Chain Sharpening as a business?

[Zombosis]

4 minutes ago, gand said:

To be honest I couldn't tell you what model it is until I'm stood in front of it. All I know is, it's very similar to the portek one we have in stock. 

Thanks, I think you posted this as I was typing a response expressing an interest in the Portek. What’s you company name and what do you sell them for? (If that is permitted on here). 

Edited April 13, 2022 by Zombosis

[Mr. Squirrel]

4 hours ago, Stubby said:

Actually tempering is the process by which you reduce the initial hardness to a selected Rockwell figure . Do you mean you can over harden the cutter ?  

This one. I used to work for a company where I presume nobody could sharpen, they had a MacGyver lad back at the yard who would do them all on a machine and they’d just have a few spares in the truck. Great, until there aren’t any in the truck and you had to hand sharpen them. You couldn’t. 
 

I wouldn’t pay someone to naker my chains for me. 

[topchippyles]

Half decent grinder its a 10 minute job sharpening a chain. I do my milling 24" and 36" chains in no time. 

[Rob D]

I reckon you could do alright with milling chains because they are long and expensive!

 

But I would say to make it successful you'd need to buy a decent machine - maybe something like the vallorbe OAK - around £3.8k silly money - but it does the depth gauges at the same time and that could be a good 'angle' ie. gives a filed finish with correctly set depth gauges.

 

It's automatic as well so if you got the set up nailed I expect you could get a lot done in a day.

 

Also in the original post - you said that you don't think the general public or hobbyist would need this service or would use it - if you made it easy for them they would.

 

There would be a lot to do to make a business like this successful I'd say. For instance:

 

1. Making it easy for people to send their chains to you - I say chains because I would have a minimum of x3 chains to sharpen as I can't see how it would cover all the postage otherwise.
2. As part of the service do 'free postage' where people go to a website and download a postage label 'free' [covered in the cost of the service but it's labelled as 'free']
3. Give advice - if their chain looks shagged - tell them but then offer to send them a new chain at a discount [where you would make more money plus it saves that deal ie. if you say 'I can't sharpen this as x,y,z reasons' - then who pays for the postage of them sending the chains to you? I'll give you a clue - it won't be them!

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Rob D]

On 13/04/2022 at 15:26, Zombosis said:

Thanks for the feedback, cheapest automated machine I found is £912.00. If the venture flopped it'd be an expensive door stop! 😞

 

I see the Portek Ultra Mk4 has the same features as the 620-230 Oregon, but it's 2/3 of the price, so might be worth a punt if this isn't going to be a big earner (judging by the poll so far). I appreciate all your honest feedback.

 

Also - I keep seeing this in your posts 'if the venture didn't work out then...' well you'd have to sell on ebay and take the hit. He who dares Rodney!

 

You don't mention also how much sharpening experience you have? Not trying to be funny - but are you good? If so why not hand sharpen and file until you have the money to buy a big expensive machine?

 

If you are so so sharpening yourself then that's the first thing to improve and get right. Hand filing could be a way to kick start the business and test the water.

 

 

[Rob D]

I could see a very good business opportunity there - in that if you knew your stuff with chains/got your chains sharpening and service good enough like the guys in this thread are almost 'I had x6 25" chains so I thought sod it treat yourself to a Zombosis sharpen' then you know you are doing well.

 

 

 

Also mostly everyone dislikes doing the depth guages and getting them right - every third or 4th sharpen they all need sorting and that would be a good thing to talk about.

 

[Zombosis]

13 minutes ago, Rob D said:

 

Also - I keep seeing this in your posts 'if the venture didn't work out then...' well you'd have to sell on ebay and take the hit. He who dares Rodney!

 

You don't mention also how much sharpening experience you have? Not trying to be funny - but are you good? If so why not hand sharpen and file until you have the money to buy a big expensive machine?

 

If you are so so sharpening yourself then that's the first thing to improve and get right. Hand filing could be a way to kick start the business and test the water.

 

 

Thanks for the great advice and time you must have put into your answers.

 

Having given this more thought, and taken on board the feedback I agree with your suggestions. I don’t have the money to buy a multi thousand pound machine on the off chance it’d get some use presently, and it’s a bit of a chicken and egg business as in I can’t promote it until I’m able to fulfil the service. 
 

Regarding hand filing, I wouldn’t say I’m any sort of guru or anything, but like you say it’s a cheap entry into the market and carries less risk than some high production machine that might seldom run.

 

The notes on postage were interesting, and you’re right that multiple chains would have to be sent to justify postage costs which will probably rise steeply if the fuel price situation escalates. This might exclude the home users who just buy an electric chainsaw from B&Q or Screwfix and don’t have any spare chains. (The people who tell you they’ve got a 16” ‘blade’) 😆

 

I think I will really work on my hand sharpening for now and see how scalable it is. 
 

If anyone has any other suggestions or advice I’m all ears.

 

Thank You and Happy Easter all. 

[Dan Maynard]

I bought my Makita 9010 secondhand, the chap gave me 5 shagged chains with it because he didn't know they could be sharpened. Needless to say they all went in the bin along with bar and sprocket.

 

I think lack of understanding that chains can be sharpened and how difficult it is are very widespread in those home B&Q type user. Getting through to them would be the trick I reckon.

[Stubby]

4 hours ago, Dan Maynard said:

I bought my Makita 9010 secondhand, the chap gave me 5 shagged chains with it because he didn't know they could be sharpened. Needless to say they all went in the bin along with bar and sprocket.

 

I think lack of understanding that chains can be sharpened and how difficult it is are very widespread in those home B&Q type user. Getting through to them would be the trick I reckon.

Dan . Why didn't you sharpen the chains rather than bin them ?

[Stere]

9010 odd choice of saw for a  B&Q type?

 

Must of got it at a car boot?

Edited April 16, 2022 by Stere