Sharpening A Table Saw Blade on the Table Saw

[@JohnHeisz]

A quick and easy to make / use jig for sharpening carbide blades right on the table saw. ▶️ Project plans for sale: ibuildit.ca/plans/ ▶️Support the work I do on Locals: ibuildit.locals.com/ ▶️ Patreon: www.patreon.com/user?u=865843&ty=h ▶️ Join my Makers Mob for detailed build tutorials: go.themakersmob.com/john-heisz-i-build-it/?via=ibuildit Project build article: ibuildit.ca/projects/how-to-sharpen-a-saw-blade/

[@danielcline7413]

What is the third blades use..?

[@stankolodin5586]

Quick question, aren't the teeth on most miter saw blades have alternating angles? The way the footage shows you ignoring the angles made me confused. Not a personal attack, your blade your way.

[@danielcline7413]

@@stankolodin5586 your reply showed up because I commented also I'm just commenting to you on how sad it is that you have to do the same thing I do and tell everyone your not attacking them as a person I commented on a bigfoot enthusiast here in colo hes in colo also and every leaning branch and miners rock pile was left by bigfoot here is his reply if I had a dollar for every pussyfaced troll like you I would be Donald trump rich better safe than sorry I guess I've used full saws yours is a great question I've gotten no reply on mine I just wanted to know the purpose of the third blade in the video having never seen one any help?

[@danielcline7413]

Dull saws I meant to say or spell

[@stankolodin5586]

@@danielcline7413 I'm more confused now.

[@cyrilnorrie8450]

That’s a clever jig and not complicated. Your jigs are always effective without unnecessary additions and can be built without special tools.😊

[@bucktownpsd1590]

I would add a stop on the table so each time you slide the jig forward to sharpen a tooth you hit a positive stop. This would make it so you don’t have to worry about running the blade into the grinding disk and assuring that you grind the whole tooth each time. Love this jig. It’s a great solution.

[@donaldhamel9311]

Genius, pure genius the setup is way faster and less complex than the actual sharpener I purchased a long time ago 😀

[@theobolt250]

BucktownPSD So you have thought about this, eh?

[@Deaner3D]

Couple magnetic switches would work well on a cast iron table.

[@padoco73]

Just a rando endorsement here... What John says about his plans is actually understating them a little. I've actually bought a few of his plans, as well as some plans from some other KZbinrs. John's plans set a standard by which I wish others could meet. They are simple, concise, easy to follow, and most even include annotations for common pitfalls you might encounter along the way.

[@JOATology]

You're such a clever dude. That is an extremely simple solution for a very common problem. I have a stack of about 10 or 12 blades that I have been hanging onto in hopes of getting them all touched up. Thanks John! You saved me a bunch of money just now.

[@colinstace1758]

Harbour freight sells a blade sharpener 👍😊

[@JOATology]

@@colinstace1758 Yeah, I've checked it out and it looked too much like their chainsaw blade sharpener, which I have. It uses a lot of the same ideas, and I would imagine, materials, for indexing and such. I was just too dissatisfied with the chainsaw blade sharpener to go that route again and for $55, I figured it was just a matter of time before someone smarter than me came up with an easier way to do it. Harbor Freight has some good deals sometimes they have some neat tools that a lot of the other big box stores just don't carry, so I shop there frequently, but for this purpose, I just wasn't interested. Thanks for letting me know about it though.

[@macedindu829]

Genius! I worked at a lumber yard one summer during college, and we had this radial arm saw. I used it occasionally, and never really thought much about it. Then one day, it got a new sawblade. That damn thing cut through wood so easily that the wood basically put up no resistance. It was literally like a hot knife through butter. On that day, I learned the importance of a sharp sawblade.

[@JOATology]

For as much flack as radial arm saws get about being dangerous and all of that, it is still one of my favorite tools to use in my shop. When you want to really cut something tough, that is my go-to weapon of choice.

