I've worked with cheap Chinese made tools in the past, and while they are no German engineering marvels, with enough practice, one can become very proficient. This is on sale (clearance) at Harbor Freight for $34. I'm heading there tomorrow.
Always mark starting point and one pass is enough.great vid and machine.
Hello Bush radical. I think you've done us all a great service. And these people that are criticizing you be nice and pray for them because they need it
I'm so old, I can remember when half a decade was five years!
Thanks for the review video. I have this, I bought almost a year ago and have yet to set it up. Need to get it going as like you I bought it because it is cheaper than a couple of my chop saw blades. I have a HF chain saw sharpener I have used for several years and it is way more accurate than my attempts at hand filing. Found your site after watching your wife and her stihl saw video then some of her fire ones. thank you both!
Thanks William. Ive never tried anything for sharpening chainsaws except a file.....which model did you buy?
Mine is a few years older so the chain vise part is different but this is the model now www.harborfreight.com/electric-chain-saw-sharpener-61613.html have a stihl 034 super, old saw but still a great one and a newer 170. sharpens both style chains with out much adjustment between them. Only $28 on the web today. Thanks again
Thats awesome...I have a Stihl 034!
I used to run a 036 but I sold it on the Yukon river 5 years ago. I replaced it with an 034 a guy had for sale. It was like new. Looked like the guy never used it. It had like a 24" bar on it. I think I put a 16" on it as Its a lot of load to run that big bar through some of the big hardwood I have on the property.
I bought mine lightly used about 20 years ago. Like I said it is a model 034 super which I forget made it dif. I have 16 on it and a 20 if i need it. I live in central new york state cutting my firewood every yr and it only has had a couple plug changes in that time. It gets heavy so I got the 170 about 10yrs ago for the smaller and limbing.
Here’s a tip , mark the first tooth with a sharpie so you know when you’ve made the full circle.
Hi Jim. Your best indexing off the gullet as the last tooth to grind will be indexed off the first tooth
which has already been ground. Also if the blade has a tooth missing you've got nothing to index off. Tony
sharpeners ROCK!. i have a drill doctor too and that is awesome for drills. my dad could free hand sharpen a drill on a pedestal grinder and sharpen a saw and a saw blade with a file. But having good sharpeners for your tools will make them last for generations. I have been agonizing over bench sharpening knives, it took me a little time to realize i was fighting knife geometry. (story for another time) my point is a Tormek for sharpening blades for of planes, chisels, jointers, and thickness planers is worth it's weight in gold... sharpen on man! J
I will have to look up Tormek.
Dave clean the pitch from your blades will help greatly in cutting also.
Thanks GR.
@@Bushradical Try oven cleaner on them with a wire brush. Then give it a good rinse off afterwards. A plastic bucket lid makes a great tub for cleaning saw blades in. When I'm done after a rinse I give my blades a shot of WD-40 too. Helps keep them from rusting up.
Diesel fuel and emery cloth works decently. For rust, 48 hours in apple cider vinegar will have rust wiping right off. Mind you, you'll have to put a light coat of oil on them afterwards.
I really liked the video, you've shown how to use it better than anyone else on TH-cam. Now, I agree with GR, clean the blade of rust and other ick and it should be better!
Gerald Roth cleaning them really does help. Just learned about it recently and just tried it and it works so much better
I've had one of these for about 6 or 8 years and never took it out of the box. Seeing how easy it is to use, I think I'll give it a shot. I've got a 10" and a 12" chop saw and a 10" table saw. My 10" chop saw blade is in the same as your 12" blade was. Maybe mine doesn't smoke quite as much, but it does smoke. Thanks for this video.
The contrast in tooth grind is most probably due to the crosscut blade as opposed to a rip blade ( which is what this sharpener is designed for. It’s for flat faced ripping blades. It doesn’t address the alternating bevel blades of a more complex blade designed for combination cuts or specific cross cuts. Nonetheless a sharp blade is better than a dull blade even if it’s grind is less efficient
Interesting. I was able to get the angles out of it for that, albeit not a very precise tool.
I just used my buddies sharpener! It requires a few tweaks. It deserves a 👍🏼 it has potential to be a great asset to anyone’s shop!
Thats a good assessment. Not perfect, but usable and has potential!
Bushradical, I added a washers in a couple of the areas to allow easier adjustment. Also to eliminate any gouging the metal parts into the cast Aluminum.
right on
Nice review.
Tip: Mark the tooth you start with a felt tip marker.
