Carbide Saw Blade

[2manyrocks]

I only have a limited knowledge of Foley, but my impression is that they make a wider range of woodworking equipment that probably includes a saw sharpener. The company I'm trying to remember I think may have been more specialized and limited to sharpening equipment. A friend's Dad used to use sharpen blades with it years ago, but I'm totally drawing a blank on the name of the manufacturer.

 

[PILOON]

reb has good advice.

I use oven cleaner(spray on type) to clean chop saw and table saw. If you look closely usually there is a build up of resin. I would try this first and than look at sharpening. And as Egon says - check the per tooth price first!

lloyd

,
Another good 'TIP OF THE DAY'

Oven cleaner is very useful as a
CARBURATOR CLEANER
Spray it on, rinse with warm water,
Carb looks just like new!

I discovered this back when auto part carb cleaner became a hazardous product and the price sky rocketed beyond what I could afford for the occasional usage.
For a while I even used paint remouver but oven cleaner is much better and faster.

Even the dollar store variety gives great results!

 

[Dennisfly]

I inspected the blade closely and there was a buildup of resin/who knows what, on the teeth. I removed it and soaked it for 30 minutes in dish detergent and then wire brushed the teeth. What a difference. It cuts well again. I don't think I need to sharpen it. Now I need to do the same thing to my Skil saw blade.

 

[Cami]

For grinding circular saws, I've only ever used Foley....I'm not some loyal user, it's just the only brand I've seen.

Cleaning does wonders. I use hot water and dish soap in a laundry sink. If it's really bad then let it sit over night and it will brush off quite easily. I do blades too large for the laundry sink with a cup brush on the workbench. You need to clean resin off before you sharpen anything, or it'll burn on and make a bigger mess; saw chains get similar treatment.

Whatever you do, don't let the blades get too bad before taking them in....life's too short to run a dull saw.

With a slightly worn saw in a DIY situation, for most blades, you only need to give the tooth faces a little kiss to sharpen things up; the resulting variation in tooth hight will be too small to really matter. If the blade needs a lot of face grinding to clean up then you have to grind the tops as well. For my own personal blades I don't usually bother to grind the tops and they cut fine.

@PILOON: That's a wonderful tip! Here's a funny oven cleaner story for you: I heard a cautionary tale about some guys in the Canadian Armed Forces looking for an easier way to clean their weapons and somebody had the bright idea to use oven cleaner....and removed the bluing!

 

[kossetx]

Yours was probably a buildup of the glue in the flooring. It would be cleanable.

As far as when it does need sharpening, you have to decide on that. A good blade needs resharpend, cheap blades need replaced. I have a Delta Pro 60T blade from the 80's I love and will use until it's gone.

 

[20 20]

I have a 12" power miter saw with a carbide tipped blade. I cut 1500 square feet of engineered flooring that has a hardened surface and the blade is not very sharp anymore. Can it be sharpened ,or do I throw it away and buy a new one?

I sharpen mine all the time, like others said most of the time it's a resin build up. I use a grinder with REAL gentle pressure and only just take a tiny bit at a time. I can usually get 4-7 sharpenings before they get tossed.

 

[_RaT_]

The flooring you mention, was it the laminate type such as Pergo? If so, that type of flooring now contains aluminum oxide in the fisnish and will dull any carbide blade with just a few cuts. Aluminum oxide is incredibly hard (its used in sanding belts and cut off saws for cutting steel). I just keep my dull blade on hand and use it to continue to cut any laminate floor in the future. You simply will not keep a blade sharp cutting any floor with aluminum oxide in the finish. Get another blade for cutting wood.

 

[Cami]

I'm not terribly brand loyal. For most cutting I believe that as long as the tooth geometry suits your application, the teeth are even, and the corners of the teeth are crisp, one brand is as good as another...if you play it fast and loose with something like a melamine blade then it will show in the cuts.

As for whether to sharpen it or not, it's simply a matter of repair vs replacement costs; even with the cheapest blades. Don't let the idea of having a brand new blade for a few dollars more sway you because, unless you badly burned the blade, there's usually nothing wrong with an old one that sharpening won't fix....and a few dollars is a few dollars.

One thing to think on is tooth replacement. One, or even a few missing teeth, depending on if they're adjacent and on the saw design, don't usually have too much effect on a saw's performance. I find replacing teeth on cheap saws more hassle than it's worth.

My biggest pain with sharpening blades is when the teeth get down to almost nothing: The heat from grinding can melt the solder and the tooth will drop right off...you carefully finish the blade and throw it in the scrap bin the next time it comes into the shop.

@RaT: As for the aluminum oxide flooring finish, I've never worked with it and it sounds like **** on blades....but do remember that carbides aren't created equally and you'll see quite a range of quality on different blades.

 

[Cami]

Oops! I see that the four letter word in my post that referrs to that fiery place reserved for the wicked is censored. I'm sorry for using bad language. Am I going to catch Hel...er.... heck for this?

 

[_RaT_]

On the MOH's scale of hardness, aluminum oxide is 9, tungsten carbide is 8 1/2. A diamond of course is 10. They add aluminum oxide to the finish coating to add durability to the floor. I suppose that women with diamond bottom shoes would be very hard on even laminate floors with aluminum oxide. Oh my you said heII, very bad man, very very bad man, Babu very upset....

I'm not terribly brand loyal. For most cutting I believe that as long as the tooth geometry suits your application, the teeth are even, and the corners of the teeth are crisp, one brand is as good as another...if you play it fast and loose with something like a melamine blade then it will show in the cuts.

As for whether to sharpen it or not, it's simply a matter of repair vs replacement costs; even with the cheapest blades. Don't let the idea of having a brand new blade for a few dollars more sway you because, unless you badly burned the blade, there's usually nothing wrong with an old one that sharpening won't fix....and a few dollars is a few dollars.

One thing to think on is tooth replacement. One, or even a few missing teeth, depending on if they're adjacent and on the saw design, don't usually have too much effect on a saw's performance. I find replacing teeth on cheap saws more hassle than it's worth.

My biggest pain with sharpening blades is when the teeth get down to almost nothing: The heat from grinding can melt the solder and the tooth will drop right off...you carefully finish the blade and throw it in the scrap bin the next time it comes into the shop.

@RaT: As for the aluminum oxide flooring finish, I've never worked with it and it sounds like **** on blades....but do remember that carbides aren't created equally and you'll see quite a range of quality on different blades.