[@Ubydulla]

Hello John. Just built this over the last week (had some problems fitting & adapting a Diamond wheel on the arbor), and sharpened a 24tooth ripping blade with it. It already had 1 tooth missing & one halfway chipped off, but after the sharpening it cut throug 60mm (2 & 3/8) ash wood like butter. I guess i won't send a sawblade out for sharpening anymore :)

[@MichaelMcGehee]

Please t ok me where to get the diamond blade

[@idahopotato5837]

You could put like a .005 feeler gauge in the stop to set the depth and then remove it to evenly take that amount off. May not matter though.

[@Coomanboo]

I swear, your mind never stops with the great ideas. I was wanting this same thing but I had no idea how to go about it even after a couple of KZbin videos. I ended up buying a Harbor Freight special and although it works it is a pain to set up cause every blade is different. This looks like something I could do and not hate using it. I am definitely gonna try this. Thanks for making the these videos and keep up the great work!!

[@AirwolfCrazy]

Ok, this is great! I have been looking at different ways to sharpen my blades at home. So many I've seen either wiggle or they are super expensive. This is pretty simple and to the point. I could see adding a stop block to make sure the jig cannot go too far forward.

[@jamessurveyor4859]

I had been thinking about using my wet tile saw to see if it would sharpen saw blades. This has given me a couple of ideas to work on. Thanks

[@rafvdp6391]

I bought a sharpening disk that fits my angle grinder with the idea to build an adjustable ( overcomplicated ) sharpening jig ! Guess i give this a try first , it has way less moving Parts and way less space to store away. 👌 Thanks John , like always clean and efficiënt AND practical build.👍

[@kierondesmond7791]

Great =D The indexer should be one tooth to the left of the blade. Grind the first tooth carefully by eye, then all the teeth will get the same grind =D

[@Realism91]

Thanks for the bonus tip.

[@Realism91]

Technically he could still do it that way be moving his first ground tooth to the indexer right away

[@JimDockrellWatertone]

If you're cutting through maple without burning, you've done a good job. That passed the test with ease.

[@aleksandrmurashev9070]

Пожалуй, это одна из лучших и практичных идей по части самоделок для заточки дисков. При этом можно менять угол заточки передней грани. Очень легко доработать для заточки фрез. Спасибо за идею.

[@hjboots]

Wow a easy way to save money after all the times to the shop to have blades sharpened, a excellent video that will help your viewers, me as one of them save time and money. Thank you

[@MervinGriff]

Ingenuous! Great idea John. I dub the "The Prince of Plywood" or "The Sultan of Sheet Goods" I am always amazed and learn something from your videos, great job and excellent video. thank you John.

[@thedeloachsdoyoutube8377]

Awesome job John. Thanks for letting us get in your head awesome place to be!!

[@d.c1652]

Excellent job John!! woodworkers can’t always afford to go out and buy brand new blades or even take them in to get them sharpened. You definitely offer a very good solution to getting our saw blade sharpened!!

[@waynesmith2287]

A man who does woodworking in a B.O.C T shirt is someone to follow. Love your ideas and musical taste.Will it sharpen The Black blade.

[@arielkozak]

My father has 90 dull saw blades of all types. I know what I'm gonna be doing this week Haha

[@scottchristensen6916]

Sweet man!!! This is going to save big . $$$. Keep it simple and not completed. I like it. Thanks for you vid and your ability to think and share. Thanks neighbor 👍😁

[@obigroombarke6977]

how do you account for opposing angles in the grind of the teeth? (i.e. some teeth have a "left" angle, others a "right" angle) or can you only flat grind them??

[@stephaneblanchette1377]

tip the blade oh ter side ?

[@BigBrotherIsTooBig]

The table saw blade can tilt.

[@fredjohn808]

Thanks John, Brilliant, Just saved me a bunch of money.

[@spinafire]

I like your use of a coin as a washer. I never thought to do that before, but it would always perfectly solve my issues with getting washers with a small ID.

[@toddz8579]

You can also use fender washers.

