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table saw blade

Tips for changing a table saw blade

by John Hager - Last updated

Table saws are common devices among many wood workers and whoever is familiar with this tool would know that you may need to change blades several times depending upon your work load and usage of this device. Depending upon the requirements of project and material to be cut, a carpenter or anyone using the machine may need to use different types of blades such as ripping blades, dado cut blades, straight cut blades and more. Apart from different usage that different blades have to offer, you may need to change a blade if the old one has become dull. A dull blade would hinder accuracy and performance of a table saw and may cause adjustment and alignment issues. Thus one who uses this machine must know how to change and replace a table saw blade. It is really simple and basic job that you can easily perform.

Tips for changing a table saw blade

Things to have in hand for changing table saw blade

Before you put your hands in to changing blades of a table saw, following are the items that you must have in hand in order to stay safe and proper change blades. These include:

  • New blade of table saw
  • Allen/Hex Wrench
  • Block of wood (small one)
  • Screwdriver

Steps for changing blade

  1. Turn off the power of table saw: Turn the power switch of table saw off before you start the process as a measure of safety with table saw. In order to keep yourself and the tool completely safe, unplug the saw power cord from the socket and make sure that the power is completely disconnected from table saw. Allow table saw to stay still for some minutes in order to make it certain that all the power has been drained off from the tool.
  1. Locate and remove the blade plate: Usually a blade plate (metal plate) is located at the top of the table saw in most of the table saws. These plates are usually secured with two screws, one located at the front and one at the back of the plate. Use screw driver to loosen these screws and you will be able to remove the plate. Place the plate at a secure place aside.
  1. Remove the blade: Lock the blade at the highest position and for added safety, out a small wood block against the blade in order to prevent it from turning by mishap. Remove washer and nut from blade and this can be done with the use of a wrench. Turn the nut towards you counterclockwise with wrench. Now you can remove the blade and place it at a proper safe place.
  1. Place new blade: Now you can begin setting new blade in your saw. Blade should be placed in the housing with its teeth pointing towards the front side of the table saw. Now place the washer and nut back to their positions and use wrench to tighten the nut in order to secure the blade. Now turn the wrench clockwise for tightening. Have a small wood block placed holding the blade securely at its position.
  1. Reinstall the plate of blade: Again reinstall the blade plate with the use of a screw driver. Tighten all the screws and secure the blade plate tightly to the table saw top.
  1. Plug in the power cord: After reinstalling the blade guard, you can connect the power cord back in the wall socket. Turn on the power of table saw and run the machine to check if the blade has been installed properly and is fully functional.

After you have replace the blade for once, you won’t find it difficult for next time and soon it will become a routine easy task for you that wouldn’t require any special planning or efforts. Depending upon your work load and task type, you may need to change the blade of your table saw quite often in a project in order to make the most of the features of your table saw. So you can’t run to someone every time for replacement and changing of blade. You can complete your job quick and with ease by knowing how to change different blades for different materials and cuts.

Set an appropriate height

After changing the blade, you need to make sure that the height of the table saw blade is set according to the material used. A dangerous kickback may occur if the blade is set too low or too high for the wood material. A low blade height is usually a common cause of kickbacks that happen with table saw.

Conclusion

The most important rule that one needs to follow before attempting for a change of blade with any type of table saw is that you must make sure that the power is completely disconnected from the table saw. Many of the woodworkers and carpenters have faced dangerous injuries as a result of deadly accidents that have occurred because of not following this important rule. Saws are surely important tools but these important tools will only work if saw blade is sharp enough. Whether you saw blade needs sharpening or replacement, follow these guidelines and you will be able to safely, easily and smoothly clean, maintain or replace table saw blade.

Types of table saw blades – Which one to buy?

