How to easily sharpen reciprocating saw blades

Probably my best money saver ever.
Camera: Nikon L820

[@vllrrql]

Checked out blades and they have gone up on price. You gave me a great idea, didn’t know you could recycle these. Snd guess what? I did the hand file version using a 6 inch slim hand file. Sharpened both alternating front and back of each tooth, on a 6” rip saw blade, and it works like new again. Took me 5 minutes and saved me $6.00 to $9.00. Thank you so much. Great video !!!!

[@Xynudu]

Hi Anthony, More than one way to do this, and save money. Much like sharpening a chain saw. New blades are damn expensive for what they are. Glad you found it useful. Recycling rules :) Cheers Rob

[@mattwaters6987]

Nicely done. Thanks for sharing! 😊

[@markfryer9880]

Hi Rob, you can also use a similar technique to resharpen the teeth of hole saw blades, the decent ones not those crappy clip on the ring ones. I have found that the best place to start the resharpen is at the welded joint as it makes it easier to know when you have completed a full circuit. Its not the best of resharpens, but it was good enough for the large hole saw the electricians were using to cut out holes in timber, or lathe and plaster ceilings, so I had to do numerous resharpens.

[@Xynudu]

Hi Mark, Good idea. I've only got those crappy clip in ones, but even they could be sharpened with a die grinder. It's interesting that if you look at an arborist's sabre blade (as I show quickly in the video), the teeth don't have a top relief, only back relief, so I recon you could probably grind any blade flat on the edge and then cut new teeth into that, to make one. I will give it a go when I get a suitable candidate. Cheers Rob

[@ernestwalden3894]

Now I have a use for my new rotary tool. I have 20 blades that I was getting ready to put in trash. Thanks for the tip.

[@Xynudu]

Glad to help

[@josephsemper4356]

Great video.

[@ando_1250]

Awesome, man. Thanks.

[@somaaelsapak6361]

Very nice work

[@Rayosun4]

Fantastic! Thank you.

[@brasil33]

Excellent! Many thanks! 👍🏼💪🏼

[@Xynudu]

Glad it helped!

[@ChrisB257]

Great idea - suits my ideas for economy!! :)

[@Xynudu]

And it only took a few minutes. If I can get just one more use out of it I will be happy. Why waste money when it's this easy? Cheers Rob

[@caskwith]

Since I bought a whole load of blades at a car boot for just pennies each, I don't bother sharpening them, but some of the larger specialist blades are expensive and worth touching up as you show. Something to note though is that most are induction hardened teeth so you will usually only get one sharpen out of a blade before you are down to soft metal and it's useless. I am glad they make them this way though, if you hit something they bend because they are soft at the back rather than snap, easy to straighten out and carry on.

[@caskwith]

Oh and I also find with things like blades (recip, hole, hacksaw etc) it's easier for me to mount the grinder in the vice and hold the blade up to it.

[@Xynudu]

I just ordered a couple of carbide grit blades off Ebay, for ceramic, brick and I suppose cement board use. The poor old (used) demolition blades got a hard time cutting cement board, but did it. The teeth were pretty badly worn afterwards, but that was all I had for an urgent job. I've not had this saw long, but it sure is impressive. Cheers Rob

[@whidbeyman]

Douglas fir is called Oregon pine down under.

[@Pro1er]

Thanks for that, I was wondering why he called that 4x4 an Oregon. Now I know. ;-p

[@robmckennie4203]

Matthias Wandel has quite a neat jig for sharpening his table saw blades, it has a pivot about which the blade can rotate, a notch that indexes the teeth, and that whole setup runs back and forth on a linear bearing. One could possibly build something similar that would move the blade axially instead of radially, and that would give you a really precise and consistent edge to all the teeth on these reciprocating saw blades.

