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Just as you would with any tool, it’s essential to keep it regularly maintained to get the best quality performance.
Sharpening your saw blades will ensure precise, smooth cuts at all times while keeping everyone safe from accidents. There are a few methods to sharpening your circular saw blades.
How to Sharpen a Circular Saw Blade by Hand
Sharpening your saw blade can be done by hand, below is a step-by-step guide on how to do that successfully.
Remove All Power Sources
The first task would be to ensure that no power can be used or accidentally switched on during the blade's removal.
Remove The Blade From The Device
This is done by using a wrench, unscrewing the bolts on either side of the blade. Alternatively, some people just keep the blade in the machine and hold the blade using the other hand with a glove over it while your spare hand grinds away. Some blades utilize a spindle lock system; this is straightforward to remove.
Clamp The Blade Secure
If you decide to remove the blade, you should use clamps to secure it to the table when filing. It’s also recommended that you mark which tooth you’ll be filing first, as this stops you from getting confused and knowing where to stop.
Begin Filing The Flat Face Of The Tooth
You should be filing the flat part of the tooth as this is what cuts through the material. You can use a standard file or a trend diamond file, which features the YouTube video linked below.
You should glide the file across the teeth between two and four times. It’s important to keep your file as flat as possible when filing the blade; if not, it’ll cause certain parts of the teeth to be irregular.
If you’d like a visual demonstration of this process, take a look at this video.
How to Sharpen a Circular Saw Blade with a Dremel
The other common method is to use a Dremel to sharpen the blade; this tool will shorten the time it takes and reduce hand fatigue. Take a look at our guide below. As a side note, it’s always good to clean the blade before sharpening.
Turn Any Power Off & Remove The Blade
Ensure that all power has been disconnected and it has no way of switching on. You’ll then want to remove the blade; this can be done by placing a sturdy item between the blade and the stand to stop it from moving; take your wrench and unscrew the bolt; this will release the blade.
Ensure It’s Held Securely
This can be done using a clamp/vice to hold it in place. Make sure you should mark where you plan on starting, and be sure the apparatus is safe and secure.
Insert The Correct Dremel Bit
Blades will have all types of teeth and gullet sizes. Therefore one Dremel bit might not fit all teeth when filing. Meaning, you’ve got to measure the space of the tooth to get the correct size of Dremel to file it.
While you're sizing up your bit, make sure to mark the blade where you plan to start sharpening in order to keep you on track.
Start Filing The Teeth
Pretty straightforward, a two-second file for the first tooth, and then just work your way around the blade until all are complete.
If you’d like a visual demonstration of this, please take a look at the video below.
NOTE: In the YouTube Video provided, the creator mentioned that you file the tooth's top. For most blades, this is not the case; you should file the flat face of the tooth, as this is what cuts the material. All the other information provided is correct.
Conclusion
Sharpening your blade can be done in a variety of ways; there are far more than what we’ve mentioned. However, the two methods above are the easiest and quickest to complete yourself without too much preparation.
Hold up, interested in other topics about circular saws? If so, these might be something to check out: