# Chipper Knife Sharpening



## BCMA (Jan 7, 2011)

I’m wondering who has a good resource on chipper knife sharpening. 

•How much do you pay for knife sharpening? Cost per inch per cutting edge.
•Is the sharpening an actual machining process?
•Can you share the contact information of the knife sharpening service?

Who sharpens their own chipper knives?

•What process or machine do you use?
•What is the cost savings?

Does anyone re-sharpen their tri-edge handsaws?

•If so, please explain the process to us.

Thanks-


----------



## John Paul Sanborn (Jan 7, 2011)

I know a number of guys who sharpen their own. Some climb in with an angle grinder, others use the diamond stone device advertised in the trade-pubs.

Some adhere to the idea that any regrind needs a balancing step, and that matches paired knives, others say only if a huge amount is taken off.

A jig and a bench grinder will do you good for most operations, I've read that a slight back-grind on the edge will increase performance.

To me the most critical part is to touch up and adjust the bed-knife/anvil whenever you take a knife down. The eider the tolerance, the bigger the chip, the harder you work the machine.

Check the knives regularly, every night if a newbie is running and has the chance of running stones through.


----------



## stihl cuttin (Jan 7, 2011)

have them professionally sharpened, american arborist will do it for you or any good grinding shop. i pay a little less than a dollar a blade inch


----------



## JohnH (Jan 7, 2011)

stihl cuttin said:


> have them professionally sharpened, american arborist will do it for you or any good grinding shop. i pay a little less than a dollar a blade inch


 
I agree with having them professionally sharpened also. you want them to be even so your chipper doesn't get out of balance or you grind them down to far and have a knife break and throw out the side fo your chipper.


----------



## BCMA (Jan 7, 2011)

We do have our chipper knives professionally sharpened. I’m trying to find another resource that will give a quality job at a lower cost. I also have hundreds of handsaw blades that need sharpening if I could find someone who could do a quality job at a reasonable price.


----------



## sgreanbeans (Jan 8, 2011)

I do both, I will sharpen them, using a mower blade balancer (yes, it does work) to make sure they are all fairly balanced, but this is just for touch up. When I have it done, they do both sides, making sure that they are all they same size and balanced, do a real nice job for $24. I have extra sets as well, this always helps!
JPS what do you mean by "back grind"?


----------



## tomtrees58 (Jan 8, 2011)

i got one years ago it pay for it self in a year and now i do it for other guys


----------



## John Paul Sanborn (Jan 8, 2011)

sgreanbeans said:


> JPS what do you mean by "back grind"?


 
Flip it over and put a slight angle (2-5*) grind on the back of the knife edge. Many cutters do it, Felco has a 2* recommendation on their bypass pruners.


----------



## sgreanbeans (Jan 9, 2011)

John Paul Sanborn said:


> Flip it over and put a slight angle (2-5*) grind on the back of the knife edge. Many cutters do it, Felco has a 2* recommendation on their bypass pruners.


 Cool beans, Ill do it next time!


----------



## John Paul Sanborn (Jan 9, 2011)

sgreanbeans said:


> Cool beans, Ill do it next time!


 





Re those cool, or hot beans?

My Mom used to can 80qts or more every year, just beans. She did as many or more in tomatoes, also apples peaches, beets....

The tomatoes were kinda neat, she had several different recipes, all depending on what they were the base for, spaghetti, goulash, plain stewed tomatoes....Kinda sad to see here toddling along behind her walker at 82 years, but better then the alternative :angle: Them being around kept me form taking the .45 solution when I was not dealing well with coming to grips with my health issues.


----------



## Treetom (Jan 9, 2011)

sgreanbeans said:


> I do both, I will sharpen them, using a mower blade balancer (yes, it does work) to make sure they are all fairly balanced, but this is just for touch up. When I have it done, they do both sides, making sure that they are all they same size and balanced, do a real nice job for $24. I have extra sets as well, this always helps!
> JPS what do you mean by "back grind"?



Send 'em to tomtrees.  I've had good luck with Zenith cutter.


----------



## flushcut (Jan 10, 2011)

I have been using one of those knife sharpeners that you drag across the edge and have been getting several hours more between grindings.


----------



## sgreanbeans (Jan 11, 2011)

John Paul Sanborn said:


> Re those cool, or hot beans?
> 
> My Mom used to can 80qts or more every year, just beans. She did as many or more in tomatoes, also apples peaches, beets....
> 
> The tomatoes were kinda neat, she had several different recipes, all depending on what they were the base for, spaghetti, goulash, plain stewed tomatoes....Kinda sad to see here toddling along behind her walker at 82 years, but better then the alternative :angle: Them being around kept me form taking the .45 solution when I was not dealing well with coming to grips with my health issues.


 
Just plain ol green beans! We are gonna get more serious about it this year, twice the size, been gearing up on the canning supplies! I went crazy with all those beans, I swear i would pick a truckload one day, next day, they would explode more out, it was nuts! Ya got any of dos recipe's! I don't have any, kinda making them up as we go, learned that bacon in the beans, not a good idea, wait till ya heat them to eat, then put in the bacon, that was a bad experience!
Check Rog on the .45


----------



## John Paul Sanborn (Jan 11, 2011)

sgreanbeans said:


> Ya got any of dos recipe's! I don't have any, kinda making them up as we go,


 
That is the best way, do a batch to taste, then write the recipe on the jar/lid with a china marker (warm jar works best). This way you will figure out how to tweak the next batch, since there will be a difference in flavor as the flavors marry up. Once you have a firm recipe, then a code for the mix is on the lid w/ china marker

What Mom would do is premix her spices, then scoop them into a half filled jar, then top off. If you do not have a wide mouth canning funnel, they are a great help.

You know what you like, this way you can have a base sauce for several different meals. She would not can a full meat sauce, with my Dad being a Sanitarian (health inspector); though I know those who do. The idea is that if the lid stays down, then meal is safe. Daddy believes in the axiom that discretion is the better part of valor.

Save a little on the jars by choosing a sauce that comes in a standard canning jar when you run out, or use a style you do not can (e.g. a white sauce) We get Classico from Target for around $2.00 a jar, and they use a Mason Jar. If we do get together for that workshop over Spring Break, I can bring you a box.


----------

