Q:

I know that a lot of blade manufacturers repair and resharpen sawblades, but can they restore a blade damaged by a SawStop tablesaw discharge?

Joseph Trescott Jr., Bloomington, IL

A:

Yes, most of the time they can be repaired. You’ll have to find a blade sharpener who is qualified to examine and fix the blade. I spoke with Tony Ferrato, the technical sales and service representative at Forrest Manufacturing Co., who said, “Typically the expense to repair these blades is below the cost of a new professional-quality sawblade. The cost is different for each case, so check to see if it’s cheaper to replace your blade before having it repaired.”

When you send in the blade, include a note about what happened to it. Ferrato says Forrest inspects the blade and replaces any broken or chipped teeth. Often, he says, only a few teeth need to be replaced or straightened, which is within the bounds of normal maintenance for these blades.

Take off the brake. Hold the blade in a padded vise and pull. It won’t take much force to remove the soft aluminum brake.

Get your teeth fixed. The damage may not appear that bad. But it’s important to have a qualified technician inspect the blade to make sure it can be repaired and reused safely.

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