Have you faced any tough challenges while using a circular saw? A Circular saw blade is a professional machine to cut versatile objects. You need to be an expert to use it.
Using it without proper knowledge can lead to significant accidents. Many fresher face installation problems when they use a circular saw blade. The most common problem is with the circular saw blade direction. Improper installation can lead to major accidents.
This article will discuss some of these problems and solutions, such as circular saw blade installation, blade spinning, etc. Read the full article to find more details about the saw blade, including rotation, exception, and reversion.
What Is Circular Saw?
For those who don’t know about the circular saw, this part is for them. There are various electric machines available for chopping wood. Among them, a circular saw is a heavy-duty machine that is strong enough to cut lumber.
It is an expensive machine that cuts big wood. Surely, nobody will recommend it for a tiny task. This machine consists of some strong teeth. Its teeth spin at blazing speeds and cut large pieces of wood or trees.
It is also called “skill saw.” This machine is highly recommended for those who are looking for a power tool for woodworking. We know this is a tough tool for newcomers but should be handled with proper practice and respect.
Mishandling saw blade can occur professional hazard. You should acquire proper knowledge about the rotation of the round blade. If the edge keeps rotating in the wrong direction, the machine can cause major accidents.
Difference Between Table Saw and Circular Saw
Both the table saw and circular saw are used for cutting wood. You can differentiate them in many ways. The primary difference is in their portability. You will not find major differences in other aspects without portability. Let’s know the differences one by one.
Portability
Circular saws are small machines, but it doesn’t mean you can carry them in your pocket. It is smaller in size than table saws. Circular saws are easy to carry anywhere because of portability. Table saws need a lot of space because they are not portable as circular saws.
Purpose Of Using
Both table saws and circular saws are used for cutting large pieces of wood. A circular saw provides a cut with more details. It is an advantage with better portability.
Safety
If you are looking for safety in both models, the table saw will provide more security. The table saw has a guard surrounding the blade, which protects you from injury. It does not allow wood dust to scatter.
A circular saw will be slightly behind in this aspect. You will miss the dust collection unit that is already in the table saw.
Ideal Face of Circular Saw Teeth
The teeth of a spherical blade ought to face so that the guidelines of the blades poke into the wood.
This means That is, the teeth will point up, and it cuts forward. This definition applies to wood blades as a result of they are characteristic of outstanding teeth.
This characteristic ensures safe and accurate cutting during heavy and medium tasks. The rotating direction of the circular saw blade is marked on edge by an arrow. The marked line is easily understandable by any person.
Blades hit the teeth material and rip from top to bottom. That rotating aspect pulls the saw and chips into the guard wherever they get out with a dusting.
It will be facing the opposite direction or downward of a table saw, and the blade will rotate clockwise, left to right.
If you have recently purchased a new one, you do not have to worry about the direction of the blade.
This is because the tip of the blade of the newly purchased machine is set by default. That means the blade will rotate anti-clockwise, and the user doesn’t need to make any change.
Then why is it important to know the ideal direction of the circular saw blade? Some saw provides different configurations with the edge.
The blades through which the iron is cut have no teeth. In that case, you don’t need to fix the direction of the blade.
The wood of the forward stroke has rip-cut blades with a few large teeth designed to give a ‘groove.’ There are also some combination blades and cross-cut saw blades. Some of them face backward.
There is also a crucial reason to discuss teeth points. A lot of times, we let it get repaired because of some mechanical problems. So, when a mechanic repairs, he must remove the blade and reset it after completing the repair.
If you are experienced in this subject, you may have done this work yourself. It is normal to confuse the accurate face of the teeth. In that case, it may be uncertain whether the rotation of the blade is correct after repair.
Some circular saw blade teeth are facing forward, and some are facing backward. Backward facing saw blade is not common. The installation guide or the manual may help you to understand the ideal point of your one.
What Is The Ideal Circular Saw Blade Direction?
Determining the exact direction of the blade of a circular saw is not a simple task. In most cases, it is easy, but in some cases, it is tricky. The direction of the spinning of the blade is closely related to the direction of teeth. You have to remember that the blade strokes upward. It is confusing for many. So, the manufacturer has created a simple method for us.
You will see an arrow on the saw’s blade, which will tell you which way the motor will turn. Another such indicator is marked on edge, which will further direct you in the direction. When installing a blade, you need to ensure that the two arrows are matched together.
