Blade cost.

[Peter Drouin]

 

[backwoods sawyer]

Down time is a big deal when you have employees.

Balancing blade cost with other cost changes based on each of our operations.

[Dave Shepard]

On small bandmills, blade cost is always going to be a very small part of the equation.

[customsawyer]

I appreciate everyone's post. I find it very interesting some of the differences. 

[dyates]

Y'all are embarrasing me with my little toy lt15.  It would take me two days to cut 1000 bf.  Good thing I mostly cut walnut thats been averaging around 2.50.  My blades are less than $16.  Resharp is around $7.  I might get 100 ft to a blade, I might get 400, depending on the logs.   Best I can figure, my blade cost is around $.07 per ft. 

[Dave Shepard]

No need to be embarrassed. 

[hackberry jake]

Ive never figured it... next new blade I pjut on the mill, ill keep track of it.

[Jemclimber]

Sorry Jake,  didn't mean to embarrass you.  lol   

Dyates,  where do you get $16 blades and which blade are you using?

[Chuck White]

Those numbers seem very low.  If that is right it would mean you must be getting nearly 1000 board feet per sharpening.

A couple of weeks ago I had a sawjob where I sawed 4,700+ bf of White Pine and I had 5 blades to sharpen after the job was done, so, 4,700 divided by 5 = 940 board feet per blade on that particular job!

Forgot to mention, I usually get an average of 8-10 sharpenings per blade and once in a while I'll get as many as 12 sharpenings.

I guess I'm getting the maximum use from my blades!

I use Wood-Mizer .045x1¼x10° Double Hards!

[WDH]

My LT15 is not a toy  . 

[dyates]

Sorry Jake,  didn't mean to embarrass you.  lol   

Dyates,  where do you get $16 blades and which blade are you using?

silvertip from Woodmizer.  My blades are smaller and shorter.

[dyates]

Forgot to mention I can get blades directly from Piper in central city.  They have a truck route that eliminates shipping charges.

[FarmingSawyer]

This thread was running through my mind as I was sawing this weekend..... Had a bunch of gravel filled read oak to get through.....a quick scrub with a wire brush helped that. Still, I went through 3 blades to get 1200bf. The 4th blade...put on fresh at the end of the mill, not the head like usual, just after I rolled the cant and dogged it. And guess what I forgot to do......yup....lower the back stops below the 4 cuts I needed to make. Just kissed the top of one, blade dove and there went the next 2 boards. Average cost there was not good.....

Then yesterday I was cutting a 1000bf of really clean curly sugar maple. I don't think I got more than 350bf out of each band before they would start to wave or leave unacceptable lines on the lumber and get hard to push. Not quite sure what was going on there... I used the last band on the mill from yesterday, with about 300bf on it, to cut 250bf of really old, dry cherry today with out a hitch and a completely smooth finish. I was surprised. That tough cherry cut like butter, except when I exited the butt.....
I'm using resharp Timberwolf 1-1/2, 7/8ths with I think a 10˚ hook.

[dgdrls]

This thread was running through my mind as I was sawing this weekend..... Had a bunch of gravel filled read oak to get through.....a quick scrub with a wire brush helped that. Still, I went through 3 blades to get 1200bf. The 4th blade...put on fresh at the end of the mill, not the head like usual, just after I rolled the cant and dogged it. And guess what I forgot to do......yup....lower the back stops below the 4 cuts I needed to make. Just kissed the top of one, blade dove and there went the next 2 boards. Average cost there was not good.....

Then yesterday I was cutting a 1000bf of really clean curly sugar maple. I don't think I got more than 350bf out of each band before they would start to wave or leave unacceptable lines on the lumber and get hard to push. Not quite sure what was going on there... I used the last band on the mill from yesterday, with about 300bf on it, to cut 250bf of really old, dry cherry today with out a hitch and a completely smooth finish. I was surprised. That tough cherry cut like butter, except when I exited the butt.....
I'm using resharp Timberwolf 1-1/2, 7/8ths with I think a 10˚ hook.

That Sugar Maple is tough stuff.  Try bands with less hook on the next pile of SM and see if you get better production.

DGDrls