How To Keep Your Saw Blades Sharp

 

How do I know when my saw blade is blunt?

It goes without saying that from the moment you start to use your tool accessory, it will start to wear. The longer you use it, the more it loses its edge, but at what point should you replace or resharpen it? If your saw blade starts to deteriorate during operation, there are four obvious signs you should be aware of:

 

 

• The saw blade starts to splinter or tear the wood. This often happens when cutting across the grain. As the blade exits the material, it can lift up small pieces, leaving a rough and unsatisfactory finish.   

• The sound of the saw will change. You can often hear the sound of the saw’s motor labouring and you may also notice it getting warm. Any heat build-up in a motor will shorten it’s life. A trained ear can tell from the sound of the machine when the blade is getting blunt.

• The cutting speed noticeably decreases. A sharp blade will cut much faster than a blunt one. The more the bladeBurnt Wood wears, the longer the cut takes. You will also notice the need to apply much more force to push the saw through the cut.  

• The rotational speed of the saw’s blade decreases. As it gets harder to cut through the wood material, the speed of the blade reduces causing friction build-up and scorch marks on both the blade and the workpiece. You may also sense a burning smell and observe smoke coming from the cutting area.

 

Simple tips for cleaning and maintaining your saw blades

If you regularly work with wood and board materials, it’s good practice to frequently clean your blades, so the resin or pitch doesn’t develop too much. An excessive build-up will reduce both the quality of cut as well as the life of the blade. For the sake of a few minutes every now and then, regular maintenance or cleaning will ensure optimum performance and maximum life.

 

How to clean your saw blades

Collect all the tools required, such as a cleaning rag, an old toothbrush, a suitable degreaser and a drying cloth.

If your blade is really dirty, brush or wipe down the blade to remove large areas of gunk, grease, dust, or wood chippings.

Spray liberally with a degreasing solution and allow it to sit on the blade to penetrate the dirt for around 20 minutes. Avoid allowing the solution to evaporate by periodically giving the blade another spray.

Agitate with a brush if there are any areas which need special attention.

Rinse the blade under water with either running water or in a bucket or washing up bowl.

Thoroughly dry your blade with the drying cloth.

Apply lubricant to the whole blade.

 

How do you lubricate a saw blade after cleaning?

After cleaning your blades, it’s important to properly rinse and completely dry them off. It’s highly likely that the cleaning process will have removed any lubrication from the blade’s surface, so it’s vital to re-lubricate after cleaning. This will enable the blade to produce cleaner cuts during use, and also protect the metal from potential rust build-up.  

 

WD-40 is commonly used, or for even cleaner cutting results, I’d recommend using a specialist lubricant spray that leaves a very thin clear protective film over the face of the blade. The non-staining lubricant coating not only aids the cutting process, but also repels dirt, reducing future cleaning intervals.

 

Resharpening saw blades, cutters and bits

We’ve established that a poor cutting performance may not necessarily be down to the blade becoming blunt, but eventually any saw blade, cutter or bit will need to be resharpened.

 

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