When you use your saw blades regularly things like sap and resin will start to build up on them. As these materials accumulate on the surface of your blade, it will begin to be less and less effective at cutting. If left uncleaned the build up on your saw blade can prematurely end its life and you will have the added expense of having to purchase a replacement blade, a lot sooner than necessary. Below you will find my personal tips on how to care for and maintain your saw blades so that you can extend their lifespan and produce better cuts.
Cleaning The Blade
You should regularly clean your saw blades so that resin and pitch does not get the chance to build up excessively on the surface and reduce the quality of your cuts. One thing that I find works very well at cleaning saw blades is…wait for it…. Easy-Off. Yes, Yes I know that it is meant for cleaning stoves and ovens but trust me, a little Easy-Off will go a long way when it comes to cleaning your saw blades. Just spray some onto both sides of your saw blade and let it sit for about thirty minutes before wiping it all off. For blades with a lot of build up you may need to use an old toothbrush to help get some of the grim out. You will notice that the Easy-Off removes most of the built-up and sap from your saw leaving it in a like new condition and I reckon that most oven cleaners will be able to work as well. Easy-Off is readily available in most grocery store and it doesn’t cost much either. Give it a try I’m sure you will like the results.
Lubricating The Blade
After the Easy-Off does it’s thing and you rinse and dry your saw blade, you may notice that the oils that were lubricating the surface of the blade were removed by the Easy-Off as well. These lubricating oils need to be replaced so that they can protect the metal of the blade from rust buildup and lubrication will also help your blade to make cleaner cuts. So every time you clean your blade, you should lubricate it. Apply a light coat of your preferred lubricant ( I like to use DuPont Teflon Non-Stick Dry-Film Lubricant) and then buff it into the surface with a paper towel. That’s it! Your saw blade is now ready for more cutting jobs. You should always check that
Extra Blade Care Tips
Cleaning and lubricating are definitely the best things that you can do to prolong the life of your saw blade but I would like to give you two additional tips that may help you extend the life of your blade even longer. Tip one is to occasionally reverse the blade on your saw so that you will be using it on the other side. Although this will not be possible with every saw blade it will work for sure with some blades like diamond blades . The next tip is sort of a no brainer but when it comes to woodworking tools I don’t like to take anything for granted, and this tip is that you should always ensure that you are using the right blade for the type of material that you are cutting. Using a fine finish blade to cut through very tough wood, for example, can possibly damage the blade. So you always want to make sure that you are using the correct blade for the job as not doing so can potentially cost you dearly in the long run.
Closing Thoughts
Proper care and maintenance of your saw blades can drastically improve the life of the blade and your saw as well. When your saw blade is dirty it will mean that your cuts will not be as smooth as they could be and your saw will have to work harder to make each cut. You can get more cuts as well as better cuts from a blade that is in the best condition. So use the information in this article to keep your saw blades nice and clean, not only because it will get you better cuts, but also because when your saw blade has a lot of build up it becomes a potential safety hazard.