Sometimes being prepared is all you can do – and that is definitely the truth when it comes to saw blade maintenance. The things will break. However, the actions you take and do not take towards preserving them have a major role in when they will break. Today, we’d like to talk about some things you and your employees could be doing to ensure your saw blades have a long and happy life-cycle. Follow these tips and if your saw blades could thank you, they probably would.
The filing has to be done right – every time
Talk to anyone who works with saws for a living, and they’ll tell you that proper filing is the most important activity required for longer saw-blade operation. The technique itself isn’t too difficult to grasp, and the only real obstacle to overcome is consistency and replication. It’s easy for anyone who sets out to sharpen a saw blade to cut corners and neglect proper technique – after-all, saw blades do have to be sharpened very, very often. Both the manager and the employee can benefit by realizing the importance of the precious technique involved here (especially the time it requires to actually use that proper technique). Set aside a little extra time to sharpen your saws – that small investment will pay off in the long-term.
Use lubricant when installing new bits
Not only will doing so make the installation significantly easier, but it’ll also help the new bit glide into the proper place. It’s also important to thoroughly clean the area receiving the new bit, as it’ll reduce the risk of the new bit wearing down quicker than expected.
Do NOT file the back of saw teeth
It isn’t necessary to file the backs of teeth to increase hook strength. In fact, if you do so, the back clearance will suffer and probably result in the saw becoming in-operable.
Only cut materials with a blade that is running at operational speed
If you cut material on a lower speed-setting, you run the risk of the cut deviating from the intended path. Often, a saw will lag when material is forced towards it too rapidly. Recognizing the threshold beyond which saw lag occurs is a practiced skill. It’ll only get better with age.
And finally, complete any maintenance – first chance you get
This is the best piece of advice we can give on this subject. The same is true of any type of maintenance. Learning to recognize potential problems before they become issues is probably the most effective skill to cultivate. Learn from your mistakes, and you’re well on the way to becoming a force to be reckoned with.