Craftsman has been a renowned name in the woodworking and metal industry thanks to their remarkable manufacturing line of high-quality and versatile power tools. The company has been manufacturing premium-quality miter saws for many years now.
The Craftsman miter saw is a compact version and often referred to as compound miter saws. There’s hardly any cutting and shaping task that these power tools can’t deliver. However, the miter saw from Craftsman comes with a major setback.
You will find it tedious and challenging to change or replace its blade. Hence, our discussion includes how to change blade on Craftsman miter saw easily. We have talked with several professionals and experts to create this DIY blade changing guideline for Craftsman miter saw.
So, let’s jump to the main topic.
How to Change Blade on Craftsman Miter Saw
Although a miter saw offers high-quality, accurate, and precise cuts on various materials, there’s a precondition to it. You must keep the miter saw blade of Craftsman at an optimum level. It means the edges and teeth must be sharp and not dull.
Also, you will have to remove and change blades once it is old and can’t be sharpened anymore. Nonetheless, changing a Craftsman miter saw blade is tricky. When not done appropriately, it might damage the new blade.
At worst, you might hurt your fingers or hands while you replace the blade. So, you must be cautious when it comes to changing the Craftsman miter saw blade.
Step 1: Preparing the Saw
Firstly, you will have to prepare the miter saw to change its blade. If you have used the saw blade to cut anything, make sure it has cooled off properly. Once you are confirmed that the miter saw motor and blade are cooled off, you can proceed to prepare it for the blade replacement.
Flip the on and off switch to the switched-off position of the miter saw. Remove the cord from the power outlet so that power can’t flow to the motor accidentally. If it is a battery-powered miter saw, remove the battery for safety purposes.
Step 2: Ensuring the Safety
There’s no guarantee of any power saws, and the same goes for the Craftsman built compound miter saws. Even a switched off saw can wreak havoc on your fingers and hands. So, always wear protective gloves while changing the blade.
If possible, wear a pair of work boots to safeguard your feet too.
Step 3: Disconnecting the Blade Guard
A blade guard covers the teeth of the blade. So, you won’t accidentally touch it and face minor cuts on the fingers. You will have to disconnect the blade guard for easy removal of it.
Use a wrench or screwdriver to correctly loosen the blade guard. Once the guard is disconnected, you can take away the older blade from the saw attachment. Also, keep the guard and the screws on a flat surface, so you find them quickly when necessary.
Step 4: Removing the Old Blade
You will also have to loosen the blade lock after you have set aside the guard of it. Most often, you can detach the lock of the blade with a standard 3/8” wrench. It will work with most Craftsman miter saws, including the 10” and 12” models.
Some compound miter saw models might have a varied wrench set up. We recommend you to go through the user manual for the best convenience.
Once you have removed the blade lock, press down the older blade. This way, you will quickly remove the older blade. Wrap it with a soft paper so that its teeth aren’t exposed. It is essential for safety.
Step 5: Installing the New Blade
Now gently put the new blade on the saw attachment. Make sure you have placed it properly within the blade location. Now, you will have to reverse all the steps that we mentioned above. Use the wrench to fasten the blade lock securely.
After that, reinstall the blade guard and connect the saw with the power outlet. You can test run the newly changed miter saw blade by cutting a smaller piece of wood.
You might also be interested–Dewalt Miter Saw DWS779 VS DWS780-Which One’s Best?
Why Should You Use A Miter Saw?
There’s no doubt that Craftsman builds the best compound miter saws presently in the market along with Ryobi, Makita, DeWalt, Bosch, etc. But why the hell will you buy a miter saw in the first place?
Here are our picked points on the necessities to own a miter saw in the workshop and, if possible, at home for maintenance.
Easy Usage
Most miter saws, including the Craftsman, built ones come with a user manual. The user manual will describe the miter saw operating procedure in detail. Hence, even beginners can operate a miter saw without any hick-ups.
Timer-Saver
Compound miter saws equip with extremely powerful motors and a robust blade. These two combine for a speedy cutting session. Also, miter saws offer wider cuts when compared to other power saws. It means the blade can remove more materials from the working piece.
So, you can cut through more materials in a relatively short time and focus on other tasks more. It will thus, increase your productivity.
High-Quality and Accurate Cuts
When it comes to quality and precision in the wood cutting, a miter saw will beat the pants off other saws such as the table saw, circular saw, etc. A compound miter saw comes with the highest-grade blade and so delivers such excellence in cutting almost any sort of material.
What’s more, it ensures that every cut is smooth and instantly ready for use with furniture parts.
Angle Cutting Capacity
Another benefit of using the miter saw is its ability to deliver various cutting angles. Most woodworking tools require the helping hand of another tool to make the angle cuts. A miter saw stands above all in this regard.
It can perform different angle cuts without any secondary tool for assistance. Also, setting up the miter saw for the desired level and angle cut is easy.
Cutting Precision
Do you want to maximize the cutting precision on the delicate materials? Don’t think twice to grab the compound miter saw. All the straight, bevel, and angle cuts with the miter saw will be as precise as one might have dreamed only.
Its accuracy and precision also mean that you won’t have to spend time on smoothening the cutting edges and make the cuts accurate with another too. So, it saves time and money as well.
Read more:–10 Vs 12 Inch Miter Saw: The Right One for You
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
When should I replace the miter saw blade?
This answer is pretty simple. You must replace the miter saw blade, including those made by Craftsman, when you find the blade dull. A dull blade will need more power and time to cut through materials. Also, it will offer less accuracy in the cutting times. When you observe that the blade isn’t yielding accurate cuts and asking more than normal power and time for cuts, it is time you replace it with a new blade.
Are miter saw blades of all manufacturers reverse threaded?
No, not all manufacturers build reverse threaded blades for the miter saw. Mostly, the Ryobi compound miter saw blade has the reverse threaded feature. The reverse threaded blades feature a right tilting and are mountable from the left flange.
Can I use a small miter saw blade on a larger model?
Yes, you can use smaller blades on the large compound miter saws. For instance, a 7” blade is suable with a 10” Craftsman miter saw. However, it is not highly recommendable as the cutting accuracy won’t be satisfactory. Also, it runs the risk of kickbacks.
Conclusion
Craftsman ensures that you receive the highest excellent in cutting projects. Therefore, they build several good-quality miters saw blades to aid in your woodworking projects. When a blade becomes dull, you won’t enjoy these precise and accurate cuts.
So, knowing how to change blade on Craftsman miter saw would benefit you to eliminate such issues. This step by step instruction on the Craftsman blade removal and replacement would ease your difficulties in the blade replacement. Cheers!