[@sambo7326]

How do you deal with the alternating angle of the tooth faces? This does sharpen but just grinds them all flat. Should the grinding blade be set the right pitch and then just sharpen every other tooth then flip the blade over to get the remaining teeth, kind of like doing a chainsaw chain?

[@JohnHeisz]

Most blades have flat teeth. The ones that have an angle (like the first one I sharpened in the video) can be ground flat as well.

[@mattlibby4490]

For anyone who really wants to preserve those angles, it does seem like you could use the "set grinding disc's pitch" suggestion given above. You'd need to relocate the index to the other side of the disc for one of the setups. Also, some teeth on ATBR blades are still flat, so you'd have to do three setups per blade. Bit of a pain; I can see why John just wipes out those angles.

[@sambo7326]

@@JohnHeisz Thanks John :)

[@leonardorojas1781]

@@mattlibby4490 Will the blade still cut finely if I grind those angles flat? 😯 My blade has alternating angles.

[@mattlibby4490]

@@leonardorojas1781 Flattening would make it cut differently (perhaps ~worse) for some applications. Alternating angles are marketed as better for cross cuts (i.e across the grain). "Rip cut" blades (i.e. for cutting lengthwise with the grain) are generally flat already. I suggest experimenting. Odds are that it won't make a huge difference for most applications.

[@andrebourque2165]

Always a pleasure and learning experience to watch you work.

[@bamamike1013]

Thanks John! My blades are piling up!

[@kennybob52]

Wow, what a simple way to get things done. Trying to free hand it never comes put right. And Harbor freight sharpening station is not easy to set up. Thank you sir

[@fernandomartinez2177]

Muy buena herramienta. De las mejores ideas hasta ahora. Gracias!

[@MrMarkpeggy]

You never cease to amaze me John! Thanks for the great video.

[@oldbonesbushcraftrodjackso474]

Pretty awesome system simple and precise , My style perfect simplicity

[@MacgruberWood]

intéressant , je ne savais pas qu'il existait des "disques d'affutage " aussi grand et surtout avec un trou d'axe du meme diamètre qu'une lame de scie . Bravo 😍 👏

[@scottkremer8660]

Impressive! I wish I was this much of a craftsman.

[@Etna.]

This is neat. Thanks! I live in an area where resharpening is more expensive than a new blade. It seems too wasteful just to buy them new every time. Regards, Etna.

[@evanbarnes9984]

Excellent! Absolutely going to make one of these, it'll pay for itself

[@MikeBramm]

Nice work. Simple and very effective.

[@Austeration]

This is brilliant 👍 thanks for sharing I'll be looking at using this method. Love your set up jig

[@Francois_L_7933]

Love the dime washer😁

[@TheWrinkledCheese]

Idea to make the "swing down stop" adjustable. Make the steel long enough for all the blades you plan on sharpening with the jig. On the bottom side make "steps" so it will swing down further for shorter blades. You will have to put different angles on the "steps" to get contact with the different sized blades. Because of the longer length, you'll probably want to have a block on either side of the "swing down stop" to help with any deflection on smaller blades. With thick enough steel you might not even need this.

[@dariscombs8633]

This video made more sense than any other I have watched. I can’t wait to try it, cause I have blands for cutting steel and they are not cheep.

[@LogHouseFarm]

I really need to sharpen my blades, I did not know that you could get a wheel for the table saw, thanks for sharing!

[@akbychoice]

Log House Farm might even be a tile saw blade

[@youtukang]

Yess 🙏👍👍

[@jimthesoundman8641]

2:13 That diamond wheel is $85, that's pretty steep. Anyone know of a lower cost alternative which will give the same results?

[@SurajGrewal]

Disk with sandpaper stuck to it

[@didiwin78]

I've used one of those diamond masonry/tile blades. It's not nearly as clean but I was successful in making my very cheap carbide blades usable again.

[@jimthesoundman8641]

@@SurajGrewal I don't think that will cut carbide will it?

[@sambo7326]

www.harborfreight.com/120-volt-circular-saw-blade-sharpener-96687.html?cid=paid_google|||96687&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIx8fhgN3F6wIVR9bACh2bwADaEAQYBSABEgJ9D_D_BwE

[@SurajGrewal]

@@jimthesoundman8641 will try it tomorrow to confirm it.

