DIY hack – brush sweeps oil from sawmill blades

The Wood-mizer BMS250MU CBN sharpener has plastic cards that you re-position to scrape excess oil from the sawmill blade as the blade is passing through the sharpener. The oil is used to cool the CBN stone and to wash away the excess steel filings from the sharpening process. The cards do a fair job but for a couple reasons these brushes will improve the job.

A lot of oil remains on the blade even with the cards used, so much in fact I use three buckets to catch drips off of the three arms that hold the blade up while it cycles through the machine. Plus the fact that the in-feed and out-feed sides have large openings. When the oil is in use, a decent amount of oil spits out from these openings. Up until these brushes were put in place I was using plastic draped over the openings, much like a shower curtain is used.

We need four brushes for this modification. Nothing fancy, just four 3 inch wide brushed purchased at the dollar store. First step, cut off the handles. I used the bandsaw to cut the handles off, quick and easy.

The alignment is next, where to place the brush so that two holes could be drilled. First put a sawmill blade in the clamp of the sharpener. I have a heavy magnet that I placed on the outside of the cabinet around the spot I thought the brush would go. The brush has a metal sleeve around the bristles so the magnet had enough magnetic force to keep the brush in place so that I could get an idea of the brush’s required position.

Then it was to drill two holes through the cabinet large enough for the screws I was using to pass through. Then use a smaller drill to make pilot holes in the metal sleeve of the brush. As luck would have it, the alignment was pretty good.

With both brushes added, it was simply to perform the same steps on the other side.

We have a second BMS250MU CBN sharpener that we will be fitting out with brushes as well. I would call this modification successful.