If an automatic blade sharpener was half the price, there would be no question I would purchase one right now! But they are a bit pricey, and not really worth it for me at this point, as milling wood is just a hobby for me.

I do my best to reuse my blades, and sharpening them with a bench grinder is, so far, the best way I've come up with to extend their life. The wheels are continually turning in my head on how to improve upon this technique, but for now this is how I do it.

While it may not make financial sense for me to take the plunge on a sharpener, it absolutely makes sense to run the mill with sharp blades (something I need to remind myself of when I'm not wanting to change my blades!).