Types of table saw blades – Which one to buy?

by John Hager - Last updated

Table saws operate by spinning of the circular blades placed under the hard surface of table saw. The table top is a smooth space where the ripping material can rest and when blades spin material is pushed towards the blade for accurate cutting. Table saw blade height can be adjusted vertically depending upon how much exposure your table saw needs to give you the cutting material in order to get desired depth of cut. However some table saw allow for adjustments according to axis and angles so that you can get a fixed angle cut for projects that are joint. Initially circular blade table saws were designed to cut through wood only but with advancements now you can also rip plastic and metals with use of this tool.

table saw blade

Table Saw Blades

Most of the table saw blades are built from metal and they include some impressive tooth materials for cutting along with carbon composite materials. Table saw blades are similar to that of the circular saw but you may find some exceptions. Teeth of blades may wear out and in that case you would need to make a replacement. Blade changes may be required according to composition of task or if you find that the blades have turned dull and are not cutting well. Use of inappropriate blades may result in a serious injury.

Different Table Saw Blades to choose from

There are a number of manufacturers offering different table saws and you can choose the best portable table saw for your projects. But one of the most important considerations is to select an appropriate type of table saw blade. In order to find an ideal choice table saw for you, you need to assess the blade type, size, spacing of tooth, material, speed along with price to see if you are buying a right choice or not?

1. Sizes of Blade:

You can examine size of a blade by having an idea about the external diameter along with diameter of central mounting hole. Most of the blades usually have a 10-12 inches diameter and some common sizes are 5 inches to 1 foot. For commercial use, you can find even larger ones too. Thus you need to make sure that you get an appropriate size of blade according to need. Blade size must also be selected according to specifications of manufacturer. Check operating manual of your tool for recommended blade sizes. Also check if the size you are selecting matches the central arbor hole.

2. Types:

The table saw blades can be classified mainly in to two types including rip blades and crosscut blades. Both these types of blades can be used for varied purposes.

Rip Blade: The rip blades usually have deep teeth that are smaller in number but cut through material really fast. If you want rougher cuts, these blades and their coarse teeth cut through the material grain.

Crosscut Blade: For greater finish and smoothness of cut, use crosscut blades. The tooth of these blades work alternately towards the right and left of the center line which gives you a fine wider cut gap. This gap must be considered when users measure materials.

Combination blade: These are a combination of both rip and crosscut blades. You can get advantages of both styles and these blades are usually made for some specific usage mentioned on the packaging of the blade.

Blades for Special Cuts: Some of the blades are designed to cut through some specific materials such as hardwood, metals, plywood etc. These may also be made for specific cuts like dadoes. These blades are usually much wider and can cut multiple rows. Before opting for any such blade, check your user manual to see if your table saw can accommodate such blade to avoid any kickbacks that may happen with use of a wrong blade.

3. Teeth:

Blades have different composition of teeth that tells you how smooth you can cut. You can find blade teeth ranging from 24 to 80 however some other specific blades may differ slightly in composition. The more teeth your blade has, the more smoothness of cut you can achieve. Apart from smoothness, tooth count also relates to speed of cutting. A higher number of teeth can result in slower speed of cutting that you cannot overcome by hard pushing.

4. Speed:

Blades are designed to spin fast so that they can stress and break the material apart. Speeds of blades are mentioned in revolutions per minute (RPM). A blade has a specific maximum speed and this specification should be in accordance with the speed of table saw. Usually table saws spin at a speed between 3000-4000 RPM however you may find variations depending upon modifications made. Also note that with some specific materials, use of a speedy blade can cause the material to burn or melt.

Composition of blades

Blades (plywood and hardwood) are usually made up of hard metal however for cutting tougher surfaces they are made with tougher teeth. Teeth of blades are hardened to serve this purpose around their edges but it is made sure that they remain durable even if they are hard. Different materials of tooth are used depending upon type of blade. For plywood and hardwood blades, steel or carbon steel tooth are used for durable results. For steel and aluminum blades, hardened metal or tungsten carbide is used. For masonry blades, cutting edges with diamond tip are used. For PVC and Acrylic blades, tungsten carbide of low temperature is appropriate.

Blades can be re-sharpened

One benefit of table saw blades is that they can be repaired and re-used. You need not to discard your blade if its teeth had loosened its edges, these can be re-sharpened. However make sure you get sharpening done properly in order to avoid any imbalance and danger of injury.

Conclusion

There is a wide collection of table saw blades available and picking one right choice can be a daunting task. You need not to purchase a special blade for every purpose as many of the blades offer you versatile usage and can cut everything from hard wood to sheets to joining materials and more. Choose the right blades and make your wood working task even much easier and less time consuming.