How To Sharpen A Circular Saw Blade

Whoever works with a circular saw knows the importance of having a sharp blade in it.

It goes easier and smoother when you have a sharp blade in your circular saw or any saw that fits a circular saw blade.

However, after working for a long time, the blade may get dull and sluggish.

This is the time when you wonder whether you have to buy a new one or there is another way around. Turns out, you can sharpen your saw’s blade.

So, how to sharpen a circular saw blade? Let’s see.

How to Sharpen A Circular Saw Blade – Simple procedure

Here, we have discussed almost everything relating to sharpening the blade of a circular saw. Let’s have a look.

What You’ll Need

• Table Clamps
• Marker or Tape
• File

These are the few things you will need when you get to sharpen your circular saw blade.

You may also need a wrench if your blade is of older versions. Nowadays most of the blades have a releasing button to take it off the saw.

Otherwise, you would need a wrench to loosen the blade and take it off the saw.

As for the cleaning process, you will need some Vaseline or petroleum lubricant. Besides, a brush is needed to complete the cleaning process.

Preparation

Before starting to sharpen your blade, make sure you clean it first. Cleaning helps in the process of sharpening as you can see if the blade deserves to get sharpened, or not.

To clean the blade, apply some Vaseline or petroleum jelly to the blade. Then, brush both sides of the blade. Cleaning shouldn’t take much of your time.

After that, you need to clamp the blade at a position where the teeth of the blade are facing you. In other words, clamp it in a vertical position.

Tighten the blade in an easeful position: Neither too loose nor too tight. You can’t clamp it if the tension is too loose; neither can you work comfortably if it’s too tight.

Now, let’s get to the final part- filing.

Filing The Blade

Filing takes quite a few steps before you finally get your circular saw blade sharpened. Here are the steps you need to follow:

• Over-filing will reduce the lifespan of your blade. To avoid it, mark the first tooth where you start filing. A permanent or a tape is sufficient to do this.
• The blades have bevels. You have to stick to them only. File one tooth and leave the next one.
• Keep filing to the last tooth where you’ve marked. Rotate the blade after filing three or four teeth. That helps you work staying in your position.
• When you are done with one side of the blade, flip over it. Now do the same thing you did on the other side.
• File one tooth and leave one, until you reach the point where you have started.
• Now you need to file the tips of your blade’s teeth. Don’t skip any of the teeth. Also, don’t over-file any of the teeth.

Finally, you are done with sharpening your saw’s blade. Install it back to your saw and see how it works. It should work better, for sure.

Is It worth Saw Blade Sharpening By Yourself?

DIY enthusiasts generally love to get anything done by themselves. However, if there is a lot of work or something difficult to do, they tend to call a professional.

In this context, your blade is steel-tipped, it is not difficult to sharpen it. You can sharpen it using a file and process mentioned in this article.

However, if the blade is carbide-tipped, you better get the service of a professional. Not to mention that it will cost you some money. But, at least don’t have to spend on a new one which would cost you even more money.

Plus, if you want to do it yourself, you will need a diamond wheel sharpener. And this machine is costly too.

Yet, another way is to think that you may have a lot of tasks in your shop or garage.

This means your circular saw may get sluggish quite often, even though you use expensive ones.

If it’s the case, it’s worth buying your sharpening machine, rather than getting the service of others.

If you have your machine, you can sharpen all of your saw blades yourself. In the long run, you will save money as you don’t need to pay a professional.

How Frequently Should I Sharpen The Blade Of A circular saw?

There is no obvious answer to this. However, it depends on how much time you work with your saw’s blade.

If you work for long hours or very often, you will probably notice that your blade is not performing as it did in earlier days.

Another way to understand this, look at the edges of the blade. If the burr and surface look good, wait a few more days. And when it gets dull, sharpen it. When it’s working well, let it be.

Final Thought

Everyone acknowledges that a sharp blade is necessary for cutting woods, metals, or anything coming under the saw.

Because, with a dull blade, you can not get the precision cuts done. Plus, it takes more time and effort to get your project done.

However, if you know how to sharpen a circular saw blade, you don’t have to work with a dull blade or buy new blades quite often.