At this point, all of us have at least once heard about the advice, a dull knife is more dangerous than a sharp one. And that applies to blades as well.
After finishing writing about How to Rip Narrow Boards with a Circular Saw, I realized that the whole process won’t have a nice ending if someone chose to go with a blunt blade. And that’s when I also decided to write about blade sharpening.
Now one popular query on blade sharpening that seems to catch my attention was about people confuse between making a choice between resharpening and replacement. Well, is it worth sharpening circular saw blades? Or going for a replacement would give better results? Also, budget-wise, which one sounds wiser of a choice? Keep reading…
So, Is It Worth Sharpening Circular Saw Blades & Why?
The short answer is Yes! Sharpening circular saw blades that cost more than fifty dollars, are worth it. However, if you have a cheaper one, a replacement can also be a quite good option.
Resharpening can be a great choice for those who don’t want to spend quite a generous amount on getting a new blade. And plus, it’s less wasteful. Carbide blades, which are pretty expensive are not easy to buy every time the old one gets dull and blunt.
Only if you think that the blade is too worn out for sharpening, to a point that it would surely crack, then replacement becomes essential.
And if that’s the case, you need to know how to measure circular saw blade and get the right size that would fit your tool properly. But if it’s a recent blade that slightly seems blunt, then resharpening is the way to go.
Some think that investing in an expensive circular saw blade with immense sharpness and durability would make this chapter never enter their life. But, nope, that’s not the case.
Even the sturdiest and sharpest one would dull with overtime use. And when that happens, your best circular saw with dust collection along with its fancy features would be of very little help, Cause a dull blade would make all of that go in vain basically.
So, depending on your case, go for sharpening or replacement. But make sure you don’t sacrifice sharpness.
When Should a Circular Saw Blade Be Sharpened?
Okay, you got the answer of whether or not sharpening is a choice. If you have chosen to opt for resharpening, then the next thing you’ll need is knowing when the circular saw blades need sharpening exactly. I mean, the signs that tell your blades are screaming for help. The pointers beneath should help.
You will notice the cuts into the material are less straight than how they used to be suddenly. It might be too subtle to notice at first. But you can tell the lack of a clean line cut and that’s often the bad news.
The circular saw’s motor will sound aggressive. You’ll notice it working harder when cutting through a material. This often means, the blade is not stronger like before to easily get through working material.
Heat and friction are generating a lot from the tricky penetrating of the blade into material. Possibly because of the dull blade.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How much expensive is it to sharpen a circular saw blade?
Deciding if it’s worth sharpening blades of circular saw also includes taking the cost for doing so into consideration. Well, if you are planning to take it to a professional then they would charge you 15 to 25 dollars depending on the blade type. And DIYing would cost you even less. You’ll just need to get the sharpening tool and use it several times, which in the long run is cheap.
2. How long does a circular saw blade last?
Well, depending on the material and blade type as well as quality, this can vary. But mostly, you can expect circular saw blades to last somewhere between 15 to 125 hours of constant use.
3. How many times should you sharpen a circular saw blade?
You can try sharpening a few or all teeth 3 or 4 times before going for a replacement. Once you notice the blade wrapped or having serious damages, that surely can’t be fixed with sharpening, a replacement will be the only choice.
Sometimes depending on the circular saw blade sharpening angles, you try, the sharpness will last longer, and that could lessen the number of resharpening.
How Do You Sharpen Circular Saw Blades?
You will need to buy a circular saw blade sharpening tool to try it yourself. Start with removing the blade out from circular saw, but very carefully. You can then fix the saw blade so that it does not move and make marks on it.
Trim the saw teeth and proceed with setting teeth. Then you can use the tool for sharpening blade following instructions provided by manufacturer of sharpening tool. Learn about various angles to try for better results. Once you achieve the desired sharpness, simply install the now-sharp blade to your circular saw. And you can try cutting through the material to check and assure.
Wrap Up
The answer is it worth sharpening circular saw blades will have a different answer depending on the person’s situation. You now know when to choose resharpening and at what point, replacement becomes crucial. Decide for yourself.
Just keep in mind that the circular saw that you own will most probably be participating in a lot of important projects. This tool has a reputation for handling a wide range of works in the industry. And not having the core part of the tool sharp enough will only result in dissatisfaction and disappointment. So, don’t be careless and make sure you are keeping those blades sharp.
