If you’re crazy about using your miter saw, a blunt blade is something you are bound to face sooner or later. What do you do when the blade gets dull? Do you sharpen it or replace it with a new one? Is it worth it to sharpen miter saw blade?
Whether or not you should sharpen your blade depends on how much you’ve spent on the blade. If it’s an affordable blade that you can replace easily, you shouldn’t waste your time sharpening the cheap blade. On the contrary, if the blade is expensive, you can sharpen it a few times to get the best value from the blade.
I’ve included everything you need to know about sharpening your miter saw blade in this article. So, make sure to read the entire article.
Is It Worth It To Sharpen Miter Saw Blade?
There is a wide variety of blades available in the market. Depending on the size, teeth count, material, and brand, the price of a miter saw blade vastly varies. For most DIY home projects, you can get very reasonable prices for the blades you buy.
For these blades, it’s not worth sharpening them. There are two reasons why. First of all, if you are sharpening the blade by yourself, you invest a certain amount of time sharpening all those teeth.
Even if you are taking the blade to a garage to be sharpened by someone else, investing in a new blade will make more sense than spending money on sharpening it. So, the answer comes down to how much your blade was worth in the first place.
How To Tell If Miter Saw Blade Is Blunt?
Before sharpening your blade, it’s essential that you make sure that the blade needs sharpening. Because the process is time-consuming, you have to know for sure that the problems you are facing are caused by a blunt blade. So, let’s take a look at some symptoms that can mean that your blade has gone blunt.
Chipping
If your miter saw is suddenly chipping wood, it can be caused by a blunt blade. There can be several reasons behind chipping, one of which is a blunt blade. You can check my article on why is my miter saw chipping the wood if you want to know the other reasons.
Burn Marks
One of the significant symptoms of a dull blade is burn marks on the wood pieces that you cut. Burn marks can also occur when you are using the wrong blade to cut a specific material. However, if your blade was doing fine and you suddenly noticed burn marks on the material, it can be an indication that your miter saw blade needs sharpening.
Sticking
One of the common problems miter saw users often stumble into is when the blade sticks inside the material. If you can’t find the reason why this is happening, your first guess should be a dull blade. When the blade loses its sharpness, it can’t cut all the way through the material and often gets stuck midway.
Chipped Teeth
The sharpness of your miter saw blade allows it to go through thematerial smoothly. When the blade becomes dull, it can’t go through the material as smoothly as it’s supposed to. As a result, the teeth might get chipped. So, if you notice chipped teeth on the blade, it can be an indication of a dull blade.
Note that if your blade has chipped teeth, you may not want to sharpen it. The missing teeth will affect smooth cuts, even if you sharpen the remaining teeth. The better option is to replace the blade with a new one.
Noise
With a dull blade mounted on the miter saw, it will make more noise than it used to. So, if your miter saw has gone louder, you may want to take a look at the blade and its cuts.
Resistance
As I’ve already mentioned, a sharp blade will go smoothly through the wood you are cutting. However, you will notice resistance when the blade becomes dull. As a result, you will have to put more force on the head when cutting any material.
Unclean Cuts
A blunt blade will also be responsible for unclean cuts. The blade may wobble and not cut straightly. So, if you’re experiencing these issues, it’s time to check your blade’s sharpness.
How To Sharpen Miter Saw Blade?
You can either sharpen your miter saw blade manually by yourself or take the blade somewhere to get it sharpened. If you are sharpening the blade by yourself, you willbe needing a bench with mounting clamps to hold the blade, a diamond file for sharpening the teeth, and a crayon for marking the teeth. Let’s take a look at the step-by-step procedure.
Step 1: Remove The Miter Saw Blade
Make sure that your miter saw is disconnected from the power source, and then remove the blade. How you can replace the miter saw blade will vary depending on the model you own. The best thing is to stick to the user manual of your miter saw. Nonetheless, if you want a visual demonstration of the procedure, check out this video by Scott Saws on Skates.
Once you’ve separated the blade from the miter saw, clamp it on your workbench so that the blade stays in an upright position. This will help you sharpen the blade conveniently.
Step 2: Mark The Teeth
Now, take the crayon and mark all the teeth of the blade. You must be wondering why that’s an important step. Well, this step will certainly make the procedure more efficient and less time-consuming.
Because there are so many teeth in the blade, it’s super easy to miss a tooth and sharpen another one twice. While sharpening the same teeth twice isn’t harmful, it consumes more time and allows mistakes where you leave some teeth unsharpened.
So, make sure to mark the teeth so that you know which teeth have already been sharpened and which ones haven’t.
Step 3: File One Tooth
Now, take the diamond file and insert it in one of the gaps between two teeth. Hold the file up against the first tooth and file it by moving the tool forward while keeping it pressed upwards. Three to five strokes will do the trick.
Step 4: Repeat Step 3 With All Teeth
Once you’ve sharpened one tooth, repeat the same process with all other teeth. Unmount the blade after you’ve sharpened the teeth and attach it to the miter saw.
Some Tips To Remember
- If your blade has residue buildup, make sure to thoroughly clean it before sharpening it.
- Make sure that your fingers don’t go too close to the teeth to avoid injury.
- In case your blade is made of carbide material, you shouldn’t sharpen it by yourself. Instead, consider taking it to a professional.
- Do not sharpen the blade while it’s still mounted on the miter saw.
- Replace the blade if it’s too damaged to be sharpened. For instance, if the blade is missing teeth, it won’t perform as it used to, even when you sharpen it.
- Only use the tool that came with the miter saw to remove and reattach the blade. If you don’t have the original tool, use one that’s compatible with the bolt to make sure that you don’t damage it.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to sharpen a miter saw blade?
The cost of sharpening a miter saw blade entirely depends on where you’re sharpening it and how many teeth the blade has. The cost of the sharpening procedure is usually calculated per tooth. So, the more teeth a blade has, the higher the cost will be.
Moreover, the price can also vary depending on the service provider. Not everyone sets their price the same way. You can expect to pay somewhere between $9 and $30 for a blade.
How many times can I sharpen a miter saw blade?
Again, it entirely depends on the blade you have. However, even with a high-quality blade, you may have to replace it after sharpening it three to four times. Once the blade wears out as a whole unit, sharpening the teeth won’t bring better results.
So, when you notice that the blade isn’t performing better even after sharpening, it’s time to replace the blade with a new one.
Summary
The answer to ‘is it worth it to sharpen miter saw blade,’ depends on the blade itself. Miter saw blades can be sharpened to improve their quality. But whether you should invest the time to do it or not depends on how much money youspent on the blade in the first place.
There are many cheap miter saw blades that will do the job efficiently. However, they may not last long. If you intend to invest in an expensive miter saw blade, make sure to use it long enough to make your money worth it, even if you have to sharpen the blade several times.