[@Xynudu]

Hi Rob, You could, but the blade is not worn consistently, ie not flat, so a jig will be a bit limited with a badly worn section. I did this job fairly quickly, and with more care could have done it neater, but it certainly works well. You should get at least twice the life out of them. The really fine hacksaw edge blades are not viable, but for demolition and arbourist blades it's great. Cheers Rob

[@robmckennie4203]

xynudu That's a good point, it wouldn't work for a badly worn blade, and I don't know anything about how well blade works when it's only a bit blunt

[@keldsor]

Hi Rob ! Just my way of thinking ... thx fore sharing ! I wonder if I can use it for my cirkular saw for metal too - it's one of these slow running 330mm Ø blades and it cost a ton of money to get the blade sharpened - I'll give it a try anyway - slow running no danger for UN-balancing the blade ;-)) thx for sharing !

[@Xynudu]

Hi Keld, It should work. Be better and fairly easy to do a round blade on the machine, with a simple jig I think. This would get the teeth uniform. Rob McKennie mentioned a jig made by Matthias Wandel. Might be worth a look. Cheers Rob

[@jeep2003]

Wow thats strange you posted this I did the same thing today and the exact same method. and i hadnt sharpened those blades in years

[@MOOTech]

Do you think you could do this with smaller blades like say jigsaw blades?

[@Xynudu]

Maybe with a Dremel sized disc, but it would be fiddly/difficult. Also Dremel discs aren't reinforced, so they could shatter with side thrust on them. Not something I would do. Cheers Rob

[@AmateurRedneckWorkshop]

G'day mate. I have watched your channel long enough to know from the start that you would make it work. I was interested to hear that you were cutting a 100x100 Oregon. At least that is what my tired old ears said. I wonder where the name came from? From the look of the wood that is what we would possibly call western red cedar. Keep on keeping on.

[@Xynudu]

Hi Harold, We call that softwood I cut "Oregon" over here. It's a pale/white coloured wood that's easy to work and gives a nice finish. That piece was from a pergola I repaired. They used it a lot for the cross beams on power/utility poles. My big wooden bench you see in the videos has a base made out of it (from scrap cross beams). What we call "western red cedar" is a darker/reddish coloured wood that they use a lot for window frames, solid doors and roof trusses etc. It's more dense and harder wearing. Also more expensive. Cheers Rob

[@AmateurRedneckWorkshop]

Thanks that was a bonus feature of the video. =(;-) I guess I am too nosey but when I hear a new term I just got to know what it is. Obviously I was not seeing the true color of the wood. I think what we call western red cedar and what you do are one and the same.

[@stephensmith8756]

Harold Douglas Fir ( or Doug Fir to the natives or Pseudotsuga menziesii to the techies ). Prolific throughout the Pacific Northwest, including . . . . . . . Oregon. When well seasoned like the piece Rob was working with and clear of knots and nail holes, it works beautifully. Stable, finishes well, fairly durable and attractive colours. I'm glad Rob only sliced a couple of pieces off the end, otherwise it would have been a waste of nice material. Cheers

[@svenkalmar]

cool

[@lightshine6044]

2:40 Can you tell me the brand name & model number of disc you are using? Link would be a help. Thanks

[@Xynudu]

www.smithandarrow.com.au/product/cutting-discs-wheels/3-75mm/3-75mm-x-10mm-bore/metal-cutting-discs-wheels-3-75mm-x-1mm-angle-grinder/

[@juanrivero8]

Nice. I think you could use a Dremel type tool with the very thin abrasive disks, These are very fragile but very useful. And cheap. I am currently using then instead of a slitting saw, because the average slitting saw is much too large for me. Can also use them to sharpen bandsaw blades. See Nathias Wndel's channel (woodgears.ca).

[@Xynudu]

Hi Juan, You could use the Dremel discs on small teeth, but it would be fiddly, and they break easily (not reinforced). Cheers Rob

[@ajl9491]

100X 100! I'd call it a 4X4 easier

[@andrewsrenson1212]

Ozito tool...how dare you insult us overpriced tool owners with a low class chinese tool!!!!! * only jokin', any company that stands by a 3 year warranty is allllrighttt! with me Good vid 👍

[@Xynudu]

Yep. Can't beat that deal.