Choosing Woodworking Circular Saw Blades

Each circular saw blade has its own design and characteristics to cut different kinds of wood with precision and efficiency. These includes lumber, plywood, softwood, hardwood and laminates. Circular saw blades also comes with different sizes based on your preferences and sizes. In this article, we’ll discuss each one and the things to consider when choosing the right circular saw blade.

Before buying the blade, a woodworker must know the diameter needed, kerf and the arbor size of the blade. Also consider the wood to be worked on and the coating on your blade. Many blades are coated to avoid corrosion and wear while maximising the blade performance. These distinctions are very important to remember during the cutting process.

Types of Circular Saw Blades:

·         Plywood Blade

These blades are made to cut specifically for plywood. It has numerous teeth for a better and smoother cut.

·         Cross Cutting Blade
These Circular Blades are made for cutting across the wood grain. Compared to Ripping Blade, it has more teeth and smaller gullet for smoother cuts. 

·         Ripping Blade
these circular blades are made for cutting parallel wood grain. It has fewer teeth and has larger gullet.

·         Combination Blade
these are built to cut parallel and across wood grains. These blades are all purpose for cutting wood and if you are in need of a blade that is capable of doing major woodworking applications, it’s the best choice for you. 

·         Fine Tooth Finish Blade
For extra smooth and finer cutting, this is the most recommended blade for wood working. 

·         Hollow Ground Blade
These blades are made for smooth cuts across the wood grain

·         Dado Blades
Dado Blades are perfect for making groves, dadoes and rabbet cuts across lumbers. 

·         Thin Kerf Blade
for cutting dimensional lumber, Thin Kerf Blade are recommended for you.

·         Finishing/ Paneling Blade
these blades are made to cut paneling, veneer, plywood, laminate and plastics.

Each blade is design for a specific type of wood or cutting. They are designed and engineered for specific cut and may not work well with other types of material. For example Cross cutting blades aren’t to be used on making rip cuts. It is inappropriate to use incorrect blades for certain materials because they are not sufficient to cut the certain material and can even cause damage both on the material and the blade; always use the most appropriate blade for the given material.

Introducing Blade Technology

With the inflation cost nowadays, machine operators and manufacturers are constantly looking for a more cost-effective ways to cut steel. Fortunately, the sawing technology is continuing to improve every year. Today, we’ve seen new breed of sawblades that are designed to cut down manufacturing cost.

Blade Basics

Choosing the ideal blade for the material to be cut is extremely important in ensuring the cost-effectiveness of the sawing process. Today, we’ll give you some information to help you with your decision-making process.

·         Blade Back

This refers to the body of the blade, excluding the tooth portion

·         Width

The nominal dimension of a saw blade as measured from the tip of the tooth

·         TPI

The number of teeth per inch as measured from gullet to gullet

·         Thickness

The dimensions from side to side on the blade

·         Kerf

The amount of material removed by the cut of the blade

·         Set

The bending of the teeth to left or right to allow clearance of the back of the blade through the cut

·         Tooth Pitch

The distance from the tip of one tooth to the tip of the next tooth.

·         Tooth Rake Angle

The angle of the tooth face measured with respect to the line perpendicular to the cutting direction of the saw

·         Tooth Face

The surface of the tooth on which chip is formed

·         Gullet

The curved area at the base tooth. The tooth tip to the bottom of the gullet is the gullet depth.

Blade Construction

Band saw blades are made from a single piece of steel or built of two pieces. Your choice will largely depend on the life expectancy and performance requirements. Below are the key information you need to know about blade construction.

Bi-metal

It’s a blade composed of a high steel edge material. An electron beam is wielded to fatigue resistance spring steel backing. This specific construction is ideal for high performance cutting requirement and longer life fatigue.

Carbon

·         Hardback

A one-piece blade made out of carbon steel with a hardened back and tooth edge

·         Flexback

A one piece blade made of carbon steel with a hardened tooth edge and softback

Circular Saw Blades Cleaning and Maintenance

Circular saw blades can last a long time with the proper care and maintenance. In order to preserve the integrity of the metal and the safety of the blade, be sure to never use any abrasive substance which could destroy the metal. This includes stiff wire brushes, corrosive chemicals, or filing to remove scum and gunk. The saw blades are under enormous stress and pressure so any weakness can become highly dangerous during use. After all cleanings, rinse thoroughly with water, dry, and give a light spray of WD-40 before returning to the saw.

