Lubrication of Chop Saws

[Snagglefoot]

I have a Makita 10 inch miter saw that's well used. I noticed that it was getting difficult to smoothly pivot it to make the cut. Checked it out carefully but couldn't see what was making the plastic blade guard jam.

Finally brained up and gave all the pivots a shot of WD 40. Wow, what an incredible difference. Lubricate your tools!

 

[spasm3]

If you use wd-40 you will need to apply it before each use. Wd-40 evaporates and is a poor lubricant. Some light oil or trans fluid will work also. Avoid anything heavy as it will hold grit.

 

[maxdustington]

I would have just cleaned it or used a dry lube. Saw dust is the worst for turning into sludge when mixed with oil/grease. WD40 is perfect for flushing out old lube/sludge though. If it's not sitting on a job site creating clouds of sawdust in an enclosed space you should be ok though.

My dad has a 30+ year old Makita chop saw that has to have the base taken apart and lubed every so often (no plastic parts). Last time I did it, I used graphite lube and it seemed to last longer than oil or grease.

 

[HangFire]

Originally Posted by maxdustington
WD40 is perfect for flushing out old lube/sludge though.

Yes, I wish the WD-40 haters would learn how to use it properly. Use it to clean out and dry out stuff. Then apply the proper lube!

 

[spasm3]

Originally Posted by HangFire
Originally Posted by maxdustington
WD40 is perfect for flushing out old lube/sludge though.

Yes, I wish the WD-40 haters would learn how to use it properly. Use it to clean out and dry out stuff. Then apply the proper lube!



+1 I'm not a hater. I just think it needs to be used for the right applications. It was perfect for damp distributor caps! I also use it if one of my pocket knives gets wet, i wd-40 it heavy, wipe it down then lube it with light oil.

I do like the wd-40 brand long term corrosion inhibitor. I wipe down my hand tools, wrenches with it.

 

[Snagglefoot]

I'll do a test. I'll leave my Makita with just the WD-40 on the pivot points and report back.

 

[spasm3]

Originally Posted by Snagglefoot
I'll do a test. I'll leave my Makita with just the WD-40 on the pivot points and report back.

It will clean well.

Spray some regular wd 40 on a paper towel and leave it in your garage. Then you can get an idea of the evaporation time.

 

[Trav]

Try WD-40 dry lube, it works great on the bade too and wont clog up with sawdust. The new product line looks pretty good.