If you have a circular saw that you use a lot, there will come a time when the blade will get dull. So, you will either have to buy a new blade or sharpen your old one. Of course, sharpening the blade that you already have is much cheaper than buying a new one.
This is why I will do my best to explain the steps with which you can sharpen your blade.
Necessary Tools:
- Washable marker or chalk to mark your starting point
- Wrench
- Vice grip/ locking plier
- Gloves
- Soft brush for cleaning
- Diamond file
The 7 Steps to Sharpen Your Circular Saw Blade:
Step One:
The first thing you should do is to remove the blade. Normally, you should use a wrench to loosen the bolts that hold the blade. Most circular saws have a built-in wrench storage option so that the wrench is always available. However, if your circular saw is not that old, you will find that it has a blade release switch that facilitates this process.
Step Two:
Make sure to secure the blade. You can secure it by placing the blade in a vice grip. Place it in a way so that it is facing upwards and its teeth are facing you. Be careful, though, not to tighten the vice grip so much so as not to warp the metal that holds the teeth.
Step Three:
To prevent double sharpening, place a mark on a particular spot on the blade so that when you reach it, you know that you have gone a complete cycle around the blade. Do you notice that every two blade points have a bevel on the side that is facing you? You should stroke this bevel. How? By using a file – a diamond file ensures excellent results.
Hold the file at about a 20-degree angle from the bevel, and place four strokes up and down along the bevel of the first tip. Noticing the success or failure of the process is very easy. In case of failure, do not give up, just increase the number of strokes, or change the file you are using.
Step Four:
Good news: If the blade’s teeth are beveled, you won’t have to do this on each and every tooth. You can skip the next tooth and go to the third one. Repeat the process of applying the same number of strokes you did on the first one until the whole blade is done.
Step Five:
Bad news: you have to apply the same process on the other side of the blade. Place a mark on a specific spot on the blade, use a file to stroke the bevels, and so on and so forth.
Step Six:
Now it is the turn of the teeth. Run the file back and forth across the front edge of the blade point for one time.
Be careful not to do this more than once so as not to wear the teeth down more than you need. It is needless to mention that you should do this with all the blade tips on the saw blade.
Step Seven:
Remove the blade from the vice grip, use a soft brush to clean it, and reinstall it into its place.
Important Note:
I know that the above steps seem difficult and you are now probably sitting there thinking: ‘why would I do all this? I will just buy a new blade.’ okay, then! You can indeed buy a new one, but only if you can afford a high-quality blade.
Getting a cheap blade for your circular saw will cause damage to it. This will, inevitably, make you pay more money; either for fixing the circular saw itself or for buying another blade in a short period.
Are you thinking about going over the steps again now?
How Do You Know If the Blade Needs Sharpening?
No one can decide if the blade is dull or not except you, because it is highly relative. What you regard as a dull blade, someone else might not think of it as such. So, the question you should ask yourself is: “Am I satisfied with the performance of the circular saw blade?” Moreover, some symptoms indicate that the blade is not doing well.
Symptoms of a Dull Blade:
- Increased resistance to feed
- Burning
- Increased noise and motor load
- Chips or splinters
However, these symptoms may point to other problems as well, such as a dirty blade, broken or missing carbide tips, or a bent blade. It is necessary to make sure that the blade is actually dull before starting to sharpen it.
How to Make Sure that the Blade is Dull?
- Clean the blade if you notice a build-up on the sides of the blade
- Look for broken or missing teeth. If there are none, then run some cut tests. You have no idea what a tremendous effect cleaning the blade has.
In case the test shows that the performance has not improved, then, start with the sharpening process.
Bottom Line:
Before doing anything that has to do with sharpening, you must make sure that the blade really needs sharpening and doesn’t just need to be cleaned or something. Then, carefully read and apply the above steps.
Make sure that you are focused, wearing safety gloves, and taking all safety precautions you know.