Tip: When you find a tooth where it barely touches put a dot on that tooth. When one misses, put 2 dots. After you make the first round, move the stop up by a bit (This tool needs a screw adjustment for that.) and regrind all the teeth. Repeat this until it has the same contact on all teeth.
In theory you need to do the top face of the teeth too. This one doesn't seem to be able to do that.
Thank you for the close ups. Very helpful.
Your ol’ chopsaw was given a new life.
Thanks
You should also be able to pitch that diamond wheel and motor forward or backward and sharpen every other tooth then pitch the diamond wheel and motor the other way and sharpen the rest of the teeth.
agreed.. like when you get them professionally sharpened
You are absolutely correct.
so then there are different angles on every other tooth?
John Boehm opposite angles yes on some blades similar to how a chainsaw is sharpened.
@@johnboehm2593 on some blades it's a different angle on every third tooth.
Thanks man! I bought one a few years ago but didn't get around to setting it up to use it. I have at least 10 dull blades and like you the blade on my combo chop saw is dull as crap. You got me motivated to get r done. Thanks
Good luck!
Bro, your tools scare me. Thank you for making this video. Thank god you still have all your fingers.
LOL, never even nicked myself
@@Bushradical So far so good said the guy from the eightieth floor to the ground......Am a bit leery of the wobbly chop saw at 11:12 but good video demo of the sharpener overall....Thanks
I found this quite useful! I'm too lazy to build my own jig and use an angle grinder and don't mind spending $60 on a piece of equipment that will save me money. Great video, thank you.
Thank you
for the chop saw you should mark the low teeth and set the sharpener in reference to those.
thanks
great review. Good demo, no BS, all useful info. Thanks man.
Much appreciated!
i believe you only need to touch each tooth once, probably a little sooner than when it starts throwing smoke though, and notice next time youre aat the store the 100$ blades have alot more carbide on them than the 40$ ones, so you can sharpen them 8-12 times rather than 2-4 times and theyll last alot longer and cut cleaner between sharpenings.. might have a dedicated blade for the concrete uincrusted nail embedded wood though
Great video, u saved me a ton of time figuring out the setup with the instruction that are cryptic. However, a hint, it will take u all day to pull the wheel into the blade. I removed the stupid stop and just rotated the blade about halfway, pulled the grinding wheel down to the stop, and then pushed the blade up against the grinding wheel until I was satisfied with the sharpening. Also, old used blades are so inconsistent that it would take twenty passes with adjustments to catch the depth on some teeth. Took me about three minutes to do a 10 inch blade with one pass. The old blades then cut as good as new. I’m really surprised, this Harbor Freight tool is really well designed and works better than any Harbor Freight tool that I own.
right on
teeth on blades alternate to keep balance and prevents drifting, would enplane your every other gouging.
Yep, I wonder if the instructions covered that.
Dave, I'd say your video swayed me into buying one. First off, it's NOT a machine a professional blade sharpener would use. The construction could be better, but it could be worse. I found the Quality of job it does is directly proportional to the time the user spends in setting everything up beforehand. Second, TAKE YOUR TIME!! As I learned in the Army over a half-century ago; "There's Never time to do it right, but ALWAYS time to do it over." Thus far, I've sharpened one blade, and I'm impressed with the results. I'll test it against a dull blade to check the difference.
The technique I used; adjust the arm holding the blade so the diamond wheel just passes the bottom of the carbide tooth. I rotated the blade and extended the diamond wheel into the gullet, and the rotated the blade clockwise to make contact with the diamond wheel. I felt that gives me more control over the grinding process than pulling the diamond wheel into the carbide tooth. Like you, I made three complete passes (rotations) of the saw blade, making light passes each time.
One final test will be chucking the blase in my milling machine and checking each tooth height with a test indicator (1/10,000" of an inch). If the teeth make a perfect circle, and the tooth face is sharp.... Well, I'll let you know how it works out..........
Great explanation! Did you complete the test that you mentioned? And if so, what is the awnser? Thank you!
@@PoisonShot20 "Poison".... yes, and no. I've yet to test the diameter of the individual blade teeth, but I sharpened a half-dozen blades, and I'm VERY PLEASED with my results. I replaced the knob on the adjustable arm with a washer and metric nut that I can tighten as desired with a 17mm wrench. I cut a 2x4 the appropriate length and bored a hole thru it to support that arm that holds the blade. (Creating more rigidity in the blade support seems to be the best improvement to the machine). I threw away the blade indexer, and put a mark on blade teeth with a Sharpie to index where I'm sharpening.
