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Saw blade lubricant?

MikeMicalizzi | Posted in Tools for Home Building on December 20, 2008 09:37am

Is there some type of lubricant / soap out there that I can put on my miter saw blade to keep it from smoking? I’m installing 6 inch base, and when I need to make a 45 degree cut, WOW, is there a lot of smoke. I have no choice but to set up my saw outside, otherwise I set off the smoke alarms! WD-40 didn’t work and my 10 inch, 60 tooth blade is not that dull.

Mike

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Replies

  1. User avater
    Huck | Dec 20, 2008 09:44am | #1

    my 10 inch, 60 tooth blade is not that dull

    Something is not right there.  I"ve installed plenty of 6" base, and never had a problem with a smoking blade.   Not that dull?  How dull is that dull?  Get a new blade, and if that don't work, get a new saw!

    Sorry, that's the best I can do fer ya!

    "...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn

    bakersfieldremodel.com

  2. User avater
    artacoma | Dec 20, 2008 10:10am | #2

    Which way do the teeth point?

    hehe
    Rik

  3. User avater
    Sphere | Dec 20, 2008 03:12pm | #3

    Let me guess..it's a Harbor Freight blade on a HF saw?

    No? A Dewalt blade? No? It's backwards.No? Then, Yes it IS THAT dull ( now that you cooked it, it's probably warped too).

    The next thing is that either the stock is warped or binding, or you are in serious need of tightening something so teh saw doesn't try to cut curves, where curves are not desired.

    Get a blade and call in the morning.

    Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks

    Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations

     

    They kill Prophets, for Profits.

     

     

    1. User avater
      MikeMicalizzi | Dec 20, 2008 04:56pm | #5

      I meant a 45 degree bevel cut, with the whole blade tilted. But either way, what you're saying is that, even if the blade will cut nicely "up and down", it's still dull, if it's smoking while trying to make a "tilted" cut? Thanks for the feedback

      1. DanH | Dec 20, 2008 05:20pm | #8

        When the blade is tilted, one corner of the blade tooth contacts the workpiece before the other. If the blade is not perfectly sharp the blade gets pushed sideways, away from the contact point. This tendency is further amplified by the grain of the wood. Between blade flex and any sloppiness in the saw pivots, the blade gets out of line with the direction of the cut and you see burning on the upward-facing cut face.Even a sharp blade will tend to do this a little if forced too rapidly through hard wood, and slowing down the cut will help a little in the case of a dull blade.
        The mark of the immature man is that he wants to die nobly for a cause, while the mark of a mature man is that he wants to live humbly for one. --Wilhelm Stekel

  4. User avater
    BossHog | Dec 20, 2008 04:06pm | #4

    Any chance the saw isn't cutting straight? If the saw is out of wack the side of the blade will be rubbing against the wood. Lots of friction and lots of heat.

    How easily does the blade go through the wood? A power miter saw should sink right through the wood.

    If you have to use a lot of force or if it cuts slowls then your blade is in backward or is awfully dull.

    BTW - What brand of saw, and what kind of saw blade it it?

    As long as there are tests, there will be prayer in public schools.
  5. frenchy | Dec 20, 2008 05:02pm | #6

    It's most likely cheaper to have the blade resharpened.. check the yellow pages and find a good sharpening service.. there is a world of differance between sorta sharp and a great sharpening..

      Next how many teeth do you have and what material are you cutting? 

  6. MisterT | Dec 20, 2008 05:10pm | #7

    If you are talking Hardwood base the YES your blade is that dull

    unless maybe your bearings on your saw are shot.

    a smoking cut will first show up in 45∘ bevel cuts because these cuts push the saw and blade to the limits.

    any slop in the plunge/chop or slide mechanism will cause burning.

    and any forcing of the cut will amplify the slop and cause burning.

    and of course any dullness will burn too.

    what saw you using and what blade??

    .
    .
    "After the laws of Physics, everything else is opinion"

    -Neil deGrasse Tyson
    .
    .
    .
    If Pasta and Antipasta meet is it the end of the Universe???

  7. User avater
    xxPaulCPxx | Dec 20, 2008 08:47pm | #9

    Get yourself a new Forrest blade, with blade stabilizer.

    Tu stultus es
    Rebuilding my home in Cypress, CA
    Also a CRX fanatic!

    Look, just send me to my drawer.  This whole talking-to-you thing is like double punishment.

    1. MisterT | Dec 20, 2008 09:44pm | #11

      generally saw blade stabilizers don't fit on most miter saws..
      .
      "After the laws of Physics, everything else is opinion" -Neil deGrasse Tyson
      .
      .
      .
      If Pasta and Antipasta meet is it the end of the Universe???

      1. wrudiger | Dec 21, 2008 03:30am | #12

        generally saw blade stabilizers don't fit on most miter saws

        ...and generally with the full thickness blades like the Forrest Chopmaster you don't need one anyway (do they even make thin kerf chopsaw blades)?

        1. brokentile | Dec 21, 2008 05:41am | #13

          Take the blade off and clean it.  Just about anything will clean the buildup, then see what you've got.  I use Accu-Lube Stick Lubricant when I've got a really tough cut.  You just rub it on the teeth before you start.  A candle would probably work the same.

          1. FastEddie | Dec 23, 2008 09:12pm | #14

            Easy Off spray oven cleaner does a good job removing built-up residue. "Put your creed in your deed."   Emerson

            "When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it."  T. Roosevelt

  8. User avater
    hammer1 | Dec 20, 2008 09:35pm | #10

    I agree with the others, something isn't right. It sounds like the blade is being pinched during the cut or it's not traveling straight. If you put pressure on the top of the work pieces, so the kerf is pressed tight, the blade will burn. Bowed lumber that doesn't sit flat on the table can also pinch. Any infinitesimal movement of the work will also cause trouble. You need to clamp or hold the piece that the saw tips over towards. You know, the side you can't because your hand or clamp will be in the way!

    You can test to see if pinching is the issue. Just try to make a small cut off the end, a 1/4" or so, at the bevel angle. If you just nibble a bit off the end, like a chamfer, and the blade burns, it's not from pinching. The next thing I would look at is if the head stays in alignment as you slide out.

    There are specialized lubricants for blades and cutters. Generally, they are a dry lubricant, often PTFE, some type of Teflon. You shouldn't need it, you have a different problem. It is good for something like a Forstner bit, multiple bores in hardwood.

    Beat it to fit / Paint it to match

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