Soaking

Place the saw blade into the flat pan and fill it with either Simple Green cleaning solution. If Simple Green is not available, kerosene will work just as well. Soak the blade overnight, flipping it once during the process. Be careful when handling the saw blade. Even when the blades are dull upon wood, they can easily cut skin. Frequent cleanings will make the soaking much quicker.

Plastic Scraper

The plastic scraper is a great tool for removing gunky build up from pitch, sap, and resin within the wood. This buildup can be difficult to remove if it is not dealt with in a timely fashion. If the plastic scrapper cannot remove the gunky build up, return the blade to the simple green or kerosene for another day. The brass bristled brush is used because the brass is soft enough not to harm the integrity of the metal. For areas where the buildup has been sitting a long time, use the brass bristled brush the second day of soaking. Going in the opposite direction of the tooth angle can help break up the build up enough to remove it.

Coated Blades

Newer blades on the market can be purchased with a coating which helps to reduce friction and keep blades sharper, longer. In instances such as this, soap and water can clean most build up, but kerosene works well too in difficult areas. However, do not use the brass bristled brush. The brush may not harm the metal, but it will definitely scratch the coating. Purchase a plastic scrubber from the kitchen cleaning aisle at the grocery store. The plastic scrubber should be Teflon safe, meaning that it will remove residue but not harm similar coatings on pots and pans.

Resin Remover

If the wood used frequently leaves the blade highly dirty, purchase a resin remover from a local woodworking shop. Rather than using spray on blade cleaners which include highly caustic materials and could harm the metal, the resin cleaner merely removes the gunk without the need for scrubbing. Dilute the cleaner in water, soak the blade for 15 minutes and rinse clean. This is a bit overkill for the average cleaning, but works wonders on pine and other highly resinous materials.

Wood Working Drill Safety and Maintenance

Wood workers use different kinds of tools and machinery to get the job done. Aside from circular saws, woodworkers also uses different kinds of drills. Drills can sometimes pose a threat if not handled correctly. Today we’re going to give you some tips on how drill safety and maintenance.

Maintenance:

Make sure that your drill is lubricated once in a while. Lubrication prevents heat and friction generated throughout the working process. Refer to the manual provided by the manufacturer on how to properly lubricate your drill.

Don’t forget to clean the groves, belt and pulley after working with wood. Some resin and dirt can stick to the drill.

Put a light coating of oil on the unpainted area of the drill. This will prevent the drill from rusting or contamination.

Safety:

Wear proper protection when working with drills. Small chunk of wood or any kind of material you are drilling can be thrown up during the process. Always wear eye protection and protective suit.

Don’t make adjustments while drilling. Make sure to turn your drill off

Make sure that all cutting tools are properly placed during drilling operations.

Use a holding device. Don’t ever use your hand to adjust the material you are drilling.

Don’t wear loose clothing or dangling jewelry near the drill press. Sometimes the drill can catch these things, drawing the wearer into the moving parts, causing significant injury.

Drill guards should be used during the operation to prevent injury.

Ease up the drill once in a while to avoid damage and make the operator focused on the job.

Make sure to clean the drill after the operation. Cleaning the drill press with a brush is recommended.

Make sure all your tooling and blades are maintained in a good condition.

Follow all the recommendations for use and safety given by the manufacturer of your drill press.

Ensure that if and when the drill press is not working properly, it is checked and repaired by a qualified technician.

Tool Bits and Ring Flanges in Circular Saws

How important tool bits and ring flanges in your circular saw? Today, we’re going to discuss this matter. Cemented circular saw blades are found almost anywhere and widely used in cutting different materials such as wood, aluminum and more. But most of the problems of circular saw blade users is the longevity of their blade. These problems can be prevented through right usage and proper maintenance routine.

Saw blade’s tool bit protection is also important because it is sensitive and sharp for cutting objects. Be careful on installing or taking it down on your machine.

The right flanges also plays a big role on your saw machine and its working condition would affect the saw blade’s cutting results and the life of the saw blade. An example would be the ring flange size, it is better to use large scale ring flange to maximise the stability of the cutting process, thus a smoother cutting process. Ring flange on the machine have approximately 1/3 size of the saw blade which is essential for having great cutting results.

