Table saws are designed to increase precision, save time and reduce the work required to make straight cuts. If you work in the carpentry industry, you need table saw blades for a variety of tasks.
But over time, the blades of table saws become dull and unusable. That is why you need to sharpen them accordingly. But you may be wondering about how to sharpen table saw blades.
As usual, I am here to help you out with the proper instructions to ensure your blades’ longevity.
How Do I Know If My Table Saw Blade Is Dull?
With time, your table saw blade becomes harder to work with. You will notice this when you have to give extra force to cut the materials you are working with. If you feel that, then your blade needs to be sharpened, and you should do it as early as possible.
The more you wait, the more challenging it will be to work with it, and you may need to change the whole thing for good.
Nonetheless, there are more ways to find out whether your blade needs to sharpen or not.
- If you feel any resistance,
- If you hear sharp or shrill noise when the blade contacts the surface of materials,
- If the edges of the materials you cut are not smooth or there is a noticeable splinter,
- If you feel the motor is taking an overload.
These symptoms point out that it is time to get the blades sharp.
How To Sharpen Table Saw Blades? [5 Steps]
A rusty table saw blade could not only destroy your job, but it can also be harmful. You will not see much of sharpening the table saw blade today. Most people tend to replace them. But that can cost you. If you just follow some simple steps and know what you need, you can sharpen a table saw blade. And it is not that hard as it may sound to you.
Step 1:
You need to prepare the tools for sharpening. You specifically need:
- a triangular file
- screw clamps
- a flat file
- a ring spanner, and,
- a set of pliers
Step 2:
Before you go sharpening your blade, you need some safety precautions. You will need:
- A pair of gloves
- A pair of earplugs or safety earmuffs
- Safety goggles
- A dust mask respirator
Step 3:
First, you have to clamp the table saw blade. Use a filing clip or any vice. Between the table saw blade and vice, lock a slice of wood such that the blade is not directly clamped into the vice. It will avoid any damage.
You don’t need to rush. Take the sharpening file and start sharpening.
Strongly go with a back and forth motion across each section. It might take several minutes. You can rotate the blade with your preference until the results are satisfactory.
Do back and forth strokes across the section. Take several minutes for each section of the blade. Slide the blade and continue sharpening until you are convinced of the result.
After that, do the dressing. For this, use a plain flat file where the tooth tips are rubbed until they are slightly flattened.
Now get a triangular file and sharpen the tips till the flat surface fades. Do this with every tooth.
The file must be positioned in the tooth holes diagonally and horizontally on the saw tip to sharpen a cross-sectional saw. The file should be placed at right angles and horizontally in the case of rip saws.
Use light force and file each tooth uniformly.
Step 4:
Over the whole blade, including the sharp tip, put a small volume of lubricating oil. Take a newspaper and squeeze the oil into the blade.
Step 5:
Take a plank of wood and use the table saw to cut it into many parts and measure the sharpness. You will understand if that is sharp enough. Repeat the preceding steps if the blade is not as clean as you like.
Can You Sharpen A Table Saw Blade At Home?
Yes! You can sharpen a table saw table at home. You don’t need expensive tools or machines, but you can get this work done and save your money with simple steps.
Step 1: The step is about removing the blade. Carefully remove the dull blade from the table saw. It will allow you access to each of the blade’s teeth. You can use a wrench to remove the bolts that secure the saw blade, depending on the kind of table saw you have.
Step 2: Now you have to secure the blade. For this, you should use a vice grip. It will ensure that the blade teeth are facing up and in place. But while doing it, don’t make the vice too tight.
Step 3: Track the areas that you have already sharpened. Double sharpening will wear the teeth away, making less accurate cuts.
Step 4: Now you need a saw file, mostly a diamond file. Look closely where the bevel is facing. Hold it to the level at about 20 degrees, and then stroke the file four different times upwards and four times downwards. You will understand whether it is being sharpened or not. Continue this until you get the proper results.
Step 5: Now repeat step 4 on the other side.
Step 6: For better results, take the diamond file and focus on the tips of every tooth. Lightly stroke around the edges of the teeth a couple of times.
Step 7: Now the sharpening is done, reinstall the blade by loosening the vice. You need to follow the specific instructions in terms of reinstalling that comes with your table saw blade.
Top Tips for Keeping Saw Blades Sharp
Many customers don’t pay heed to the differences between low-quality blades and high-quality blades. But the differences are so substantial that it’s just not worth buying low-quality blades. You need to buy three or four times, and overall, it will cost more.
On the other hand, the quality ones can be sharpened a couple of times and eventually will serve you for years. So, keeping a saw blade sharp is easy, but you need to be careful. Here are some pro tips that can help you.
Tip 1: Always store your table saw in drier places.
Tip 2: Lubricating the blades will maintain the sharpness. For this, you can use paste wax, gun oil, or WD-40 after using the blade every time. The gun oil and D-40 can be wiped off with a rag. But it would help if you waited for a few minutes to wipe it after pouring it for paste wax.
Tip 3: If you have a wooden handle, clean it out to remove moisture and soil with a small amount of boiling linseed oil regularly.
Tip 4: If the blade gets rusty, you can use a razor. First, to scrape out the blade’s rust, remove the handle and put the blade on a smooth surface. Now scrape the rust carefully with up and down motion and place the razor on a low angle.
Tip 5: Sharpen the blade from time to time. Whenever you see the symptoms of dullness, don’t wait long.
FAQs
How many times can you sharpen a table saw blade?
It is good to sharpen the blade when you have cleaned it for the 2nd or 3rd time. After that, it is time to get it sharpened. But if your blade is used to cut a lot of woods such as pine and if this flounders the blade, you can think about getting it sharpened after three cleanings.
How do you get the rust off a saw blade?
Saw blades become rusty because chemical reactions occur between the metal and oxygen in the air. That is why your table saw blade tends to collect moisture, mold, and rust. If you leave the blade in a humid and damp area, it will contact rust.
But to remove rust, you will need penetrating oil spray, a paper towel, and fine 300-grit sandpaper.
Carefully spray the oil on the blade and then gently smooth it with the sandpaper. This will remove the layer of rust from the surface. Then clean it with a paper towel. Lastly, spray the oil to prolong its working life.
How often should you change a circular saw blade?
Generally, better maintenance and cleaning can extend the working life of circular saw blades. However, depending on the blade’s consistency and the material used to cut, it can last between 12 and 120 hours of continuous use.
Conclusion
Table saw blades are one of the most used tools for working in industries or using for DIYs. Proper maintenance and careful use can make your blades work long hours and save you from injury.
Now that you got every detail about how to sharpen table saw blades look closely at your blades today and use the knowledge you gathered from here.