This is The Crosscut. Crosscuts with a dull blade are the worst. You push the saw down and you’re tearing out raggedy little bit.
Now you have a piece that’s not realy clean, you need to spend twenty minutes sanding. It seems like the saw are fighting you, but more often then not the issue isn’t the saw, it’s the teeth. A Chicago Electric miter saw is a workhorse found in the basements of many hardware store.
When it have a sharp edge, it perform well. Swapping blades feel daunting. There are spinning bits, screws, nuts and bolt.
They look like they go on so quicky. Respect that machine and it’s simple. It take under 5 minutes.
You only need a few simple wrench. What do you get? Your motor will run cooler, your cuts cleaner and best of all, no more worry about kickback.
The reward is instant.
Simple Steps To Change Miter Saw Blade
Why Change the Blade
First and foremost, this job are about safety. No matter how many bolt there are to remove, no tools come out until the power is removed.
Safety First: Disconnect Power
Turn off the circuit breaker in the panel or unplug the saw. Never trust the trigger lock. The safety feature are backups.
Until you know for sure it’s dead, treat the saw like it’s alive. This isn’t rocket science. If you keep your finger you’ll be back here in a few week.
And that will save you from a big mistake.
Removing the Old Blade
Then take off the blade guard On most Chicago Electric models, the blade guard just hinges open by pushing a button on it. On some of the older ones, you have to unscrew a little plate to get it out of way.
If you’re not sure, look at your owner’s manual. Either way, the goal is clearing the obstruction to get access to the arbor and the blade. That can sometimes be the hardest thing for new user to do.
Sometimes the mechanism are sticky or even stiff. If it’s stuck, a bit of lubricant will help. But don’t force it.
You want to see what you’re doing so you can do it safe. And now you have the arbor nut and spindle lock. Find the button or lever for the spindle lock which keep the blade from turning.
It is typically located at the rear of the motor housing. Push and hold down on it with firm pressure. Then you can loosen the center nut.
Use a wrench that fits the size of your nut. Common sizes are either three-quarter or five-eighths inch. Turn the nut counter-clockwise to loosen it.
Depending upon how tight they are sometimes you’ll need steady pressure on the nut. If it doesn’t want to budge, double check that you’re actualy holding the blade in place correctly. A loose lock ruin the purpose of using the wrench.
Once the nut come off, pull the blade straight out. Look at the bottom side, the flange around the arbor. Wipe away any debris, like sawdust, with a clean rag or brush.
Cleaning the Arbor Area
Grit can accumulate down there and throw off how your new blade sits on machine. And if the blade isn’t sitting evenly, it’s not going to be true anymore. That means it’ll wobble.
It strain your motor and mucks up your cut. People skip cleaning this little spot all too often but it makes a big difference in performance. Go ahead take those few extra second.
You’ll thank yourself for it when making future cuts.
Installing the New Blade
Be careful when putting the new blade on. Note where the arrow on the blade point.
In this case, that’s how they has to go on, which is usually counter-clockwise on these Chicago Electric saws. Otherwise, the saw vibrate like mad. It also kicks back.
Tightening and Final Testing
Again. The arbor nut threads to the right. Lock the spindle again and tighten the nut.
You should of don’t crank it down with an impact driver; hand tight then give it another quarter turn with a wrench is good enough. Too much torque can strip thread and warp the flange. Plug the saw back in and reassemble its guard.
Test cut on a scrap piece of lumber. Listen for any odd vibration. Examine the cut quality.
Good to go if it run smoothly. If it’s buzzing try adjusting blade direction/tightness once more. Blade changing is one of those maintenance task that puts the tooth back into a tool.
It turn a struggling saw back into a precise instrument. Remember, next time you pick up that wrench, a sharp blade is the easiest upgrade you can make.