How to maintain the sharpness of your saw blade

5 July, 201331 August, 2021

People who value their craft want their tools to be always ready when needed. As much as possible we want them to be sharp, shiny, and do the work when we use them. If you are into carpentry, a saw is an indispensable tool. But you cannot expect to have a sharp edge all the type due to wear and tear and continuous use. How do you keep your saw blade sharp? Here are some tips you might want to check out.

Use the right blade for your work. Different types of wood materials require different type of cutting instruments. The most important consideration is to match your tool with the material. The thicknesses of the board, the raw materials, as well as the dimension, are all factors to look at when deciding what blade suits the most. For instance, a triple chip grind with a size 80 teeth is ideal for particleboards or MDF.
Align and tune your saw. Make sure your blades are parallel to the fence to avoid back cutting. This should apply regardless of whether you are using a single blade or a double blade instrument. When tuning the saw, configure the blade according to the machine and material being use. In motorized instruments, micrograin carbide materials are known to be effective as they are designed for tough composite materials.
Observe blade projection when cutting. Projection refers to the distance from the top of the material to the edge of the blade when cutting. While this may sound trivial and easily ignored, distance actually can have an effect on the surface finish. Experts suggest a 20 mm to 30 mm distance to guarantee a clean surface finish.
Finally, always use a sharpened blade. And when you go to a shop to have the blades sharpened, make sure they have the grinders that match the blades. Before mounting the blade to the saw make sure their contact surfaces are free of particles that can create friction or cause the blade to misalign. On a practical note, chips and dust can impact on the overall reliability of the machine because they are compensated through higher feed rate, horsepower, and heat buildup.