If you are buying a sliding compound mitre saw for the first time, you might like to read these useful tips about saw blades. They will make your life easier and keep you safe.

Saw Blade 10

To start off, most DIY enthusiasts use the all-purpose blade that comes with the saw. If it's a reputable make, you will be able to carry out a wide variety of jobs around the home with this blade, and for many people, the original blade is the only one they will ever need.

Saw Blade 10

However, if you decide later on that you want to do more specialised work, such as precision cabinet making, it will pay you to go for more specialist blade to match the task, and incidentally, this applies to all prices of sliding mitre saw and to any make, from Makita to Bosch, from Dewalt to Hitachi. It really does pay to have the correct blade for the job, especially for finer work where you will be bringing together several wooden components.

If sliding compound mitre saws are new to you, you need to know that their blades have a less "aggressive" cut than other power saws, which means that the teeth of the blade need to be less "hooked". The "hook" angle is the thing to look out for. You need between zero and minus five degrees for a sliding compound mitre saw, otherwise the wood will be chewed up and things could get dangerous.

Whether you stick to the original blade that came with the saw, or build up a little collection of blades, here are some great tips (no pun intended) to keep them in top condition:

* Clean your blades so that resin from the wood does not build up as this will impede the movement of the blade through your work. Good cleaners are available from hardware shops specifically for this purpose. Be aware that you should not use caustic cleaners like oven cleaner, as this can loosen the carbide tips of the teeth. For a more natural cleaner, there's a product called "Simple Green", or you can even use baking soda and water.
* If it's getting hard to feed wood through your sliding mitre saw, the saw's blade may be in need of sharpening (assuming that everything else is adjusted correctly). Don't delay the sharpening and go to a professional.
* Keep your blades in a dry place and use a water repelling oil like WD-40 to keep rust at bay. It's a good idea to cut some scrap wood to start with if you have previously coated the blade for storage - you don't want to oil up a nice expensive piece of hardwood!
* Store blades flat, with card or something similar in between if you are stacking them, or you could chip the hard but brittle carbide tips.

Please follow these tips and you will get the best, and the safest, performance from your sliding compound mitre saw.

Sliding Compound Mitre Saw Blade Tips

Saw Blade 10