You can check the arrow to get an accurate installation guide. Those who are experienced do not have to do so many calculations. They follow an easy rule. The tip keeps the saw’s blade teeth pointing upward. This tip is a good practice for fresher. If you repair the saw, you should check the blade of the circular saw.
Before cutting wood or using the machine in a project, turn it on and let the blade roll to check if the blade is spinning in the right direction or not. The blade should roll anti-clockwise.
Some blades rotate clockwise. You must know the rotation direction of your used machine. You can look at the instruction book to be sure. If the blade turns in the opposite direction, any major accident can happen. So, always use it very carefully.
The blade direction is not a concern for a newly purchased circular saw. Because the blade of a new saw is installed in the default direction, and if not, read the section below to know how to install the circular saw blade.
Installing Circular Saw Blade
Installing a circular saw blade is quite an important job. It is not risky and tough, but the wrong installation is hazardous. You must know the safe way to install a saw blade.
There are some reasons behind changing the circular saw blade. The problems are given below –
- The blade becomes edgeless.
- The blade is already damaged.
- The blade faints.
- It needs much pressure to cut any solid material.
If you have faced the above problems in your machine, you may think to replace your circular saw’s blade. The below few steps show you the step-by-step method about how to change the circular saw blade.
Step-1: Unplug The Machine
At first, unplug the device from the electric outlet. If your saw is cordless, then remove the battery. This will disconnect the machine and prevent electric shocks and accidental injuries.
Step-2: Press The Arbor-lock
Disclose the blade after ensuring all safety. You will find a safety lock in it. Press the lock button and engage the blade.
The blade should rotate as soon as the lock button is pressed. It will unlock the locking mechanism.
Step-3: Loosen The Arbor-nut
Take the wrench and unscrew the arbor nut. Twist the wrench in the same direction in which the blade cuts. When opening the nut, you should hold the blade in a particular place.
Step-4: Remove The Old Blade
After losing the arbor nut, you have to remove it. Then, drag the blade guard carefully. Now you can easily remove the old blade.
Step-5: Replace The New Blade
Place the new blade into the circular saw’s arm. The blade teeth should face perfect direction. If you are unsure, take the help of the arrow marked on the blade guard.
Step-6: Screw The New Blade
After positioning the new blade correctly, tighten its nuts with a wrench. Don’t over-tighten the nut. Excessive tightening will make it harder to replace the blade later.
Step-7: Check The New Circular Saw Blade
Connect the machine to the outlet and set the battery if it is cordless. Then, switch on the machine and run it.
If you feel the machine is correct and safe, then you are ready for cutting.
Why Circular Saw Blade Spin Wrong Direction?
The circular saw blade should spin inaccurate direction. When it spins wrong direction or backward, it can create a big mess. If your one spins backward, then you are in danger.
You have to solve this mess very fast. Cutting wood is a far cry, but turning on the machine can be more dangerous for you. Without solving it, you cannot proceed.
An electrical fault is a common reason behind the blade’s wrong rotation. Following some simple steps may solve this issue.
- Disconnect it from the power supplier and examine the blade direction. The correct direction of the saw blade has been discussed above.
- Restart the machine.
Sometimes, this problem is fixed automatically after restarting the machine for 4-5 minutes. So, you can wait for a while before reconnecting the power source to the machine.
If the same problem is seen again even after waiting, a new method has to be applied.
Now, we will examine the electric outlet. To check the electric outlet, you will need a table fan. How a table fan is connected with a circular saw, right?
The instinct of the table fan is that its fan will rotate clockwise. If the wings rotate in the opposite direction, it must be understood that there is a fault inside the electric circuit.
Since your saw’s blade is spinning in reverse, you can apply this formula and check the electric socket outlet.
- Connect the table fan to different sockets in your room to see if the fan turns in the opposite direction.
- Call an electrician if the problem is identified.
- And if the electrical lines and socket outlets in the house are OK, then the problem is internal to your machine.
This time, you must contact a professional who is an expert to examine circular saw issues.
Why does The Circular Saw Blade Sharpness Reduce?
We all know that everything loses its effectiveness with repeated use. It depends on your usage. This is true for any sharp object.
It is also a sharp tool that is used to cut wood. Repeated use can reduce the effectiveness of its blades. However, it is difficult to say for sure how long it will take to reduce its sharpness after continuous use.
Decreasing the sharpness of the blade is normal, and replacing the blade can solve it. The methods of replacing new blades in machines are discussed here.
Now we will know which factors are mainly responsible for reducing the sharpness of a circular saw’s blade. Let’s proceed.
