Is it worth it to have my planer knives sharpened?

[Gene Davis]

I have an older Delta 12" planer that I use regularly. I buy knives, the double-sided ones, and have never had any sharpened. I always go new, and just put on the last pair I had in my shop, using my magnetic planer-buddy jig set. Perfect!

I can buy new knives for about $21, delivered, no tax. See the screencap, attached.

Have not solicited a price quote for resharpening. Is it worth it? I have a few pairs of used blades that I should either toss or get ground.

[Ian Scofield]

Why not sharpen them yourself? I built my own version of the "duelen jig" and it works awesomely. Just sharpened my joiner and planer blades and they cut flawlessly and the finished surface is like glass. Only costs you a few sheets of sandpaper and you're done.

Someone else's version: http://lumberjocks.com/projects/70562

[Myk Rian]

Got an RAS? I sharpen my own.

[Dave Zellers]

If you are just going to toss them, toss them my way. I still use my old Delta 12" lunchbox with double sided blades and sharpen them on my Makita 9820 wheel.

But to your original question, I doubt you would save much if anything by paying someone to sharpen them.

[eugene thomas]

So 21$ and ya get 2 two changes...... I would buy new.

[jack duren]

Its the same with dewalt 12" blades for the saw. You can have them sharpened but easier to just buy new. I know a lot of trim carpenters that do this. So I would just pitch them and buy new for $21.

[Matt Day]

Myk,
Could you elaborate on the RAS technique?

[John TenEyck]

I'm super cheap, but for that price I'd buy new. It takes me about 20 - 30 minutes to sharp the 3, 12" knives in my Foley-Belsaw. For $10 I'd be using new ones.

John

[Pat Barry]

Got an RAS? I sharpen my own.

Really? You sharpen planer blades using your radial arm saw?? I'd like to see the video of that...

[Tom M King]

I sharpen jointer knives and other, larger planer knives, but having one of those for close to 25 years probably, I've only ever replaced them too.

[Thomas Hotchkin]

Myk,
Could you elaborate on the RAS technique?

Matt
This a older post by Hank Metz on sharping planer blades on a RAS. ww.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?203886-sharpening-jointer-blades-knives&p=2115896#post2115896

[Curt Harms]

I think most sharpening services charge about $0.50/inch so 2 12" blades doubled edged would be 48 inches.

[Myk Rian]

Matt
This a older post by Hank Metz on sharping planer blades on a RAS. www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?203886-sharpening-jointer-blades-knives&p=2115896#post2115896

Thanks, Thomas. I was trying to find it. I made the link clickable. Here is a direct link to the video.
http://s938.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps7f76ae07.mp4

[roger wiegand]

Being a cheapskate, I think I pop mine out and sharpen them myself a lot more often than I would if I were paying $10 each time for sharp blades (mine would be more like $20 for sharpening). Similarly if I had to send them out for sharpening. I can also have them sharpened and back in in about a half the time it would take just to drive them to the closest sharpening shop. That said, I'm saving my nickels for the Shelix replacement head (at ~$850 for my planer that's something like 40 rounds of sharpening to save the equivalent. Probably not going to get to break even!)

[Bruce Wrenn]

First, these knives are made to throw away after using both sides. Very few commercial place will touch them. But hand sharpening works nicely. I have two of the 22540's. Several years back, either HD or Lowes was getting rid of blade sets for for five bucks. I stocked up, so haven't needed to sharpen any.