How to Change the Blade on a Miter Saw

Time for a Saw Blade Change!

Every once in a while, it is time to change the blade in the miter saw (or any saw for that matter). Not only does it make nicer cuts with a new blade but it also helps keep things safer!

I noticed I was having a hard time with cuts on my saw – the ends of the lumber were getting chewed up and it was just more difficult to get a nicer cut. The last time I changed the blade was when I first got the saw (about 5 or 6 years ago) so it was definitely due!

A new blade will run in the neighborhood of $20.00. It sounds like a lot to some but I like to purchase a quality blade that will last longer especially since I use my saw nearly every day. If you don’t use your saw on a regular basis, a cheaper blade will work just fine!

Start by making sure the saw is unplugged. No-brainer, I know, but safety can always be an issue with some! It wouldn’t hurt to peruse the manual that came with the saw. There may be some special “need to know” information about the saw in there!

I removed the safety cover on the blade and set it aside.

There is also a blade lock mechanism that will keep the blade from turning freely while the arbor is removed to change the blade. I use a clamp to hold the blade lock in place so I can use both hands to loosen the arbor (the bolt that holds the saw blade in place).

The arbor in my saw was cranked on tight. I had to call in The Big Guns (i.e. my dad) to loosen the arbor for me. The arbor wasn’t cranked on really tight the last time I changed the blade – blade rotation and heat generated by the rotation can cause the arbor to tighten. We checked the manual and this is when we found out that the arbor was a “left hand thread”. That means that instead of “righty-tighty, lefty-loosey”, it was exactly the opposite. So Dad wrote a little note on the saw for me…

I also have a laser guide on the saw. It didn’t come with one and this is an after-market guide made by Irwin to fit most saws. I knew the batteries were dead and this would be the perfect opportunity to change them – but I was out of batteries… D’oh! I’ll just save that for another day! Once the arbor and the laser guide were removed, I removed the blade and cleaned a lot of the sawdust out of the housing.

I replaced the blade, the still-dead laser guide, and the arbor. Then I replaced the safety cover, plugged her in, and fired her up…