Frequency
The more you use a circular saw blade, the faster it will become dull. It can take several months or years for a circular saw blade to become dull. Those who cut wood with blades for hours on end every day quickly face the lack of sharpness.
Material
A circular saw blade can cut light woods as well as heavy woods. Suppose a man cut heavy woods using a circular saw blade regularly.
The blade of the heavy user will quickly become blunt from the one who cuts the thin wood every day.
It completely depends on the material’s thickness.
Blade Quality
Blades’ sharpness depends on the quality. Good quality blades are durable, whether low-quality blades are not durable enough. Just think practically, and you will find the answer.
Strong blades can load more and can do non-stop hard work. By the way, all Circular saw come with good quality blades. So, it is not an issue.
The problem occurs when you change the saw blade. So, when you let the blade be repaired, tell the mechanic to put in a good quality blade.
And if you allow the internal problem to be fixed, make sure that the blade of your machine has not been changed.
If you are not careful, the mechanic can cheat and replace the good blade with a dull blade.
How to Determine if your Blade Needs to be Turned around for Optimal Performance?
Your blade will cut better and have a higher quality of finish if it is installed so that the teeth point toward your body when you stand in front of the machine.
If your blade is cutting poorly, you should swap out the blade with another, but this time change its position so that the teeth are pointing towards you. This step may require some trial and error to determine which way the blade cuts best.
If your saw was purchased from a big box store, chances are it has a non-directional blade already installed, whereas if you acquired your saw second-hand through an online ad or garage sale, there’s no knowing what direction the blade is facing (unless mentioned by the seller).
The only way to find out which way works best for your saw is to check your owner’s manual or take a look at the underside of your blade for a stamp indicating the orientation.
If you’re unsure which way it needs to be facing, install it so that the teeth point away from you and try cutting your project piece. If everything goes well, then no changes are required.
However, if there was excessive vibration or noise while cutting or if your cut quality appeared rough, this tells you that the teeth need to be pointing towards you instead. In this case, simply turn around the blade and give it another go-around.
If you’re Cutting against any Knots or Grainy areas, use an Alternate Direction for those Particular Boards.
When you’re working with lumber, it’s always best to cut with the direction of the grain. This will yield the strongest cuts and avoid any splitting or cracking of boards. Here are some tips on how to approach cutting wood:
If you’re just using a circular saw for your DIY projects, you might want to know which is better: cutting clockwise or counter-clockwise?
Cutting Against The Grain of Your Lumber
You should never cut against the grain of your lumber. If you do so, this would be considered as ‘plying’ and will result in weaker cuts.
Plied cuts will also split easily if not handled properly. Cuts made against the grain may cause your board to break apart when nailed or glued together.
Breaking Apart Your Plywood
Plywood is made up of thin sheets of wood called plies, which are compacted and glued together with the grains at 90-degree angles to each other for strength.
This plywood process is what makes plywood stronger than solid wood pieces of the same thickness. Cutting against the grain will weaken these plies and cause your cut piece to break apart along the line you just cut into it.
Any good DIYer should know that plywood is a great alternative to solid boards since it’s strong but cheaper in price.
Various Saw Blade Directions For Different Lumber Conditions
You’ll need to use specific saw blade directions depending on the condition of the lumber you’re cutting: Boards With Knots: If you’re cutting a board with a knot on it, use an alternate direction.
The end of the cut made toward knots is going to split off at that knot and cause your board to break apart. Boards With Grain Direction Changes:
This happens if you have boards with ends that aren’t straight or grain patterns that change directions within the lumber.
In such instances, you’ll need to keep all those particular boards together as one unit so the cuts can be made at those areas by changing saw blade direction for those boards.
Cuts Against And With Knots
For good measure and added safety, always cut with or against knots whenever using plywood or lumber that may contain them.
Plywood will most likely not be affected by small knots; it’s actually the opposite. Plywood will do better and be more stable if you cut with knots, but solid wood boards may split apart because of the added stress caused by cutting against them.
If your board ends have a lot of prominent knots, try to use those as well as any grain changes as a measure for which direction you should make your cuts.
This technique works especially well for longer boards that need to be cut in half or into smaller pieces before being used for your projects.
You just have to determine whether these important areas are going to affect the overall strength of your boards after being glued together and will cause any splitting or cracking.
At The End Of Your Most Recent Sawing Session
When you’re done cutting a particular board, and the direction of your cut is towards the end of the board, make an alternate cut in the opposite direction for added safety.
