Have you ever tried to sharpen your saw blade? Have you ever seen someone doing it? If yes, then you would understand the level of skills that you need to have. While the sharpening process might seem to be simple, it is not simple as it seems. Here in this article, we will provide you with 4 different sharpening methods that could be used to sharpen your saw blade.
Before going into the methods, you need to know that, these sharpening methods would work only if the saw blade is worth sharpening. Today, some saw blades are cheap and cannot be sharpened once they lose sharpness, if you try to sharpen such saw blades, I guarantee it would be a waste of time, money, and energy.
1. Using a tapered file –
One of the most effective methods of sharpening a saw blade is to use a tapered file. In fact, it might be one of the oldest saw blade sharpening methods that still used today. As you know taper files are triangular shaped, this triangular shape makes it best to file saw blade as the user could file two teeth in one go. Yes, while the front of one tooth is filed, the other end of the file is filing the back of other teeth.
Step 1: In a vice, load the saw blade carefully
Step 2: Pick the taper file in your dormant hand.
Step 3: Hold the base of the file with the dormant hand and the tip of the file with the other hand.
Step 4: Place the file in between the teeth and use two-stroke to and fro.
This two-stroke move would file and sharpen the front of one tooth and the back of another tooth in a consistent way. Now, continue the two-stroke on each teeth. Remember, while purchasing a tapered file, you need to consider your saw blade size and consider the angle of each teeth. The taper file should fit properly.
2. Using an automatic sharpener –
Automatic sharpeners are best for sharpening the saw blades of chainsaws. In fact, the biggest advantage of this type of sharpener is that it could be used anywhere without making a mess. While sharpening with a tapered file is time-consuming, using an automatic sharpener is comparatively very fast and easy.
Step 1: Place the automatic sharpener on the floor or a flat surface
Step 2: Open the lid of the sharpener and place the saw blade or chainsaw into it and close the lid.
Step 3: Turn on the automatic sharpener and allow the sharpener to complete some revolutions.
Step 4: If the teeth are not coming in contact with the sharpening block inside the sharpener, you need to push the sharpener tip against the sharpening block to help it come in contact with the saw blade’s teeth.
Hold it for at least 30 seconds and you should relieve the pressure on the sharpening tip every 5-seconds.
3. Using crank sharpener
Crank sharpeners are designed only for sharpening chainsaw blades. Unlike an automatic sharpener, the user will have to crank a handle for the sharpening process to happen. Compared to automatic sharpeners, the crank sharpener is lightweight and cheap.
Step 1: Place/insert the crank sharpener on the saw blade carefully.
Step 2: Check if the crank sharpener is sitting properly on the saw
Step 3: Start cranking the handle slowly, once a section is sharpened, move the crank sharpener to the next section carefully.
4. Using diamond wheel sharpener
Diamond wheel sharpeners are comparatively efficient, but, they are expensive. Diamond wheel sharpeners come with wheels coated with 400 diamond grit and these type of sharpeners are mandatory for sharpening carbide tipped saw blades.
Step 1: Place the diamond wheel sharpener on a flat surface
Step 2: Turn on the sharpener
Step 3: Pick your saw blade
Step 4: Move the saw blade closer to the wheel, the surface of the saw blade should touch the diamond wheel
Step 5: Do not press the saw blade too much
Step 6: The saw blade should be help at the angle as same as that of the teeth, do not hold them carelessly, too much pressure and improper angle could destroy your saw blade.