When your table saw is frequently used, its blade gets blunt and dull. Instead of buying a new blade every time, a practical approach is to sharpen it. You can achieve this in 2 ways; hire the services of a professional or buy a diamond saw blade and do the sharpening yourself. In this article, we are going to discuss how you can sharpen a table saw blade yourself. So let’s begin our discussion.
When do you need to replace a table saw blade?
You need to sharpen a table saw blade if:
- You have done a lot of work with it recently and planning to start another project.
- You need to put in the extra effort while moving the pieces through it.
- The cutting is not smooth; the edges are rough and have very tiny wood chips attached.
- The motor is getting hot under normal circumstances because of the extra load being exerted by the blade.
- The cutting sound is not usual. It is shrill and sharp.
- There is extra vibration while cutting.
The Sharpening Process
Time Needed: 1-2 hours (depending upon the number of blades)
Difficulty Level: Expert
Things Needed
- Diamond blade
- Safety gear (safety goggles, gloves, ear protection, and face mask)
Step 1: Preparing the Table Saw – First of all, turn off the power. Don’t just switch off the plug; remove it from the socket. It will ensure safety.
Step 2: Remove the Blade – Don’t ever sharpen the blade inside the saw. Even a dull blade can cut severely. You need to take it out. Some latest models come with a blade release switch. You can remove the blade by simply releasing the switch. If you don’t have a release switch, you will have to unhook the blade by loosening the arbor nut with a wrench.
Step 3: Insert the Diamond Blade – The next step is to insert the diamond blade. Insert it in the same way you took out the saw blade by pushing the switchback or tightening the arbor nut.
Step 4: Sharpening – To ensure that all the teeth of the blade are sharpened. Mark one tooth and now turn on the diamond blade. Bring the marked teeth of the saw blade near to diamond blade and touch the inner side of the blade against the diamond blade. Do this for all the teeth. If you have a saw blade with teeth pointing in one direction, a single rotation will be good. For blades with two-directional teeth, you will need two rotations. Place a wooden bar under the saw blade so that you don’t touch the metal surface of the table. You can also use a jig. However, you would need to adjust the jig every time you sharpen a different-sized blade. Don’t compromise on wearing eye protection, ear protection, and gloves while running the blade.
Step 5: Remove the Diamond Blade and Insert the Saw Blade – After you have finished sharpening all the blades, it is now time to remove the diamond blade and insert the sharpening blade. Repeat the same process you used for taking out the saw blade and inserting the diamond blade. That’s all. You are done sharpening. Grab an old piece of wood and check the recently sharpened blades.
Benefits of Blade Sharpening
- It lasts longer
- You get a quality cut
- Reduces the load on the motor