Will Electroysis dull a saw blade?

[uart]

I've got some old tools that were my father's that I'm trying to clean up. One is an old miter saw with a detachable blade that's kinda similar to the one shown in the attachment. The blade is pretty rusty and I was thinking of giving it a bit of blast in an electrolysis tank.

Does anyone know if it will dull it or hurt the teeth to do this?

Thanks.

 

[larry_g]

If the teeth are rusty yes it will dull the edge, but it is already dull so it doesn't matter. Clean and then sharpen and your back in business. Part of owning good tools is knowing how to sharpen and set the teeth.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[Professur]

Or you could spend the $12 and just buy a new blade.

 

[A_Pmech]

Electrolysis will likely destroy it.

Saw blades are made from spring temper high-carbon plain steel, which is highly susceptible to hydrogen embrittlement cracking. This is why it's never ever a good idea to use an electrolysis bath on springs. They literally crumble.

 

[uart]

Or you could spend the $12 and just buy a new blade.

Yep that was going to be my next question. But to be honest I wasn't even sure if they're still available.

I've never bought this type of blade before. It's got small teeth kind of like a hacksaw, but the blade is much deeper than a regular hacksaw blade (very similar to the one in the previous attachment).

Does anyone have any link for places selling blades like this?

 

[Professur]

Measure the length between the anchors.

 

[uart]

Measure the length between the anchors.

It's about 21" between the outer edges of the anchor holes. A bit less center to center, probably about 53cm.

The depth of the blade is about 1.8" (45mm) and the thickness is about 35 thou (0.9 mm).

At the moment the rust on the blade has increased it's thickness enough to make it bind a little bit in the guides. To be honest I was going to throw this saw out, but the angle adjustments and the base all looks good so I kind of got the urge to see it working. My plan was just to do a rough cleanup to get it operational and see how it cuts. Then maybe look to see if replacement blades were available.

 

[Professur]

http://www.homehardware.ca/en/rec/i...Mitre-Saw-Blade/_/N-ntlyf/Ne-ntc74/R-I1038995

Not all that useful a link for ya, but it's a start. I'd be surprised if your local hardware store didn't have stock.

 

[woody 73]

The short answer is yes, most things will dull a blade. Rust, electrolysis, being put in a dishwasher (although one would hope your Father never did that) even improper storage when the blade hits other metal objects all will dull blades.

Hope that helps you out.

 

[stratman977]

I saw one of those on the shelves at the local hardware store. It didn't look that old so I bet you can get a blade.

 

[Fretters]

This is why it's never ever a good idea to use an electrolysis bath on springs. They literally crumble.

It's not quite that detrimental. No idea what the effect of running a large amount of current through it might be, but provided a sensible amount of current is used, brittleness/stiffness is a temporary factor. Springs do go funky for a while from the process, but they'll readily return to normal if left alone for a day or so. Saw blades would likely be the same. Just pop them to one side for a day or two, (or whack them in an oven for a hour or two), and there should be no problem. I've done quite a few springs and never had one be damaged as yet.

 

[augustus]

I would try the electrolysis, sounds like you have nothing to lose really. Or vinegar, I'm not sure if that will make it brittle.