A blade is the core of the circular saw’s existence. When the blade fails to act as it was intended to, the whole purpose of the circular saw becomes questionable.
Circular saw blades wobble when the arbor nut becomes loose, the blade is not in good shape or good quality. The crooked arbor or the unstable blade can cause the blade to wobble as well.
If your saw blade is wobbly and your brain is too, keep reading the article to learn more.
Reasons For The Circular Saw Blade Wobbling
A circular saw blade is attached to the arbor of a circular saw. An arbor securely holds the blade with a few nuts and other components. However, for many reasons, the arbor fails to hold the blade tightly, which affects the whole purpose of a circular saw. If you want to know why the blade is not tightly attached, here are the reasons why.
1. Unsteady Arbor Nut
Arbor size on a circular saw is the shaft of the saw that holds the gap of the blade to fix the blade on the circular saw. Arbor connects the blade with the help of a few nuts and screws. When the loosens and becomes rickety, the whole blade will wobble and shake.
2. Quality Of The Blade
A blade should be of top-notch quality and in top-notch conditions. Any blunt and cheap blade with below-average grade material has a higher chance to wobble. Also, in most cases, the bore size of these blades fails to attach to the circular saw strongly.
3. Size Of The Blade
There are different sizes of circular saw blades. Not all circular saws can accommodate all sizes of blades. Especially, blades larger than 8 ½ inches are more susceptible to wobbling. This becomes more severe when the blades are not perfectly balanced with the circular saw.
4. Dilapidated Blade
A dilapidated blade has to push extra energy to cut the material which causes severe tension in the core or on the bore size. Their pressure creates instability, and the blades tend to wobble. The blade will be deemed dilapidated if the teeth are chipped and blunt.
5. Dirty Blade
While cutting material, a blade can catch on dust and debris that can’t be perceived with bare eyes. When the blade is coated with too much sawdust, the blade will lose its momentum. Sawdust and debris will temporarily decrease the sharpness of the blade and cause wobbling.
6. Saw Motor
A motor might not have a primary effect on the blade’s wobbling, but it is certainly a factor. When the motor is not powerful enough to take up such a heavy load, the effect falls on the blade. Also, if the motor is malfunctioned or doesn’t receive the power properly, it will make the blade wobble.
Choose The Right Blade For Right Material
A blade must be chosen depending on the hardness and texture of the material. If the blade is too weak to cut a hard material, the blade will wobble due to intense pressure. Also, such pressure may disfigure the bore size of the blade which will certainly keep the wobbling going.
1. Crooked Arbor
The arbor is such an important factor that a particular arbor size can’t accommodate a wrong-sized blade. The blade’s bore size must be fully cooperative with the arbor size. When, for any external or internal reason, the arbor crooks, or bents, fail to hold the blade properly. This causes the blade to wobble.
2. Blade’s Installment
A blade should be correct to the arbor size of the blade. But that’s not all. It must be installed correctly on the arbor as well. The teeth should be angled in the right direction and the arbor nut should be tight enough not to be too tight or too loose.
3. Balancing The Blade
The blade should be properly and proportionately balanced. Before you cut the material, you must ensure that the blade is rightly balanced. A homemade jig or a blade-balancing tool can determine whether the blade is on balance or not.
How To Fix Circular Saw Blade Wobbling?
A circular saw is just a tool without a purpose in the absence of a blade. And when such an important component of the tool doesn’t work properly, the circular saw becomes junk from your workstation. But we won’t let that happen. We will heal the wobbling and the blade will function properly again. How? Let us explore.
Step-1: Tighten The Arbor Nut
At the first sign of the blade wobbling, you should draw your attention to the arbor nut. Mostly, the arbor nut is responsible for making the circular saw blade wobble. If the nut feels loose you can tighten it with the help of a wrench. Don’t forget to unplug before opening the circular saw.
Step-2: Check The Blade’s Condition
If the arbor nut of the circular saw is tightened and firm yet you experience the blade wobble, you should drag your focus next to the blade you are currently using. Check whether the size and type of the blade are compatible with the circular saw.
Also, make sure the teeth of the blade are sharp, not blunt. The rotating direction should be properly angled. Also, if the blade is damaged and not balanced properly, you should replace that old blade and bring a new one compatible with the circular saw.
Step-3: Make The Blade Clean
If the blade is brand new and in superb condition, the problem might be that an excessive amount of sawdust is hindering the blade’s orientation which eventually leads to wobbling. You should clean the blade regularly with a stiff brush and remove anything that clogs the blade.
Step-4: Replace The Blade
If the above mentioned steps don’t resolve the issues, you should fetch a new blade for the circular saw blade. Make sure that the arbor size of the circular saw and the bore size of the new blade match properly. This will stop the blade from wobbling.
Some Tips To Remember
- Always keep the arbor in check. It can deliver messages regarding the condition of the circular saw blade.
- Sometimes due to intense pressure the bore size of the saw might be cracked or dilapidated. You should instantly change the blade.
- The teeth’s rotation should be properly installed. Often the blade’s wrong installation makes the blade wobbly, and it dies out easily.
- Always check the blade and ensure that the blade is balanced properly. You can check and balance the blade with the help of a blade-balancing tool.
People Also Ask
Why wobbly blades are dangerous for a circular saw?
A wobbly blade is not a mere matter of inconvenience. Rather it poses severe dangers to the circular saw and the user. A wobbly blade causes extreme kickbacks. An unsteady blade creates uneven cuts on the material. It also damages the circular saw fast as the intense pressure harms both the arbor and bore.
What is a blade-balancing tool?
A blade-balancing tool is a cone-shaped shaft that attaches to the arbor of the circular saw. A number of leveling weights are attached to them that help to measure and balance the blade. These leveling weights can be adjusted and via this, the blade is properly balanced and will stop wobbling.
How to be sure that the circular saw blade is wobbling?
We often confuse the circular saw rotating with wobbling. A circular saw rotates vertically in the front and back sequence. However, when the direction of the blade starts moving side-by-side and starts vibrating frequently, that’s an indication that the circular saw blade is wobbling.
Final Words
Circular saw blade wobbling is not an uncommon circumstance. However, this doesn’t allow you to ignore this issue and keep using the blade anyways. The moment you feel the wobble, you should diagnose the issue and resolve it quickly.