[@paulhamilton5634]

Just some advice as I used to sharpen these as well a machine tool cutter for 3 years. The index should be on the backside (shoulder) for 2 reasons. First & most important it wil keep constant pressure of the tooth against the wheel. The way you are doing it you have to keep pressure with your hands. Possible kickback. Safety first! Second thing is when you get to that last tooth the index is going to be sitting against a freshly sharpened tooth making the last tooth to be sharpened sit further in. Yes, maybe only a. 003- .004 of an inch (machinist here). But it means that last tooth won't be engaging like the others & possibly causing premature wear or tooth breakage.

[@d.c1652]

Good point. I will consider your point when making one for myself.

[@theobolt250]

Just IN-GE-NE-OUS! Saves time and... (not to triffle with 😁) moneyyy. Great!

[@blainewatkinson4315]

Perfect, so simple you could make separate jigs for different blade sizes

[@NigelMarston]

Great tip. I'm going to make a jig for mine tomorrow. Thank you. P.S. Love the T-shirt, John

[@elmerfox456]

Certainly gives you a nice, clean, burn free finish cut.

[@matg3802]

Be sure to ware a respirator like recommended in the video. I make saws for a living and Carbide dust is extremely dangerous for your health, keeping the same face angles on your teeth will prevent untimely wear on your carbide and break proper chips in whatever you are cutting.

[@selador11]

A question... When you get to that last several teeth, now, the tooth that is being caught by the metal swing down stop... has already been sharpened. And is therefore, 'shorter'. In other words, how do you keep from OVER-sharpening the last few teeth?

[@drfrankensteinscreations]

I was wondering the same thing. The Harbor Freight sharpener is similar too.

[@codyaimes4354]

I had never thought about sharpening my old blades... Interesting.

[@forgedbydragon9683]

Yeah you save a shit ton of money if you sharpen your blades instead of buying a new one every time you get quite a long life out of each blade if you sharpen them, they're not disposable like everyone thinks, most people don't sharpen chainsaw chains either

[@jamartin1]

Super nice! Thank for sharing!💜

[@BigBrotherIsTooBig]

Very sweet idea. Think I'd use a smaller diamond wheel to be able to get into smaller gullets without nicking them.

[@elebeu]

Breathing protection is a good idea, as you mentioned... but the Blue Oyster Cult tee shirt is a must.

[@yourface8698]

Saw blades should be top ground to because if you're not taking equal amounts off the face of the tooth the tops will be all different heights.

[@JohnHeisz]

And yet I didn't do that. Don't you wonder why?

[@yourface8698]

@@JohnHeisz yes the anticipation is killing me.

[@cooperised]

@@yourface8698 The whole point of the indexing stop was to take exactly the same amount off each tooth...

[@rudolfzaris675]

very good method for sharpening the face of the teeth Important thing is, to find out how to properly sharpen the top of the tooth as well as the chip limiter especially for rip cut blades

[@markbachman8321]

Great jig at first I thought it was for only one angle and then I saw the adjustment. you should have explained that. Where did you find that diamond wheel?

[@JohnHeisz]

I'm old fashioned in my belief that people should try to figure some things out, and not have every tiny detail explained to them like they are slow children.

[@markbachman8321]

@@JohnHeisz well I can't argue that philosophy.

[@wavehaven1]

Smart. Some have said in other videos - u..cant..do ..that !! the blades are at an angle. One thing a whole lot worse..... is cutting wood with a dull blade with all the right angles.

[@d.c1652]

And that is a good point!!

[@ianhunt9520]

Yup, carbide dust is pretty carcinogenic. We have a specific room at the machine shop where I work for grinding carbide cutters and endmills. It's set up with negative pressure and some pretty beefy high flow air filters. That's for an industrial scale operation though. If you're just touching up a saw blade at home, a half face respirator and a fan blowing dust out the door is plenty.

