Bench Top Edger

[Daniel_Earnest]

Hello, I'm looking for someone who could tell me the best way to sharpen the blades on my benchtop beveler.  Any information is greatly appreciated. 

 

 

 

Thank you for your time and help!

 

[bruce johnson]

I am sure these were probably originally cut on a CNC machine or a mill with some hand finishing. Weaver probably does them or have them done on a similar machine for their resharpening service. I don't have that capability, it all is by hand with a holding fixture. I'd suspect that is where you are too. There are several concerns and complications with the geometry on the blades that are pretty obvious. The outsides are flush. The inside has a compound bevel and for each hole that bevel goes in both directions. To use anything mechanical - it needs to rotate in both directions ( think Foredom not Dremel). Slow speed is a plus - again - Foredom. You need to have bobs with the right radius. too small and it raises the edge angle. Too big and it can get into the apposing edge. I have not found an off the rack Cratex that is right yet. I make bobs from little leather discs for the cutting wheel mandrel and then I can choose my greaseless compounds and polishing compounds. Once you are set up then the mechanical issues are keep the angle consistent across the cutting edge, not widening the hole, not getting into the apposing edge, and keeping the bob moving and not sitting in one spot making a groove. Go through how ever many grits and grades of polishing compound it takes to get an edge and light bur on the outside. Then you go to the outside edge and strop or polish off that bur without getting into the apposing edge. It has been a work in progress to get my process down. I am just glad I bought a bunch of used wheels last year at an auction because I sure screwed up a couple until I got the process worked out. It gave me the whole process from worn round to sharp, not just touchup. 

My thoughts and experience. I sharpen leather tools anywhere from 1 to 4 hours a day six days a week. With two of these wheels that is 24 edges. They take a bunch of time. It takes me the same time as 24 edgers/edge bevelers to do a set of wheels. I resharpen anything that is bought from me (and I sell these edgers) for free, but I really have to think hard on these for what I charge for outside purchased wheels. I am not able to do a 24 hour turnaround on 8 or 12 wheels from a production shop either. 

[billybopp]

These blades aren't meant to be re-sharpened.  Instead, they are meant to be loosened and the turret rotated to a new sharp location.  Once you've gone through those, the turrets can be swapped to opposite sides to start all over again with cutting on the opposite side of the cutting surface.  You get a dozen cutting surfaces out of a pair that way!   Once you've gone through all those, it's time to replace the the cutters.  Fortunately, they aren't crazy expensive, currently about $110 a pair at Weaver.  https://www.weaverleathersupply.com/products/replacement-blades-for-ez-edge-strap-beveler?variant=40906068263052

I have one just like yours, and absolutely LOVE it.  I don't do a huge amount of leather straps, so mine is likely to outlast me!

- Bill

[bruce johnson]

1 hour ago, billybopp said:

These blades aren't meant to be re-sharpened.  Instead, they are meant to be loosened and the turret rotated to a new sharp location.  Once you've gone through those, the turrets can be swapped to opposite sides to start all over again with cutting on the opposite side of the cutting surface.  You get a dozen cutting surfaces out of a pair that way!   Once you've gone through all those, it's time to replace the the cutters.  Fortunately, they aren't crazy expensive, currently about $110 a pair at Weaver.  https://www.weaverleathersupply.com/products/replacement-blades-for-ez-edge-strap-beveler?variant=40906068263052

I have one just like yours, and absolutely LOVE it.  I don't do a huge amount of leather straps, so mine is likely to outlast me!

- Bill

Bill,

I'd agree that for part time use - the blades do have a long lifespan. For the production shops, they do wear down blades. I believe at one time either Bluegrass that made them originally for Weaver or Weaver themselves did offer resharpening. I haven't seen that option for a while. It may have gone away with the ownership changes. At least the 4 wheel Weaver versions are not made in house and I don't know about the 2 wheel versions so they may not have the capability anymore. It can be done and I have done about 40 pairs. It used to just be off used edgers that I refurbish but now they have come in with other stuff to sharpen too. I usually do an hourly rate for those big sharpening orders. After yesterday's post I resharpened a couple blades to get a feel on time for just blades themselves. My new rate for a pair is going to be $60. For the production shops that send me stuff, it is probably worth resharpening at least a few times vs buying new blades every time. The plus for the production shops would be "Buy from me, It resharpens for free". LOL. 

    Glad to hear you like yours! Realistically there are only a handful of people that end up not liking them. Most of that is adjustment error and it is basically all in the instructions other than repositioning the tension fingers for really heavy leather.