tree md
Addicted to ArboristSite
How exactly is the best way to sharpen the teeth? I've never done it and want to sharpen the teeth on my grinder.
Question about stump grinder teeth?
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angry beaver
ArboristSite Lurker
What style of teeth are you trying to sharpen? If you are using the 1/2" shank carbide tipped teeth, they are fairly easily sharppened "IF" you have the right grinder, a green wheel, regular wheel and a wire brush. Takes siome practice to get it right! PM me if you're interested and I can tell you where to get them done for $1.50 a tooth. You pay shipping both ways! Usually a $12.00 add-on for shipping so it's better to send a bunch at a time.
Green wheels just don't make it in my limited experience. They cut slow, and make too much heat and dust. I tried two diamond wheels; they are much more expensive, and you need to make sure that you have a rougher grit for rapid removal.
Then, you start reading about all the lung problems that come from exposure to all the carbide dust generated by the sharpening process. Then you start to think...how much money am I really saving?
Read up before you leap:
http://www.nj.gov/health/eoh/survweb/wra/documents/tc_bro.pdf
Health hazard of poorly regulated exposure during ... [Br J Ind Med. 1992] - PubMed result
Hard Metal Lung Disease: Still Hard to Understand -- Nemery and Abraham 176 (1): 2 -- American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine states
"One important aspect of HMLD is that the disease may occur after a short duration of exposure, thus suggesting that individual susceptibility, rather than cumulative exposure, plays a major role"
My guys broke the 2nd diamond wheel, and I never bought another.
Then, you start reading about all the lung problems that come from exposure to all the carbide dust generated by the sharpening process. Then you start to think...how much money am I really saving?
Read up before you leap:
http://www.nj.gov/health/eoh/survweb/wra/documents/tc_bro.pdf
Health hazard of poorly regulated exposure during ... [Br J Ind Med. 1992] - PubMed result
Hard Metal Lung Disease: Still Hard to Understand -- Nemery and Abraham 176 (1): 2 -- American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine states
"One important aspect of HMLD is that the disease may occur after a short duration of exposure, thus suggesting that individual susceptibility, rather than cumulative exposure, plays a major role"
My guys broke the 2nd diamond wheel, and I never bought another.
By the way, here is how to sharpen the teeth:
1. Using a conventional steel grind wheel, grind the steel back away from the carbide tooth; far enough to allow the carbide to be sharpened. The steel will ruin a green wheel by plugging up the grit, and a diamond wheel by ripping the diamonds out of the matrix. Don't skip step #1, you've been warned!
2. Using a wheel hard enough for carbide, grind the exposed carbide back to where it is sharp. Don't try too hard for a "sharp" edge, as this will just chip off. Grinding to about 75°-80° face angle is about where they come from the factory. Keep grinding until you have taken off the rounded edges.
NEVER let a diamond carbide grind wheel get hot or press hard into the wheel. It looses the diamonds and then doesn't work. Those little diamonds are impregnated into a special matrix, and it doesn't like heat or pressure. So...grind slow to make the $$$ wheel last longer.
Oil or emulsion grinders are coolest and best, but who can afford that kind of equipment?
1. Using a conventional steel grind wheel, grind the steel back away from the carbide tooth; far enough to allow the carbide to be sharpened. The steel will ruin a green wheel by plugging up the grit, and a diamond wheel by ripping the diamonds out of the matrix. Don't skip step #1, you've been warned!
2. Using a wheel hard enough for carbide, grind the exposed carbide back to where it is sharp. Don't try too hard for a "sharp" edge, as this will just chip off. Grinding to about 75°-80° face angle is about where they come from the factory. Keep grinding until you have taken off the rounded edges.
NEVER let a diamond carbide grind wheel get hot or press hard into the wheel. It looses the diamonds and then doesn't work. Those little diamonds are impregnated into a special matrix, and it doesn't like heat or pressure. So...grind slow to make the $$$ wheel last longer.
Oil or emulsion grinders are coolest and best, but who can afford that kind of equipment?
Last edited:
tree md
Addicted to ArboristSite
Thanks for the advice guys. Looks like I'll just be getting a new set of teeth... I broke three teeth off grinding on rocky top last weekend... I'm not really a rookie at stump grinding but caring for and maintaining my own grinder, I am a total newb...
Don't-B-Stumped
ArboristSite Member
I haven't tried the square teeth as described above. I've been using greenteeth for about 5 years. For anyone who hasn't used them, they are very quickly replaced. Maybe 1 minute per tooth as they use a stud and nut. The other nice thing about greenteeth is they turn in 1/3 increments as they are round. You can chip one or wear out one edge and just turn the tooth around to a fresh edge. very quick in the field with just one box end wrench and a hammer to tap it down so you can turn it.
I believe you can mail them back to greenteeth to get them sharpened but I haven't done that yet.
I have a rayco grinder and rayco teeth are carbide brazed onto a heavy pocket that needs to be torqed to the wheel at around 140 ft lbs. Who wants to deal with that out in the field? Also when you compare the cost of the fixed rayco teeth to greenteeth there is no comparison.
I believe you can mail them back to greenteeth to get them sharpened but I haven't done that yet.
I have a rayco grinder and rayco teeth are carbide brazed onto a heavy pocket that needs to be torqed to the wheel at around 140 ft lbs. Who wants to deal with that out in the field? Also when you compare the cost of the fixed rayco teeth to greenteeth there is no comparison.
daBear49
ArboristSite Lurker
I have a Woods TSG50 grinder and can get OEM teeth for $13. Since the teeth last so long unless you break one I just buy new. Maybe save up a bunch of dull teeth and send them off, but not do it myself.
Don't-B-Stumped
ArboristSite Member
Check out greenteeth. Once you make the initial investment in the pockets all you're buying is the tooth itself. Much cheaper than what you're paying now.
daBear49
ArboristSite Lurker
Well the greenteeth website was not much help. You men there is a pocket that will hold a greentooth cutter and the pocket will mount on my Sandvik wheel? Sure could not get that from the Greenteeth website.
