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Saw blades are usually replaced instead of being sharpened or restricted in most circumstances. In general, knowing how to sharpen your circular saw blade is beneficial. If your circular saw blade becomes blunt, you do not have to throw it away; this saves money and time purchasing replacement parts.
How to Sharpen a Circular Saw Blade: A Step-by-step Guide
Your circular saw blade must get removed before you can begin sharpening it.
Before you begin working with your circular saw, make sure the power is turned off. A spindle lock is a feature found on many plunge and handheld saws that allows you to swiftly change the blade.
Circular saw blades can be sharpened using specific grinding machines. These, on the other hand, are frequently connected with very high acquisition prices, making them unsuitable for the hobbyist handyman.
You can also sharpen old circular saw blades by hand. You can get by with several tools here. You need the following items:
- A flat file
- A ring spanner
- A set of pliers
- Two screw clamps
- A triangular file
The manual sharpening of a circular saw blade, on the other hand, is limited to saw blades with teeth that have not been particularly reinforced.
Since hard metal-coated blades are as rigid as the processing files and cannot be molded with them, they are not suitable for shaping.
A specialized sharpening machine, such as one with an expert grinding service, is required for saw blades with carbide points.
Circular saw blades can be sharpened in just a few simple steps:
- Remove the circular saw blade
- Fix your saw blade
- Make the mark
- Trim the saw teeth of your circular saw
- Allow the teeth to set
- Sharpen your circular saw blade
- Install your newly sharpened circular saw blade
- Test the blade to ensure it is sharp enough
Remove the Circular Saw Blade
The circular saw’s blade needs to first be removed. To do so, turn the nut clockwise with a ring spanner and take off the edge from your circular saw’s body securely.
Fix Your Saw Blade
Sharpening the saw blade is done on the workstation. The two screw clamps are used for this. Ensure the blade is securely clamped so that it shakes as little as possible during the sharpening process and that there are no distracting vibrations.
Make the Mark
Make a slight mark on the side of your blade with the felt to indicate when you have sharpened all the way around your circular blade.
Then, with your file at a 20-degree angle, file the bevel four times upwards and downwards.
It is easier for you to go around the circular saw blade if you do this.
Repeat the honing and filing on the opposite side of your circular saw blade until the teeth are razor-sharp.
Trim the Saw Teeth of Your Circular Saw
Prior to actually sharpening, the circular saw blade’s teeth need to be trimmed. Since the originally straight row of teeth became uneven with time and regular use, this procedure is required.
The tooth tips are leveled and filed to the very same height as the flat file. Repetitive horizontal file strokes across the rows of teeth are used to accomplish this.
Allow the Teeth to Set
The circular saw needs to set — in other words, mutually bent teeth, to function efficiently again afterward and not get caught in your workpiece.
This step guarantees a wider saw cut than the true saw blade, preventing the content from becoming stuck.
The process is best done with a pair of pliers. This aids in the creation of a set that is equally directed to the left and right, guaranteeing that the saw blade operates perfectly in both directions afterward.
Avoid bending ay teeth that were initially set on the left to the right and vice versa, since this may cause the teeth to break and render the circular saw blade useless.
Sharpen Your Circular Saw Blade
The physical sharpening may start after the rows of teeth are filled and the teeth become set. One often uses a triangular file for this process.
You should accomplish a uniformly pointed shape with three to four file strokes over every tooth, resulting in all teeth looking the same subsequently.
Ensure not to remove too much substance too soon; otherwise, the other teeth may need to be corrected again.
Hone the left-hand teeth row first, spin the blade, and then polish the right-hand teeth row.
Install Your Newly Sharpened Circular Saw Blade
The circular saw blade may be replaced after you have sharpened it.
To prevent imbalance and, as a result, a disturbing blade run, pay close attention to the proper, tight fit. The nuts get secured by twisting them to the left with a ring spanner.
Test the Blade to Ensure It Is Sharp Enough
It is vital to examine the cutting qualities after honing all of the teeth. Connect the tool to the machinery, switch on the power, and cut a scrap wooden board.
A light cut, proper functioning, and quiet operation are all signs of good sharpening. If there is a lot of noise and the substance is being cut unevenly, you should check the height of the teeth because it might not be the same.
Elevate the marker to the cutting edge and make a complete turn off the apparatus in the opposite direction of rotation to synchronize all cutting sections.
Examine the surface: every tooth should have a mark on it to help you compare the heights of all parts. Locate the teeth with the highest point and use a file to cautiously reduce the length.
Can You Sharpen Your Circular Saw Blade by Yourself?
Using a professional does not come at a high price.
A circular saw sharpener is fairly expensive (approximately 600 dollars for a table sharpener).
Additionally, for less than $15, a professional can help you sharpen your circular saw blade.
The cost of expert blade sharpening varies depending on the blade’s diameter as well as the number of teeth.
If you choose to do it yourself, the following signs indicate a dull circular saw blade:
- The blade only moves slowly and twists gradually.
- Strange vibrations are produced by the circular saw.
- Frayed cut edges or a weak cut.
- The blunt teeth generate finer sawdust rather than sawdust.
- Since this saw blade rubs too powerfully, the interfaces become charred and begin to smoke.
The Final Verdict
Manual, independent sharpening of circular saw blades is beneficial in many circumstances since it saves both time and money.
Sharpening can be done repeatedly without issue, particularly with unhardened saw blades.
In only a few steps, the old saw blade can be made ready for use again, ensuring safe and faultless operation. You can accelerate the grinding job by using a double grinder with the proper grinding wheels.
Manual repairing is impossible if the other side is a circular saw blade with sharpened points.
However, you don’t need to buy a new one here either: specific sharpeners can assist. If the aged saw blade has worn out too much or has substantial damage, it may eventually need to be replaced. Does your circular saw blade need sharpening?