If you are looking for quality saw blades that has the right price and perfect for any material, visit us at www.specialtysaw.com.au. We have a wide selection of circular saw blades and we also have bandsaw blades. If you think your blade is dull, we also offer blade sharpening services. If you have any questions or suggestions, feel free to contact us today! 

Tips on Maintaining your Coldsaw Blade

Cleaning your coldsaw blade is a part of your maintenance routine to ensure the longevity and efficiency of the blade. But cleaning your blade isn’t enough, there are other maintenance routine you could do that will surely help your blade reach its potential.

1.       Cleaning

When mounting the blade, remember to clean both flanges and blade. A single chip between the blade and flanges can lead into excessive side run out. It can also reduce the stability and cutting quality of the machine.

2.       Fluids

Fluids are used for cooling, flushing away excess dirt on the blade and lubrication. Follow the manufacturer’s guide and use only the recommended fluid products. Sawing is a “hard” machining process and demands a mixture of 6-10%.

Fluids should be applied generously on both sides of the coldsaw blade during cutting. The nozzles should be directly pointing at the cutting point. The cutting process must never start without fluids. If you do, the tooth tips will burn or “pick up” may occur and will reduce the life and efficiency of your coldsaw blade.

3.       Stability

Stability is one of the factor to get good cutting results. The machine must be stable through its main bearings, column and vice. Lack of stability leads to vibration in the machine and blade. This vibration can lead into substantial loss of blade life or at worst, blade breakage.

4.       Sharpening

In order to save money, some woodworkers would go and have their blade re-sharpened as part of their maintenance procedure. Re-sharpening your blade is a lot cheaper that getting a new one. Click here to learn more.

5.       “Running In”

Always use the run in procedure for re-sharpened blades. Gradually increase the feed until the normal feed is reached. Before you used re-sharpened blades, make 6-8 cuts with normal speed but lower than normal feed. The run in procedure hones the tooth tips, removing the sharp fragile edges created during sharpening, thus lengthening the blade life. 

Sharpening Saw Blades

Saws are rarely sharpened by few woodworkers but the questions still tends to arise on how to do it. Sharpening circular saw blades has become a forgotten craft and fewer people or woodworkers can even do this. Sharpening your own saw is vital and one should not be buying a replacement when your saw becomes dull. It brings out the skill and self-confidence of a woodworker if they can sharpen their own saw. The ability to maintain the sharpness on one’s saw blade allowed saws to retain their usefulness, not matter how long the resided in the woodworker’s toolbox. With today’s mass produced, plastic handled and Teflon coated saws are poor in comparison to the quality saw for they are designed to be simply thrown away as soon as they get blunt.

Other woodworkers likes to touch up chipped teeth with a small, flat diamond hone. If you’re going to try that, maintain the original angles and surfaces and don’t round over the cutting edge. Once in a while, you’d be finding a missing teeth. If the manufacturer can replace the saw, expect that it is expensive. So unless the blade cost you a lot in the first place, you’re probably better off to toss it and buy a new one.

Jolting the Teeth

The usual method of sharpening the teeth of a non-carbide tipped circular saw blade is done like this. First, install the blade in a commercial saw-setting jig following the manufacturer’s instructions. After installing the jointing head on the jig, butting its file up against the saw teeth. Tighten the thumb until the teeth strain against the file.  Jointing the teeth so they are all the same length, clamp the jig in a bench vise and rotate the circular saw blade against the file clockwise. After each rotation, tighten the thumbscrew slightly and repeat until the tip of each tooth has been filed flat.

Sharpening the Teeth

After jolting the teeth, file them using a commercial saw-sharpening jig. First, mount the jig on the workbench and install the blade loosely on the jig so the blade turns. Rotate the triangular file in the file holder and adjust the guide arm to match the required pitch and angle of the saw teeth. Starting with a tooth that is pointing to the right, file the cutting edge by sliding the file holder along the top of the jig. After that, rotate the circular saw blade counter clockwise, skip one tooth and repeat. Sharpen all the right-pointing teeth the same way. Adjust the triangular file and the guide arm to work on the left-pointing teeth and repeat, sharpening all the teeth you skipped.