How to Sharpen a Miter Trimmer Blade?

Re: How to Sharpen a Miter Trimmer Blade?

Thomas Skaggs, Foothills of Mount Level

>Hi Dave,

I don't know about sharpening but I do know that trimmers like that are for shaving the miters. Cut the trim to near finish length and then shave the final cut with the trimmer.

Tommy

Re: A jig...

paul womack

>I used a sharpening jig on scary-sharp.

large jig

I didn't have to ; the blades for my trimmer are like the Lions; they're thick and short (like Japanese plane blades) and thu it's quite feasible to "balance" them on the bevel, for hand sharpening.

My blades were surprisingly soft.

BugBear

Re: How to Sharpen a Miter Trimmer Blade?

Victor P

>Contact your local printer, the blades on their large paper cutters are sent out for sharpening. In Houston it is Circle Saw that does a great job on those things.

Price is very resonable when you try to imagine the price of a set of waterstones to handle the task. :>)

Victor - taking a late lunch...

Don't lap the back

Andrew F in Australia

>put a secondary bevel onto the main bevel. You can do this several times before sending them out for regrinding.

If you lap the back, you'll start fiddling with the clearance between the moving and stationary blade, which will give you a rougher cut.

Ideally, you want no clearance between these blades, or a couple of thou at most.

As for regrinding - find a local saw doctor (we have trades over here that require certification and four year indentureship - this is a specialist trade) THey'll have a machine that will regrind the bevel dead straight and sharp enough. Someone that does jointer blades should also be able to do this one as well.

Cheers,

Andrew

Re: Don't lap the back

Dave Thompson

>Thanks Andrew, you've given me a few good ideas. Hadn't thought about the negative issues about lapping the back... that's a good point.

Dave

Re: How to Sharpen a Miter Trimmer Blade?

Dave Thompson

>Your idea about the local printer also got me thinking about contacting a local framing shop which likely may use these on daily basis.

Thanks

Re: Don't lap the back

Ross Canant

>Last time I checked, Lion (Pootatuck) would sharpen trimmer blades

Re: Don't lap the back

Ed in Leaside (Toronto, Ontario)

>Definitely don't lap the back. These cutters function just like a paper guilotine. So, Victor's suggestion of a place that sharpens paper cutting knives is probably your best bet. They have special blade holders (my guys use magnetic blade holders), and use water-cooled diamond grinding wheels for the job. Look in the YP under machine knife grinding or some such thing. It's not that expensive. The folks in Toronto will pick up, grind my 57" blade, and deliver it for $27.00, taxes included.

Re: Don't lap the back

paul womack

>Definitely don't lap the back. These cutters function just like a paper guilotine.

?

AFAIK mitre trimmers cut in "free air"; there is no stationary blade.

The blades are mounted by their back, which means as long as you lap flat (not always trivial) you can lap with impunity; certainly any pits on the back will have their usual detrimental effect.

BugBear

Re: Don't lap the back

Andrew F in Australia

>Hi Paul,

That's what I thought too - I picked up a Morso guillotine and the stationary blades were nicked and taking a few good chunks out of the main blades. I had two options, new blades or to re-dress the existing stationary blades.

You have to replace the blades as pairs. At GBP150/USD400/AUD500 for a replacement set of OEM blades, the AUD40 regrind was worth it.

I asked my saw doctor to only skim dress the blade and he took a bit too much out, now I get spelching on the back of the cut where the blade exits the cut.

Nothing substantial but it's there.

I'd say don't lap the back of the blade, especially as a routine task.

Cheers,

Andrew