[@Utoobhero]

Canadian Washers, who knew!

[@ericjsilva]

Canadian washers can be picked up with a magnet, US washers cannot.

[@ivartillotson835]

Held down with Robertson screws, of course.

[@b7fLuid]

thanks for the sharpening tip!

[@KipdoesStuff]

Great video John. I can't seem to find your P.O box so I can send you all my blades to sharpen.

[@mikeking7470]

All that lovely carbide down inside your table saw!

[@micahpruett1595]

Particles so small it will micro hone your sealed bearings.

[@gzfraud]

How much would the ground off carbide weigh?

[@IEnjoyCreatingVideos]

Great job on the sharpening jig John! Thanks for always sharing with us!💖👌😎JP

[@Wordsnwood]

Well I'm glad I read the comments, as it made me go back and look again. Wow, ten cents for a washer? Hmm, Now I'll need to price compare next time I'm in the store. My wife is hanging onto a few pennies, I wonder how they compare in relative strength.

[@JohnHeisz]

I think pennies are mostly zinc, while dimes are a grade of steel, but both make excellent washers. The pennies are a better deal, though, since they cost less than real washers.

[@Wordsnwood]

@@JohnHeisz Google and Wikipedia tell me that you used to be correct --98% zinc from 96-99 but now 94% steel. (pre-96 they were copper)

[@10175978]

@@Wordsnwood The US Mint would disagree, they're still about 97.5% zinc. The lowest copper % was 88% except in 1943 when they were zinc coated steel. And more recently, The alloy remained 95 percent copper and 5 percent zinc until 1982, when the composition was changed to 97.5 percent zinc and 2.5 percent copper (copper-plated zinc). Cents of both compositions appeared in that year.

[@Wordsnwood]

@@10175978 And BOTH John and Myself are Canadians, living in Canada, talking about Canadian money.... 😆😆😆

[@brucemillar3015]

You've always got a brilliant solution for every shop problem. BTW, what's with the dime in the jig?

[@Wordsnwood]

Thanks for making me take a second look at the video. I hate it when I miss a good joke. Especially one of John's.

[@diyforfun2074]

Brilliant!

[@andrewbieger5004]

Awesome idea, John. I assume with the adjustable index pin and the adjustable slide mount for the blade, you can accommodate different rake angles for the blades? I'm not up to speed on the blade geometries for various applications, just know the angles are different for certain grinds.

[@submarine.7seas]

A quality sharpening service can replace broken teeth and will split the sharpening between the face and the top. This assures proper concentricity and maximizes life of the blade. A lot of sharpening service will only sharpen the face because keeping proper geometry on a blade such as an ATB is no easy task. Also there is relief angles on the sides of the teeth that will benefit from a cleaning, that 10" blade is in need of a good cleaning.

[@chaseweeks2708]

How would you handle non-zero rake with this, or do you just use nothing but zero-rake blades? Love the content man, you're an inspiration.

[@KipdoesStuff]

The pivot point that holds the blade can be advanced in either direction. that should allow you to adjust for it.

[@waaduu6189]

Can you give an update on the long term performance of the sharpened blades? Do the carbide tips get softer due to the heat caused by the grinding?

[@John-d7p]

Having been a saw maker and service guy, this is a decent way to face the teeth. Just be careful to have the angle well matched, and don't remove more off any teeth than the others or else the generated path will be high/low, and the tops will need to be dressed as well. If a tooth is badly chipped out, better to face it like the others rather than grind it out. Go very easy so as not to heat up the carbide or the brazing solder. I would oil lthe table saw slot to give a very smooth, sliding action so the risk of a sudden stick/release is less. Should feel like a trombone.

[@billmorash3322]

I like your ten cent washer.

[@canadiangemstones7636]

Exceedingly clever!

[@aisotton]

Nice, I have some blades that I need to sharpen too. Until now I never even considered doing it myself. I'll have to check sharpening prices, maybe I'll give it a whirl.

[@MikhailDranga]

You are cool! Thank You for idea!

