grade stake sharpeners?

[jdboy9]

I am looking at making my own stakes and I was wondering if anyone knew a company that offered these giant pencil sharpeners other than hud-son?

 

[woodshop]

I am looking at making my own stakes and I was wondering if anyone knew a company that offered these giant pencil sharpeners other than hud-son?

Do they have to be round stakes? Do you have a table saw or a bandsaw? If flat stakes will do, make a jig to set the stake into and "sharpen" it on either of those. Heck of a lot cheaper. Of course if you plan on making thousands of these... then maybe different story, but couple hundred, use a jig.

 

[jdboy9]

Yeah I have been doing it on a saw but I need to make a ton of these things and doing it on the saw is okay but not the most efficient.

 

[CaseyForrest]

We use a machete for making points on grade stakes at work.

 

[woodshop]

Yeah I have been doing it on a saw but I need to make a ton of these things and doing it on the saw is okay but not the most efficient.

Not sure exactly how efficient you need to be, but based on my experience making semi-mass produced items in the shop, I can envision a jig where you set the piece on, run it through, flip and repeat... we are talking maybe 10-15 seconds max per piece (probably less than that if you're set up right). I can't imagine feeding that stake blank into a sharpening machine would be all that much faster than that unless it's mechanized and self feeding where you can load it up and walk away. In THAT case though you're talking serious money.

 

[jdboy9]

I do a 4 side point on it, found that it is easier to get into the ground than just two side point. It doesn't take all that much time to do and I will continue to do it that way, as well as investing in another saw so as not to tie up my saw all the time running these things through. I guess I should have titled this a bit differently so as to not make everyone think I'm complaining because I have to make a few dozen stakes

I can't justify buying a 1500 dollar pencil sharpener which is why I was hoping to find something less expensive that someone might be using. I am going to try contacting lumberjacktools next week and see if they might have something.

 

[timhar]

If you're patient, you may find a used one at the Sawmill Exchange or X Factory sites. Keep an eye out for local sawmill auctions as well. I've seen them go for $200-400 at auction. In the current economy, sawmills are going out of business left and right, so one may come up in your area soon.

 

[jdboy9]

I would have to agree its a great time to buy I feel bad for a lot of people its hard times out there!