The diamond blade the comes with the machine is Very Aggressive. Take your time and go easy. You're sharpening the tooth, not grinding it away. Buying a finer blade (400 grit +/-) would improve the machine also. Now, I'm designing a mount to use for sharpening drill bits, and cogitating on a mount for things like dressing chisels, shaper bits, maybe router bits, etc. It's a good tool with lots of potential uses....
from the final cuts you showed ... every basic carpentery/framing i guess it´ll still pay off buddy! =) got ur point.
After seeing this review. I am going to have to buy one of these.
Over the years I have cleaned up numerous garages and old barns that contained hundreds of circular saw blades. Buying one of these sharpeners would be the ticket to having a low cost supply of decent quality blades.
Using self sharpened blades on less than quality cuts would be great saving my newer blades for finish cuts.
I totally agree.
I did a review on this tool here years ago. It works pretty good but I only delegate it to older blades. My good ones I send out to be professionally sharpened.
Another note: If you look at the directions I think you left out a very important part. Notice underneath the sharpening wheel there is a place to put an allen wrench in and tilt the whole motor/sharpener unit up or down. One tooth needs to be sharpened at one (+) angle and the other at another (-) angle. This is how a saw blade works. The same reason teeth are offset on a handsaw. Your blades would cut much better if you did that. So you sharpen every other tooth in one angle then change it and do the other teeth the negative angle.
Thanks Daniel....but I don't understand exactly what you mean. Ive been hand sharpening saws for years. I know all about set. These teeth have alternating tips (left /right) when you look at the blade face one.....but the faces of the carbides themselves seem to be totally flat like a rip saw.
Yes, I should have said tooth angle. The term 'set' is only used for handsaws. Most circular saw blade types have alternating angles. If you don't tilt the grinding wheel, each angle will be square. Here is a graphic I found that shows different blades and angles. And, look beneath the grinding wheel. There is a -10 degree and +10 degree adjustment for just this purpose. The directions that came with the device go into length about making this adjustment.
s26462.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/Sawblades_5F00_anatomy1.jpg
Also, a link to the old 2012 video I did on this. It shows me doing it.
th-cam.com/video/qBSjO0HKBDM/w-d-xo.html
On another note: Nice cleanly done video BTW.....
Thanks Daniel. There must be an alternate version of the directions then....my set of directions that came with the machine was void of any good info.
@@CraftsmanontheLake You dont surface the TOPS or the teeth
of
This video is very helpful to a guy that Tinkers in the garage once in a blue moon. Or 4 BAD pizzas against the brick wall, repeat eight days a week if a Pro Carpenter?
I like the simplicity of this video and clarity as well. Thank you for the honest appraisal of this tool.
Thank you
Anyone else freeze watching this? Otherwise great vid. I'm sold.
LOL, thanks
Yep
Great video! Thanks
Thank you. Very helpful. Going to get one soon. I am sick of buying new blades because old one is dull. Closest place that sharpens is an hour drive.
I like this video !
If nothing else this is a honest review !
What is more is the fact that you really can get a no cutting blade to cut again !
A highbrow cabinet-maker is liable to tell you
This can not be done !
I am not a cabinet-maker !
If it cuts it cuts :)
Best TU U and TNX
I hate buying new blades and I don't think I have ever seen a blade sharpener like this. I have always resorted to files myself. I think I will take a look at this machine.
Thanks Dave !!!
Thanks WLBC
Great tool for your demo nail cutting blades. angle issues and also hoe coarse the diamond blade is.
Fantastic review. You did a great job of showing what you were doing and why. I will buy one after seeing your review. Thanks for sharing and well done.
Thanks
Blade face needs to be polished since friction increases resistance.
YEP- you're correct sir, wood resin/glue is more than half the wear and tear....most people ignore it or dont pay any mind to it.
Soak the blades in a pan with Simple Green for a couple hours to overnight, use old toothbrush for scrubbing. WD40 for rust. Works great and inexpensive.
This honest review earned a new subscriber. I may even buy the blade sharpener.
Thumbs up for sure,ty for sharing your review on it👍😊...
Thanks Cheryl!
As many of the commenters here , I have one . But I don't use mine the same way , I don't use the blade stop and I don't feed the diamond wheel across the tooth . I simply pull the diamond wheel into the gullet of the saw blade then spin the saw blade to very lightly kiss the face of the tooth for a second or two . That way the tooth touches a completely flat surface on the diamond wheel . I have tried both ways and get much sharper blades my way . When dragging across the tooth the diamond wheel pushes off and you don't get a perfect flat cut and it seems to have a smother finished surface on the face of the tooth , adding to longer sharpness from the blade and less heat on long rips . Great video , try my way and see if you agree .
