How To Clean Circular Saw Blades

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Using a dull blade in a circular saw can affect your work and lead to inaccuracy while cutting any material. Therefore, it is crucial to maintain the blades of a circular saw through regular checks. This blog will show you how to clean circular saw blades.

How To Clean Circular Saw Blades

Keep the following handy:

  1. Water
  2. Soap or detergent
  3. Soft Wired or Plastic bristle brushes
  4. Container or pan

The entire procedure of cleaning circular saw blades is broken into five easy steps.

Step #1: Remove, Brush, and Soak the Blade

Follow the manual procedure of removing the circular blade from the ardor shaft with caution. You need to clean the nuts and screws pulled out from the shaft. You can refer to this detailed guide to learn how to remove the blade from the ardor.

After removing the blade from the shaft carefully, take a large pan or container to put the parts of the disassembled blade. Move on to pre-soak the parts carefully. Once soaked, use the soft-bristled brush to rinse it thoroughly. This step removes all the dirt accumulation.

Man holding a circular saw

Warning!

Always use plastic or rubber gloves while handling the blade. The blade may be blunt, but it still has the sharpness and edge needed to inflict minor cuts and wounds. Wear gloves while rinsing the blades as well.

Step #2: Pour Laundry Soap or Detergent

Estimate the amount of soap or detergent needed and pour it into the container with blades. You don’t need to buy any particular cleaning detergent. Your everyday laundry soap or detergent cleaning agent will suffice.

Stir it using the brush used for cleaning earlier. It would be best to let the soap settle over the metal surface of the blade for ten to fifteen minutes.

Remember not to stir the entire mixture using fingers as the blade edges are sharp and can cause cuts. Even while using a brush, you do not have to mix them excessively — a turn or two is enough.

Step #3: Scrubbing Time

Wait for half an hour and start scrubbing other components using a gentle brush. It is pretty effective on the metallic edges as they don’t cause the wear and tear impact.

Use a soft brush to reach all nooks and crannies of the mechanical blade with so many edgy parts and twisted anatomy. Brass brushes are best for cleaning such large equipment.

The soft texture of these brushes is helpful to minimize wear and tear damage. It is a one-time investment as they last longer.

Step #4: Dry the Metallic Surface

After scrubbing off the accumulations, the next step is to dry the metal surface of the blade. Take it out of the container and wipe off the liquid using a piece of dry cotton cloth. You can even use tongs as an alternative.

Wipe the excess water off its body and place the blade and its screws in the sun. If you don’t get much sunlight, dry it off using a ceiling fan.

Water and steel are known to be “archnemesis.” Thus, it is crucial to dry the metallic blade properly. As the blade runs on electricity mostly, it is essential to dry the edges. A wet blade is hazardous for everyone.

Step #5: Assemble All the Parts

Go through the user manual once again to re-assemble the blade.  Re-assemble and then run a quick check to see whether it is working correctly or not.

Don’t worry if you encounter an issue or if it does not work. Go through this video tutorial that will guide you on re-assembling circular saw blades.

Additional Tips

In some cases, just cleaning a blade may not be enough to fix the bluntness of its edges. Thus, you will need to sharpen the edges of the blade so that it works properly.

Circular saw blades

A sharpener comes in handy for sharpening the blades of a circular saw. Run a quick search, or watch this video on cleaning the saw blades yourself. Using this quick and easy alternative, you would:

  • Increase your blade’s life
  • Save some of your hard-earned money
  • Improve the quality of cutting

In the end, nothing can be more beneficial than regularly checking the usability of your circular saw blades.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why Do I Need to Clean Circular Saw Blades?

Due to excessive usage, the quality of the cuts declines rapidly over time if you don’t clean all the residual accumulations over your blade.

It can consequently increase the heat and wear and tear impact of the cutting procedure, heating the entire apparatus as a whole. It is essential to clean your circular blades to avoid such complications.

When Do I Need to Clean Circular Saw Blades?

Cleaning should be done whenever you start noticing irregular cuts.  You can also check the edges of the blade frequently for dirt and saw-burn accumulation.

Sometimes, wood chips and saps are stuck in the edges of the blade, making it quite evident that your blade needs instant cleaning.

Can I Buy New Blades Instead of Cleaning the Old Ones?

Cleaning your blades can fix most of their irregularities unless it is broken or malfunctioning. Buying is usually the last alternative.

Slight irregularities and issues can be countered with a thorough cleaning. If the problem persists or your knife is long past its service period, buy new blades.

How To Change Circular Saw Blades

Conclusion

For risk-free and most precise cutting, a clean, edgy blade is your one-stop solution. Not only does it allow easy cutting of all the materials, but it also saves your time and effort. Using a dirty blade is a hazard waiting to happen.

Henceforth, if you ever come across any irregular cuts or a semi-precise cut, you know that your blades need an easy fix by cleaning. You must clean your blade to fix its minimal issues and deteriorate any risk of failures and accidents.

An expert at home repair, remodel, and DIY projects for nearly 40 years. His first experience came in completely restoring an antique home. Completely redone from the inside out, and restored to its original form, the home is a featured design by renowned Southern California Architect Cliff May, considered to be the father of the California Ranch Home. Now Dennis spends his time on fine woodworking projects and tool comparisons.