Where to get TS bladses sharpened?

[tbellemare]

It will ultimately come down to the person who sharpens them

It shouldn't be a person-centric process. It should be a data-centric process. Modern machines don't require machinists with deft hand-eye coordination beyond being able to use a keyboard or touchscreen.

In my opinion, if you are taking your expensive cutting tools to someone with a file in hand, you should consider a modern sharpening service.

Update: I just got my blade back with a label stating:

"All Non-Forrest Festool Kapex Sawblades that have uneven tooth spacing are being RETURNED NO WORK DONE due to Erratic uneven tooth spacing which causes Mis-Grind on OD."

The Forest company makes Festool blades themselves, though I don't know what if the kerf is exactly 2.2 mm so that they will work with my current guide rails.

I do note that the teeth are erratic on this blade. Looking counter clockwise, I see a thick tooth, followed by a thin tooth, followed to *two* thin teeth, followed by a thick tooth. There seems to be no pattern to the teeth.

I may well be wrong, Paul, but I don't think Forrest makes Festool blades. I'm pretty sure they are still made by Leitz Tooling. We have a local sharpener, Cook Sharpening, that makes formerly dull Festool blades, "like new", and uses the same mechanisms as Leitz, for a reason.

I can't, for any reason, think of why varied tooth patterns would be confounding to any blade sharpener. It is a standard thing with many high quality saw blades. I don't know of any modern saw blades where the tooth pattern is random but I know of many where it is staggered. I'm pretty sure the staggering used on saw blades makes them run smoother with less vibration and resonance. The back-and-forth (radial) laser cuts are also to reduce resonance and make the blades run true, if I'm not mistaken.

I'm pretty certain that the info' needed to properly sharpen a Festool/Leitz blade is laser etched on each blade.

I'm not a sharpening expert but I've been around a few and the above is what I have gathered.

Tom

 

[h.gil]

My 2 cents:
I take all my blades and bits to a local owner-operated shop here in Calgary, a one-man-shop really.
His main machine is a Vollmer CP200, He enters the data and the rest is automated.
I mentioned this topic and his response is this: The value of tooth spacing he leaves as '0', that way the feed pawl simply searches for the next gullet and brings it to the wheel.

This is what I mean:

 

[sancho57]

Im with h.gill,

I take mines to a local shop to

 

[Tyler Ernsberger]

I also use local shop and they charge per tooth.  Not expensive.  Around $25 for a 12in miter saw blade.  Also my local Woodcraft offers a sharpening service but i have never used.

 

[RJNeal]

I just received my first batch of blades sharpen by LA Grindings.
I'm quite impress on the packing and cleanliness of the blades
Tomorrow I'll be trying out the 80 tooth on the Kapex.
I'll report back.
Thanks Carol for the heads up.

Rick

 

[ccarrolladams]

I just received my first batch of blades sharpen by LA Grindings.
I'm quite impress on the packing and cleanliness of the blades
Tomorrow I'll be trying out the 80 tooth on the Kapex.
I'll report back.
Thanks Carol for the heads up.

Rick

You are quite welcome, Rick,

As I say, LA Grinding has been doing outstanding work for the metal fabrication side of my business since 1959. They took over doing my woodworking sharpening as well when my Pasadena-based wood saw guy retired.

I personally have never shopped for sharpening service based on price. I want a qualified firm and I expect to pay them well enough they remain in business. Especially in the business of woodworking it is vital to have a long-term relationship with the folks sharpening your blades, bits and cutter knives.

 

[RJNeal]

On the report back about LA Grinding, I've currently using the 80 tooth Kapex and a 10" rip on my table saw. Both blade are performing very well.
I will be sending another batch of blades south again.

Rick

 

[jacko9]

On the report back about LA Grinding, I've currently using the 80 tooth Kapex and a 10" rip on my table saw. Both blade are performing very well.
I will be sending another batch of blades south again.

Rick

Rick,

Check out Standard Saw in Oakland, I've been using them for 35 years and they stand by their work and they are very very good.

Jack