Author’s note: this article details three key components to remember when changing a circular cold saw blade on high production cold saws like the Nishijimax. For band saws and other blades, subscribe to this series for future posts.
Just as there are many ways to learn something, there are many ways to teach. Moreover, there are many ways in which you can teach the same information. While not definitive (feel free to reach out for training and help!) I want to share 3 key points to make every blade change on your cold saw a success.
In post #10 I discussed how to keep your saw cutting straight. I reminded the reader there that “’clean’ is a relative term when we’re in the manufacturing world. Your saw over time will accrue the patina of a machine that has been well-used.” This being said, when you change your saw blade you need to wipe down every contact point the blade or material touch. This means wiping down (never use compressed air) the blade guides and internals of the saw head. It also means opening the vises and cleaning material buildup that will accrue over many cuts and finally checking to make sure the chips don’t build up under the cutting slot. If you don’t keep your machine clean, you shouldn’t expect it to run properly. Imagine if you were to wear the same clothes every day and being surprised when people tell you the odor has become unbearable; you’re only hurting yourself.
To properly mount a blade when cutting metal, you need to make sure the teeth are pointed towards the material, and the backlash is removed. Popular blade manufacturers like Kanefusa will always mill the pin holes to have extra room in them. In order to properly remove backlash, hand tighten the center bolt and before completing with a wrench rotate the blade counterclockwise (on Nishijimax) or the opposite direction the blade will rotate. Once you have done this you can finish tightening the blade and you are ready to move on to step 3. If you forget this step, you run the risk of the blade doing this as it tries to cut solid steel. This will create a premature blade failure, and potentially endanger your personnel and machine.
Most of my customers forget that if they don’t replace and adjust their chip brush, their blade life will suffer. You only need to cover the first few millimeters of a tooth for proper placement. You need to remove the brush when it has lost all “spring” in its bristles. If you place the brush too far in, it can cause your teeth to wear and push the blade out of alignment. If the brush is not engaged, you are recutting chips (see: solid pieces of metal) and potentially fusing them to the part you are trying to make. I’ll be honest with the reader, placing a chip brush takes a little more finesse than putting a blade on, but when done right you lower your blade changes overall. More uptime means more money for everyone.
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Don’t forget, blade customers of Pat Mooney Saws can always request a blade training seminar for their operators free of charge. In addition to this article, we have other resources available for our customers.
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