Thanks for the tips. I'll give it a try!
new blade for every job, job pays for the blade. my time is worth more than the savings... but thanks for the review, my curiosity is satisfied
Agreed
Can I have your old blades? :-)
Nice review! I understand that the nature of your work beats the hell out of those blades and so you buy cheap ones, but try cleaning the blades and see the improvement in the cutting. Less friction will also prolong the life of the saw.
I think just some blade cleaning in general would help...looks like years of pitch built up on the blade...that also causes friction...just sayin
Would love to see a 3 year later update. Either way I'm sold, great video.
Mark in Wisconsin
Looks like your purchase of the saw blade sharpener was better than my drill bit sharpener who's tolerances were designed by the hand grenades and horse shoe engineers specifications
Did you ever have any luck with the bit sharpener? Ive never used one. But I do sharpen bits by hand....it works but you have to pay attention.
The drill bit sharpener never did work correctly, the drill bit holder was poorly designed resulting in erugular sharpening angles,,,JUNK,,,
Great video. I’ve been looking at that HF sharpener for 2 years now, but haven’t seen a review yet that has convinced until now.
You’ve done a great job with the review. I’m headed to HF to get a blade sharpener because I have a life time of saved blades that need sharping. Have a blessed day.
After watching the video, I subscribed, I want to see more. Keep up the good videos.
They do adjust to sharpen the alternating angles of saw teeth.....I didn't cover that in this video because I didn't know it was adjustable at the time. Good luck
Well, you definitely sold it to me!! I like it. I like tools
Thank you.
Good info, I have 10” and 12” blades that varies between $30 to $55 and it is expensive and does add up after replacing the blades over time, having the ability to sharpen our own blades will help cut costs down.
right on!
Cleaning your saw blades will go a long way toward improving the cut.
Just sledgehammer the wood or sheet metal instead of using saw
Great demonstration, and you use the equipment and it pays for itself over and over again ,,, A great buy I'd say. A thumbs up on the equipment and the video.
Thanks
Thanks Dave! I'll be getting one for sure 👍
Why would there be 207 thumb's-down? He walked us through every single aspect and showed the results? Screw these idiots. Well done and thanks for taking the time to present a totally unbiased opinion of this product.
Thank you for that
They are just nay-sayers, I've had one for a couple years, does have to be set, but once done, works great, can sharpen a bunch of blades in no time.
Great review, I didn't know HB had one! I keep buying cheap blades for my skill saw (not Skill brand) and before I know it, its dull! I have also seen blades that threw me off my line because the two sides were sharpened unevenly. So make sure you are considering the two sides of the blade and its angle or it can drag you off line.
soune good to me I sharper some to
I am writing from Brazil to thank you for your great video and for your excellent explanation. Thank you very much and success!
Get rid of the tooth holder and use your hands to push the saw blade against the diamond wheel. Also mark a few teeth with a marker to confirm the angle is correct. you can do this by turning the diamond wheel against the saw blade. When the marker is scrapped off on the tooth you will see your angle adjust angle if needed. Be careful of saw blades that have a angle on every other tooth.
Good advice on getting rid of the tool hold and pushing the saw blade against the wheel. I’ve had one of these sharpeners for several year and sharpened countless blades. The tooth holder is just a big nuance and can even lead to a lot of frustration.
good info. Thanks
@@Bushradical Not good info. The force of the wheel is going to push backwards and you end up with a negative angle face. If your just touching the face to a wheel you may keep it straight only if the face of the wheel matches the size of the tooth. Still, you won't be taking an equal amount off each tooth. Not to mention losing a fingertip because you have no control over the blade anymore.
Check out a new saw blade with a square, what you perceive as different angles on the tips/face is actually an optical illusion.
@@patzeuner3362 This is about resharpened blades not new ones. New ones are sharpened with an indexing plate not a spring loaded finger.
Very useful video! There are several of these grinders around with different logos on them so this will be applicable to most of them. This is what I need!! Thank you!
Good vid and verdict. Well done!
I enjoy watching Dave do stuff, I love the Busradical Channel.
I can hear blade ringing sound after each cut you made which is a sign of unbalanced blade .
Who else noticed it ?
I didn't.....I don't know anything about sharpening blades...just a first impression video..
Balance, I don't need no STINKIN BALANCE! You're worried about balance with a junk blade and a $10 saw, cutting scrap wood.
konaok1 yeah man,as long as it cuts good again is all that matters
@@konaok1 true brother
Hi Dave, great review bud. Love when you review things, both new and old, your honest and detailed description make them all worth watching, thanks for sharing, Rock On!
Thanks Z. I appreciate it.