[@nordyfamily]

Great job

[@jked7463]

This is so perfect. Thanks.

[@CECS1]

So how are you top cutting the teeth? Face grinding is only half the issue

[@tincoandringa4630]

Just put the blade on reversewise, and hold sandpaper against it ;)

[@SAWimp1]

did you see it cut?

[@cheewurz]

Very Nice, John!

[@Smedleydog1]

Along with wearing safety glasses and a respirator while sharpening your carbide blades, you should also be wearing your Blue Oyster Cult safety T shirt. 😁 Thanks for the blade sharpening tip. I'm gonna try it.

[@selador11]

Swing down stop... Just put two pieces of metal on that. One, where you have it. The other, on the other end. Or space two, or even three at the same end, with washers. One, used the way you have it. The next one, a longer piece of metal, that will reach the smaller sawblade. Swing that up the other direction to have it out of the way when not in use.

[@SkyForgeVideos]

Really great design!

[@ianmurray3820]

FYI…Exposure to Tungsten Carbide combined with Cobalt or Nickel can cause a lung allergy with wheezing, coughing and shortness of breath. Repeated exposure may cause scarring of the lungs (pulmonary fibrosis). * Exposure to cemented Tungsten Carbide may result in exposure to Nickel or Cobalt. Very bad stuff to put into your lungs .! Commercial sharpening uses coolant which puts air Bourne particles into solution where it can be filtered and disposed of..!!. A safer diy solution would be to mount a diamond blade of a suitable size on an electric tile saw which usually come with a water bath then add a jig such as yours.!!👍💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻 Titan TTB934TCB 450W Electric Tile Cutter 230-240V

[@julianchamberlain5399]

Its a good idea. I use a pillsr drill and jig.

[@MShahzaibwoodwork]

Good work job

[@Adam-uo2mc]

Wouldn't the index be better on the side that has already been sharpened ? I would think that would keep it more uniform or am I missing something ?

[@par4par72]

That's Wicked Heads up. I might add, to spring load the stop and index the blade clockwise .. so you dont have to constantly open and close the stop.

[@projectwood7221]

Enjoyed that thanks

[@tiffymac256]

It LOOKS like your set up and first grindings are all done on an OLD unsharpened tooth. Does the indexing pin touch the unsharpened tooth?

[@youtukang]

Modern machines,, like this 😍😍

[@williamoverton7265]

Super great!

[@donny_bahama]

Sharpening blades on the table saw is brilliant but why not allow the indexing block to pivot (spring load it) so you can turn the blade counterclockwise. As you do so, the blade will push the pivoting index block out of the way until you turn it far enough for the tooth to clear - then it snaps back into place and you’re ready to grind the next tooth. Another good idea would be an adjustable stop hanging off the back of the jig that would stop at the front edge of the table so you never have to worry about pushing the jig too far forward.

[@zweg1321]

Great idea

[@thomasgronek6469]

Whoa team. Every other tooth has a different angle on the face,,, one shouldn't EVER put a flat face on these teeth. I gave a thumbs up, and thank you for the video,,,,,, but this is why I NEVER let anyone sharpen ANYTHING for me.

[@harryverkaik6522]

Great topic John. What was the source for the 6” grinding disc?

[@jjo9057]

From the build article on his website: item # US55020, www.universalsharpener.com

[@ghosttoo7467]

I would change the indexing of the blade with spring loaded stopper and going to the right instead that is the way I made mine

[@tommyammo6135]

I usually use a 4'' diamond masonry/tile blade on my grinder to sharpen my blades, but I just bought a Makita 7-1/4'' diamond masonry blade so I can put it on my table saw to use just like you did. One problem is it does not fit on my saws arbor it is 5/8'', and the blade is 1-1/4'' and it does have a bushing but that only reduces it to 7/8''. I made a sort of bushing out of hardwood but I don't think that will last too long. Any ideas so I don't kill myself while I sharpen? Thanks.

[@SculptyWorks]

Brilliant! 👍

[@robertpongallo4079]

Great video