I get asked often about various problems with a mitre saw. One of the most common ones is why is a mitre saw sticking? When you read all the various reviews on mitre saws, or read the various woodworking forums, then you notice that several different complaints arise about mitre saw parts starting to stick, and in some cases get completely stuck or jammed. The most common complaints are:
- The mitre saw blade is sticking
- The mitre saw blade guard is sticking (won't open or close)
- The base of the saw becomes difficult to rotate. (stuck or jammed)
If you encounter any of these issues, then this article will help you solve those individual problems.
Mitre Saw Blade Sticking
This is often described as the blade jarring or sticking when in use. There are a few different reasons for this.
- Blade teeth - The teeth can get filled with chips and sawdust, especially if cutting soft woods or fibre boards like MDF or chipboard. That simply means the teeth get small particles clogged in them and the blade loses grip, and doesn't dig into the material. A small brush can quickly remove any chippings from a blade and help improve the speed and efficiency of cutting. This is a quick win.
- Old Blades - Blades will at some point need to be replaced as they don't last forever. Over time the teeth on blades wear and they ultimately get to the point where they become blunt and worn. That can cause a blade to jam and stick. You may also start to notice a burning smell as they are just struggling to cut anything. Even though they can be expensive, you do need to change them.
- Bore - The hole in the middle of a blade is known as the bore. It is a certain size and is designed to fit around the arbor on your mitre saw. This fit needs to be really tight to stop the blade from moving. Even a few millimetres can make a huge difference. If the bore on the new blade doesn't exactly fit your saw, buy reduction rings to make sure the fit is snug.
Mitre Saw Blade Guard Sticking
When guards start to stick, there is an immediate temptation to just remove the guard so as it stops annoying you. Please never do that. Any type of power saw is a dangerous tool simply because it has a very sharp blade spinning at really fast speeds. These can cause really serious injuries.
The good news is that it is actually a pretty easy fix. The guard that covers the blade is there to protect your hands and arms. It normally sits on a bearing with some type of mechanism that automatically moves it out of the way. There are three reasons why this may start to stick:
- The bearings gets clogged up with sawdust
- The mechanism gets bent or knocked out of shape
- The travel lock may be engaged
Clogging Up
Likely sawdust or chippings have worked into the bearing where the guard rotates around. Always make sure to unplug the saw or remove the battery if it is a cordless saw. Try to push and pull the guard by hand and see if it moves. In most cases there should be some type of movement, even if it is a small one. Tip the saw onto its side and continue to move the guard backwards and forwards. This will help clear the bearing. It is also worth trying to clean in and around the bearing with a small brush to remove any debris or dust. A vacuum cleaner can help with this as well.
Mechanism
Different brands use slightly different mechanisms to automatically lift the blade guard when the saw is being used. If the saw has been dropped or manhandled, this mechanism can just get out of shape. In some cases this simply needs to be straightened for the guard to start doing its job again.
Lock
Some manufacturers use a travel lock on the guard, which can often be hidden, or found in the strangest of places. Make sure that is off. Sometimes that can also move a little when the saw is being used and may partially lock the guard.
Mitre Saw Base Sticking
This is the base that should easily move around to help you cut the various angles. Normally you have to release a knob at the font, or pull it out and this allows the saw to swivel around on the metal base. Over a period of time the sawdust that comes out of the saw gets into the track and as this builds up, then the swivel just gets a lot more difficult to move until it eventually locks up completely.
Rotating your saw is clearly vital to being able to make full use of the saw. When people try to fix this, the immediate thought is to use an old rag and try to clean out the build up of saw dust in the general area of the base. That will not always work though as the main problem is between the base and the actual turntable, and that would mean dismantling the saw, to get at this area.
We have put together a few tips that might help deal with this rather annoying problem
Tip Number 1 - Check the lock mechanism
Check the lock mechanism first rather than starting to pull the saw apart. We found that when we started asking around about this problem, that many users had notice that the actual lever or knob was starting to slip and as such not fully releasing the pin that holds the turntable in place.
When that was cleaned up and oiled it resolved the problem immediately.
Tip Number 2 - Check for trapped sawdust
If there is some movement, but it feels like a gritty or stuttering movement, then chances are this is trapped sawdust.
If you have access to a compressed air source, then use this to give the saw a good blast, and remove any old dust and particles. The air would need to be well pressurised though for this to work well. It is however worth a try.
Tip Number 3 - Oil and grease
If in doubt apply either oil or grease to help the turn table slide smoothly. Check your manual to see how to remove the fence so as you can get access to the pivot of the table. A word of caution here in that you can't use any old type of lubrication.
Normal oils and greases when mixed with sawdust can become a sticky mess. You will be much better off by using some form of dry graphite lube, as that lube won't gum up the works.
Tip Number 4 - Check for chippings
Sometimes a little piece of wood or metal, like a chipping can get jammed in the area where it turns. That can often be hard to find and is normally stuck between the teeth of the base plate.
That is well worth checking out. Sadly this will mean dismantling the saw. Always check that by doing that, you do not breach any warranty that you may have.
Tip Number 5
If all else fails, a table that doesn't turn is not of much use. If it is stuck at zero then it could still be used for straight cross cuts. Personally that would be of little use. If you have gone past the warranty date, then at that stage we would just whack it with a hammer a few times as more often than not, a good whack with a hammer fixes many things.
A better solution is to try and take it apart, lube it, and re-assemble and see if that works.
Important Note
Never tamper with a mitre saw that is under warranty as that will make it void.
The bottom line is to try and look after your mitre saw. It really doesn't take that long to dust it down and give it a clean. We understand that you may be focused on getting the job done, but a few minutes spent then, will make the next job much easier.
Users tend not to change the blade often enough. There is the hassle of buying new blades and also the hassle of changing the blade. That makes people keep using a blade that has just gone blunt. That means poor quality cuts and lots of other issues. It takes about 5 minutes to change a blade and saves building up problems with your saw.
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