Puckdropper wrote:
"SBH" wrote in :

With several saw blades on hand, I hate to purchase more to replace
the dull ones. Therefore, I'm considering having them sharpened and
asking those who sharpen their blades for recommendations.

I have also considered the option of doing it myself, though I can
imagine the machine is expensive. BUT...I saw a blade sharpening
machine from Harbor Freight and wondered if anyone uses it? Yea yea,
HF, I know, don't do it, but sometimes they have a gem in the rough.

All inputs appreciated.



If you've got good blades, they're probably worth sharpening.
However, before you start sharpening them yourself, take the time to
count the teeth on the blade. A 40T TS blade doesn't seem so bad,
but a 8 TPI hand saw blade (20" long) has a lot of teeth. The TS
blade would probably require 30-60 seconds per tooth once you got
going and the handsaw only about 5, but that's still an awful lot of
work.

A decent file costs less than the HF machine, and lets you put exactly
the geometry on the tooth you desire.

What kind of file do you use to sharpen carbide?

The HF machine is specifically for circular blades.

I've sharpened my handsaw blade, and the results are well worth it
(pride especially). It's a lengthy process so music and a comfy
chair are required. I'd be concerned about messing up a good TS with
a poorly sharpened blade. The blade on my TS cost ~5% of what the
saw cost, so it's just not worth the risk.

How would a poorly sharpened blade "mess up" a table saw? I can see it
messing up a piece of lumber but damaging the saw would take creativity.