If you’ve decided to use a different saw blade direction for certain boards like high-knot or grain changes areas, make sure that these conditions won’t affect all other boards after they’ve been nailed or glued together.
Since plywood will still be stronger than solid wood pieces even when cuts are made with knots and against grain directions, this makes it a great option to use whenever you’re unsure about which saw blade direction to choose.
Just remember that if your DIY project requires different parts and pieces and you’ll need several longboards, try using plywood instead to save time from having too many cuts throughout your project.
Cuts In Cross-Section
In cutting a board in half, if your saw blade direction is from the top part of the board towards the bottom, this will create a cross-cut that splits along each end of your board.
You can also use a different cut for this area by changing it to alternate cuts, which will split almost exactly through the center of both ends of your boards.
These kinds of cuts are versatile, and you’re going to have less sanding problems as well as less chipping near edges because plywood doesn’t chip or break apart easily when sanded with any coarser grits.
To avoid splitting issues at either end, try making miter cuts instead whenever possible since they won’t require sanding after being nailed or glued together.
How To Change A Circular Saw Blade
If the blade on your circular saw is not cutting correctly, it is probably due to one of three things:
- The edge is not sharp enough.
- The blade alignment is incorrect.
- The saw has been misaligned in some other way.
To sharpen a circular saw blade:
- Use a medium-grit stone and a standard hand-held file.
- Hold the file at a 45-degree angle to the rock and move it back and forth along the blade until you’ve reached your desired sharpness.
- Hold your hand steady while doing this so that you don’t cause damage to your saw.
What Size Circular Saw Blade Do I Need?
There’s no one-size-fits-all answer to this question, as the size of your circular saw blade will depend on the type of material you’re cutting and the amount of force you’re using.
They are generally speaking. However, a circular saw blade is designed to be wider at the base than at the tip. This is because more wood can be cut in a single pass when it’s wider at the bottom. And, since circular saws start moving faster as they approach the blade tips. It’s essential to use a wide enough blade to prevent damage.
You’ll generally want to use a circular saw blade about two inches wide for standard cuts and three inches wide for tougher cuts. And, if you’re planning on using your circular saw for something other than regular woodworking tasks (like cutting metal), then you’ll need to look for a more robust blade that can handle those types of injuries.
Blade Diameter
When it comes to circular saw blades, the more significant the diameter, the more cuts you’ll be able to make before needing to refill the edge. This is because a larger blade will move faster and generate more force, making cutting through more challenging materials easier.
There are a few factors to consider when choosing a circular saw blade:
- The type of wood you’re cutting (medium or complex).
- The thickness of your material.
- The size of your project.
The best way to figure out which blade size is right for you is by measuring the width and length of your material and selecting a blade that’s twice as wide as your material’s length.
Conclusion
A circular saw is a handy and regular tool for a woodcutter. It helps to give a good shape to a block of wood. But don’t try to cut the tree using this heavy machine.
The blade is one of the most important parts of a circular saw blade. It spins and cuts the wood. Since the blade is attached to the motor, its direction should be towards the direction of the motor.
If there is a change in the circular saw blade direction, it can be difficult and risky for the user. If the blade rotates in the opposite direction, you must fix the blade direction soon.
Frequently Asked Questions
1.How Often Do You Need To Replace The Circular Saw Blade?
Ans. There is no time rule to replace the circular saw blade. It entirely depends on your use. We suggest checking the edge before every use.
But after one and a half to two years of purchasing a new one, you will be able to use it better without replacing the blade. Changing blade depends on many things like frequency, blade quality, type of material, etc.
2.Do All Circular Blades Rotate In The Same Direction?
Ans. Almost every Circular saw blade rotates in the upward direction. The blade spins upward direction, and the teeth of the blade are pointing towards the base.
Some saw’s blade spins backward, but they are exceptional.
3.Can I Put A Circular Saw Blade Facing Backward?
Ans. The forward direction is the default direction of the blade. It does not mean that you can’t keep the blade facing backward. You can do it but in some tested moments.
If you cut vinyl, then you need to put the blade in the backward direction. Otherwise, you should be happy with facing forward.
4.How Much Will It Cost To Change The Circular Saw Blade?
Ans. It needs 15 to 18 dollars to change a circular saw blade. Moreover, the blade has different sizes, and the quality is also different. So, the price will vary in different situations.
Adding tax to some blades may increase the price.