when to repalce carbide blades?

Answer 1

Because carbide blades last so much longer... you need to consider doing some 'maintenance' on them, over time.... like cleaning them. If you cut a lot of lumber, you will get a resin build up on the blade, and this will bog the saw down, even if the teeth are sharp. You can get a saw cleaning kit from Rockler, Ill provide the link below.

In addition to keeping the blade clean (both body and teeth), you need to inspect the teeth for damage. Replace the blade if any of the teeth are missing. Just like regular steel blades, you can have carbide blades sharpened too. Some folks prefer to do a little 'touch up' sharpening with a diamond hone, in between sending the blades out for sharpening. To locate a company that services saw blades in your area, try looking it up in a directory. If that fails, find a cabinet maker, and ask them where they send their blades. The company that sharpens blades can tell you when there is too little carbide left on the blade to sharpen it again.

Ive bought a lot of carbide cutters, and blades of all types, including carbide tipped bandsaw blades, over the years... and gotten a lot of use out of them. With a little care, and using the right blade for the task, they can operate very well, for a long long time.

In addition to the blade cleaner and cleaning kit you will find in the link below, also look at the Top-Cote products (TopCote, DriCote, TopSaver). These will help protect and lubricate your saw blades, bits, cutter heads, and tables.

Have Fun!

Answer 2

If the blade is not cutting smoothly change it