It is the desire of every carpenter and woodwork professional to get maximum satisfaction from the use of a miter saw. It can be frustrating and stressful when a miter saw breaks down or fails to perform optimally.
One of the parts that mostly need maintenance and replacement is the miter saw blade. The blades may malfunction and fail to make accurate and precise cuts due to wear and damage, broken, chipped, and missing carbide teeth. To get back to normal functioning and increase your productivity, it is essential to sharpen or replace the saw blade.
For woodwork experts, replacing the miter saw blade is an easy task. However, it can be challenging when the bolt that firmly connects the miter saw blade via the arbor is stripped. This is because the single reverse-threaded bolt must be removed to replace the blade. Removing a bolt that is rusted, damaged, stripped, or bored out can be much more challenging as the good grip is exhausted and hard to remove. Luckily, there is a solution to this dilemma.
The miter saw blade bolt is craftily designed for easy removal thanks to the reverse threads. This feature enhances the bolt’s grip, making it easy for carpenters to remove it when replacing a worn-out blade swiftly. However, the miter saw blade bolt gets worn out with time. Removing a bolt that is stripped requires some level of technique and prowess.
This piece will enlighten you on whether miter saw blade bolts are reverse-threaded and on how to deal with a miter saw blade bolt that is stripped.
Let’s get to it.
Miter Saw Blade Bolt Direction
When removing a bolt during the replacement of your miter saw blade, it is essential that you pay close attention to the blade bolt direction and orientation. Attempting to unscrew the bolt in the wrong direction may not only be practically impossible to remove but it may also damage the bolt by making it stripped and worn out.
When you damage the bolt of your miter saw blade, it may interfere with the flow of your work as it may be cumbersome to remove, thus wasting your precious time and energy.
To avoid stripping your miter saw blade bolt, you must understand the ideal direction when screwing and unscrewing the bolt. It is recommended that you use your right hand. The direction to tighten the screw is indicated by the side on which your thumb points.
The clockwise direction should thus be used when screwing the bolt and an anticlockwise direction when removing the bolt. The ideal bolt direction knowledge will go a long way in ensuring your miter saw blade bolt is in good shape.
Miter Saw Replacement Blade Bolt
To increase the efficiency of your miter saw, regular maintenance is essential. Worn out parts should also be replaced. However, replacing your miter saw’s blade can be challenging if the bolt is stripped and has lost its grip. When the bolt gets damaged, it is recommended that you replace it with a new one. Miter saw replacement blade bolts are available in the hardware store near you.
It should be similar to something like this from a reputable replacement parts store
However, you should ensure that it has the same specifications as the old one when buying a replacement bolt. A bolt with different specifications may not snug fit in your miter saw, thus making it wobbly and shaky. Attempting to replace the bolt which is different from the original may also spoil the screw threads.
Is Your Miter Saw Blade Bolt Stuck?
A miter saw blade bolt might get stuck over time due to a number of reasons, and thus reinforcement may be needed to unscrew it. You might be asking yourself, “Are miter saw blade bolt reverse threaded?” Well, although the heads of the bolt are threaded, they may get worn out, and that’s the reason why a miter saw blade bolt might be stuck.
A miter saw blade bolt might be stuck if the head is rusted, stripped, or round. The process of removing a bolt that is stuck requires some level of expertise to remove it. However, if you have the correct tools and experience, you can easily remove a miter saw blade bolt that is stuck.
Techniques for Removing Stripped Bolts
Although it can be challenging to unscrew a stuck stripped bolt, the following tools will help you tackle this dilemma.
- Use Force
A brute force is one of the easiest ways to unscrew a bolt that is rusted and stripped. It is essential to first try this technique before attempting other methods. Take a punch or a chisel and a hammer, and hit the center of the bolt. The goal is to shock the miter saw blade bolt free with the impact. You may try to strike it severally if it doesn’t loosen at first.
However, this method may not be ideal for heavily rusted bolts but only suitable for bolts with mild corrosive seizures. Unlike the other techniques, this one requires minimal knowledge and skills.
- Use of Heat
This technique involves breaking the corrosive seal of your miter saw blade bolt. Heat is applied to expand the metal used in the building of the bolt. When the bolt expands it can be easily removed.
- Shaking off the Stripped Bolt
This technique is similar to the force method. Here you use a socket wrench to twist the stripped nut or bolt forward and backward in an attempt to loosen it. A bit of energy is required to increase the rotation rate until the bolt finally rises out of its housing.
The use of penetrating oil will make the process easier and at the same time avoid damage to the thread of the bolt and the housing. Lubrication aids in the clean and swift removal of the bolt.
- The Use of Pipe Wrench
Pipe wrenches are common in most workshops and thus can be utilized in the easy removal of a stuck bolt. Although this technique may not be ideal for heavily rusted bolts, it may work if the bolt head has some grip level. You are required to fix the pipe wrench head over the bolt’s head and tighten it down. As you continue twisting, the wrench bites down on the grips of the bolt harder. In the process, the bolt loosens up.
- Drilling Out of the Stuck Bolt
If the above techniques do not work out, you may opt to use this method. This technique may require an expert to drill out the bolt without causing damage to the threads of the bolt housing. When removing the bolt by drilling, one should be keen not to leave fragments inside the hole as the bolt may break during the process.
Generally, it may be a challenging hurdle to remove a miter saw blade bolt stuck while replacing the blade, but this issue may be solved. However, if you are unable to solve it, you may use an expert’s help to drill it out and replace it with a new one.
