Blade setter

[kcbarnes]

I'm a long time reader, first time poster so be gentle.I have had my norwood mill for almost a year now and it has filled my needs very well. I also have the norwood blade sharpener and I am looking to buy a setter. Can anyone recomend one to me. A manual unit is ok for me I would like to keep the cost down.  

[Tom]

Hey Kc,

You should know by now that we don't beat each other up, especially new members.

That's kinda what we pride ourselves in.

Band blade setters all work pretty much the same.  There is a clamp and a "hammer". The hammer is not something with a handle that you hit the blade with but a  piece of metal with a point that bends the tooth past its memory to achieve a set of (generally) 18-24 thousandths  Most set one tooth at the time and you turn the blade inside out to set the third tooth on each side, there being a right, left and a raker, which is straight.  This is the configuration of the typical blade.

I own two Woodmizer setters and am pleased with their design.  If I were to buy from another manufacturer it would be the CatsClaw from Cook. http://www.cookssaw.com

You will find setters that are touted to be automatic and will set both sides of the blade at once by turning a handle.  I have used these and found them to be Not satisfactory for my  qualifications.  You will see a couple that set both sides(two teeth at a time) by pushing a handle.  I have used them and seen them used and have not been happy with their results.

The two that I mentioned and those like them are dependent on your putting all your attention on that tooth and measuring it against a micrometer before you go to the next tooth.  It may be slower but you know it has to be right. I can set a 13'2" band in less than 10 minutes if it hasn't been damaged.  It takes me 20 minutes to sharpen one so I am faster than my sharpener which allows me to set while I sharpen and get ahead of the sharpener for a cup of coffee.

Now, I'm not advertising because there are several setter manufacturers out there that I like but the design, I feel, is the best.

Is that norwood sharpener the one with the little rotozip type sharpener with the diamond wheel?  A friend of mine has one of those and can/t seem to master it at all.  His bands don't get sharp, he wears the stones ($$$) out frequently and he can't get the hang of gumming out a blade to save his life.  I let him use my Woodmizer sharpener one afternoon and it was like he had been sharpening all his life.  It makes me wonder if maybe it could be the equipments fault somtimes when folks have so many problems.

[kcbarnes]

Thanks of the info Tom, the cooks saw setter is one I have been looking at.As far as the norwood sharpener, when I put it together I had to shim the dremel out with a couple of washers to get it centered over the blade. I have been cutting mostly cherry and cottonwood with the sharpened blades so I can't say how they will work in harder wood. My second choice for a sharpener was Hud-Son but I was to cheap to pay the extra $$.

[woodmills1]

i will line right up with tom about the woodmizer sharpener.  it is a wonerfull tool that does what it is supposed to.  i send my blades around twice with a light cut and it does great.  the only problem came when i added lestoil to the water and it took out the bearings in the motor while the setter does do the job, i would sooner shovel sawdust all day than set blades i taught my wife to use the setter and she quit after two blades.  i now set any undamaged blades before i sharpen them the second time.  the best routine i can get away with is use a new blade in pine, sharpen and use again in pine then sharpen and use in hardwood.  this allows three uses without a set.  just a note if you find an older woodmizer setter make sure to get the update kit from the company, there was a plastic tube like piece that would not allow it to get consistent sets, but once replaced with a positive link made of metal mine will do the job.

[kcbarnes]

Thanks for the input james, tomorrow should tell the story. I will be cutting some more cottonwood and some red oak with some blades I have sharpened twice and some for the third time without setting. I know that one thing I need to do is have a tag with the blade to keep track of the history of it. I think I know where I can beg, rent, borrow a setter to get me by for a while. The milling that I do for others is what I will use to buy mill equipment from now on and I almost have the money for the setter now.I will probably see you over on the TBN thanks