5 Advice on Custom Saw Blades from Experienced Engineers

FACTS CHECKED BY  NICOLE PAV 

When it comes to Custom saw blades, the most important thing is that people will encounter many problems when customizing these saws.

And many of those issues can affect blade safety. Blade safety is critical to cutting; if you use an unsafe blade, you risk injury and even death. That said, choosing the right circular saw blade, even a customized one, is crucial.

Table of Contents

Man using custom saw blade

Section 1: Importance of Safety with Custom Saw Blades

Custom saw blades used on a job site

Custom saw blades used on a job site.

There are several things to consider when using circular saw blades, including customized ones. When you are using these blades, safety is one of the top concerns.

An old saying is that an ounce of caution is worth a pound of cure. It is especially true when using powerful cutting tools like a circular saw.

The first thing you must do is follow the instructions and use the saw as the manufacturer intended. If you are doing this, it is going a long way toward ensuring you will be safe when operating the saw.

Using the saw as also intended means securing the item cut. It means clamping it in place and not using your hand to apply pressure, which is a major cause of injuries.

The other thing you must do is select the right blade for the job and inspect the blade repeatedly to be sure that the blade is performing optimally.

If you have a sharp blade with no degree of warp, you have a blade that will serve your saw well. Also, use the recommended blades for your circular saw.

Many circular saws have a certain recommended RPM, so you want to ensure that you use the right blades for the saw. Doing so ensures smooth operation and keeps the blades from breaking and becoming safety hazards.

Section 2: Understanding Environmental Factors Affecting custom Saw Blade Performance

Using custom saw blades to cut wood beam

(Using custom saw blades to cut wood beam

When it comes to performance, many things will affect the performance of your blades. Many of these issues are environmental, so you must make sure that the area you are working in is clean.

The cleaner the area you are working on means extending the circular saw’s life, and the blade will be more efficient when cutting, which reduces the risk of potential injuries.

Dust

One of the first things you should be aware of is the problem associated with dust. Dust is a major issue because it flies everywhere when cutting.

There are a few ways to deal with dust, but first, it is important to know why dust is such a major problem for circular saws. The first reason is that dust is quite small, so that it can get into the circular saw’s motor.

The more sawdust kicked up by a cut, the more you need to have an effective system securing dust from your circular saw.

With certain materials, wet cutting accomplishes this, but you must dry cut with wood. Professional lumber yards have vacuums and other tools to immediately remove the dust.

Still, for someone without those luxuries, the best thing to do is use a brush or other tools to keep dust from accumulating at the engine housing.

Ventilation

There are other ways to keep your work area clean. The first is ensuring your area is thoroughly vacuumed before and after use. The second is making sure you are working in a well-ventilated area.

It allows dust to fly around and not settle on you or the saw. If your saw’s engine has too much dust, this prevents the engine from working correctly and could overheat.

This increase in heat affects the blade, which is spinning faster than it should and could crack. Make sure you have a clean area when using a custom circular saw blade that does not pile onto the saw and the engine.

Section 3: Selecting the Custom Saw Right Blade for a Job

Worker safely using custom saw blade

(Worker safely using a custom saw blade

Cutting type

The key to getting great cuts with custom blades has the right blade for the job. Assess the job first. If the wood is the material cut, see what type of cut is needed.

For rough cuts, blades with larger teeth are ideal, but if you need smoother cuts, it is imperative to have a blade with smaller teeth. Then there is the type of wood to consider as well.

Plywood is easier to cut through because it is thinner and made from less dense material.

However, there are denser types of wood; if a blade is fragile, big rip cuts could create problems for the blade. The best thing to do is to make sure you use the right blade for the right type of wood.

There are many guides for you to see. Often, the manufacturer of your saw will give you the guidance needed to get the correct blade for the job.

Revolutions per minute

The next thing to consider is RPM. Every blade and type of wood has a recommended RPM. Consider a few things here. The first of these considerations is how much RPM can your circular saw handle.

If the blade and the wood require more RPM than your circular saw can provide, this is an inefficient cut, and it will cause your circular saw to work harder and burn out the motor.

The next thing is when you have the right blade and the right RPM. You need to ensure your saw is set to work at that speed.

Check for the sharpness of the blades as well. If a blade is dull, then the RPM and all that caution will not matter, and you’ll be stuck with a circular saw blade that is problematic for your saw’s engine, which can put your safety at risk.

Masonry cuts are also different, as many of these blades feature a continuous rim. These blades essentially grind the stone at a fast rate, thus creating the cut.

Crushed diamonds cover the blade tips, thus ensuring the cutting masonry. The problem here is most cuts with masonry blades should be wet cuts. However, if this option is unavailable, then be sure not to cut for too long.

The reason is the dust from masonry cuts is very fine and accumulates inside the housing of your circular saw’s engine. As with wood, ensure you have the right blade and RPM for cutting different types of stone.

For example, concrete will have many different requirements than granite, marble, or quartz.

Section 4: Caring for Custom Circular Saw Motor

Custom saw blade ready for use

(Custom saw blade ready for use.

The motor of a circular saw is the heart of the power tool. If you don’t care for this motor, you ask for your circular saw to have problems. It includes using custom blades.

The first thing you need to think about with a circular saw motor is how much power it has. It means RPM. RPM is a fancy way of saying rotations per minute – in other words, how many times the saw spins in a minute.

Caring for the motor means doing some basic TLC.

The first thing you should do with your motor makes sure storing in a covered area when not in use. The last thing you want is debris getting into the vents and creating more heat when the circular saw is in use, leading to overheating and other motor problems.

Before you use the circular saw, make sure to inspect it and that there are no obstructions on the vents of the motor.

Section 5: How to Maximize the Lifespan of a Custom Saw Blade

Custom saw blade cutting a plank

(Custom saw blade cutting a plank.

A custom saw blade allows you to have lots of options for cutting, but not all people store the custom saw blades correctly. The most important thing about storage is making sure that one part of the blade does not bear a disproportionate amount of the weight of the blade.

It means you have to make sure that the blade itself is flat. A great tip for storing your circular saw blades is to remove the blade from the saw and then have the blades in their separate area where they are flat.

Don’t pile anything on top of the blade. Otherwise, you will have serious issues that can lead to warping or cracking of the blade.

Make sure you are sharpening the blades as needed. A dull blade causes the circular saw to work harder, and when that’s the case, the motor has increased problems, and you will not be able to use the saw efficiently.

Eventually, the circular saw will give out, which will be an expensive replacement.

Section 6: Storage Tips for When Custom Circular Saw is Not in Use

When a circular saw is not used, try to remove the blade and lay the blade flat, as mentioned above. Also, store it in a cool, dry place so that no moisture affects the power tool’s performance.

Have the saw near the blades, but not in a way where the blades could bear excessive and undue weight and pressure. A great place to store these items is in an upright tool chest.

Section 7: Final Thoughts

Using the right circular saw blade for a job is critical to success. When you care for custom blades and use them correctly, assuring your safety, you will get a very long life out of your circular saw blade.

These custom blades can perform a bunch of different cutting functions. So if you need a custom circular saw, please feel free to contact us.

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