The adequate and regular maintenance of its cutting tools is an asset. First, it allows to increase their lifetime and maintain a constant cutting quality. But also, a saw blade or a router bit sharp well by a professional maximizes the cutting capacity of the tool used. Interview with Olivier Rocheleau, a team member of OPM since 2002, to understand the benefits of sharpening cutting tools.
Do you have an advice to share to help us see when it's time to take action?
Olivier Rocheleau - The speed and ease of progression in a given material is a good indicator of whether or not your cutting tool needs sharpening. For example, if you perceive that your wood is having difficulty moving over your
portable table saw, this would be a good time to check the sharpness of your blades. A rough or irregular finish of a surface after a cut would indicate in particular a potential wear to investigate.
Whether it's wood scisors, knives, router bits, saw blades, hole saws, hedge trimmers, end mills or drills, is this the same maintenance procedure no matter the blade type?
Olivier Rocheleau - Cutting tools are almost all needed to remove some of their original edge to give them a good performance. This will be achieved by thinning the carbide or steel layer on the contact surface, in the case of
saw blades,
router bits and
drill bits. As for the
knives, the latter will see their thread be reformed while a
annular cutter will have to receive a sharpening and a geometric adjustment to find its optimal cutting edge.
There are different methods of sharpening cutting tools. Here are three main ones.
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The least expensive solution for home use, although some practice is necessary to achieve good results.
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2- Manual and electric sharpeners
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These are very easy to use and affordable for all budgets.
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3- The services of a professional sharpener
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They will provide you with the best results to extend the life of your cutting tools.
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How often do you suggest that you sharpen them? Is it a question of composition of the blade (cobalt ...)?
Olivier Rocheleau - The recommended frequency for sharpening cutting tools varies according to the type of product, the use, the quality and the hardness of the cutting material and the overall manufacturing quality of the tool. For example, a cobalt alloy drill will have a sharper and more durable cut than a high-speed steel drill (HSS).
For seasonal products such as
hedge trimmers and
lawn mower blades, we suggest grinding once a year, at the end of the season. So you'll start spring with sharp blades, if you miss memory during the winter! For traditional cutting tools such as
blades and
router bits, it depends greatly on your frequency of use and the material to be cut.
Do you have a list of suggestions for cleaning products to extend the blade sharpening time to protect them from premature wear?
Olivier Rocheleau - Certain
oils, lubricants and cutting pastes are specially designed to facilitate drilling, tapping and other metal cutting and shaping applications. Lubricating the cutting tool improves the performance of the cutting surface while decreasing the heat generated by the tool. This results in a faster cut and longer life.
For saw blades, we suggest to clean the blade between each use, to avoid deposits and to keep the blade body smooth. It should also be remembered that a sharp blade, if it is slightly twisted, will not offer good performance and will have difficulty making good progress, especially during cross sections in hardwoods.
In summary, sharpening cutting tools should be part of the maintenance routine of any good craftsman or professional. Because to think about it, the best circular saws will be very inefficient if the blade of which it is equipped is badly sharpened. Think about it!
