Five Common Panel Saw Issues and How to Troubleshoot Them

Panel saws are the ideal tool to use when you want to achieve a precision cut on any rigid material. They are an essential tool at an industrial level but also important for considering in a smaller workshop as well. However, there are several common issues that can occur when it comes to using a panel saw. Let's take a look at five of these and how you can troubleshoot them. 

1. Intensive wear on the teeth of the saw

One of the most common issues you will come across when it comes to any type of saw is worn to the saw teeth. There are several reasons this can occur:

• Blade speed might be higher than it should be, with this being proportional to wear and tear
• Long term use will eventually wear out blades
• Using the saw on the wrong materials or particularly strong woods will wear teeth increasingly

Checking that you are using the correct speed and materials will help you to avoid this issue. You may need to check the blade more often and change them to ensure you’re always getting an accurate cut.

2. Damage in the gullets 

The gullets are  an important part of any panel saw and a common problem that can be found is cracking in this area. There are a number of reasons these cracks may appear, the biggest being the alignment of the guide being incorrect. Damage can also be caused by saw teeth coming into contact with the blade guides repeatedly. It’s essential to ensure that everything is aligned correctly and check it often to avoid this issue. 

3. The last part of the cutting cycle being offloaded

When the last part of the cutting cycle is offloaded, the amount of idle time in the process of the panel saw is increased. It is important to keep an eye on this, as it will contribute to the teeth becoming dull.

4. Uneven saw teeth

Uneven saw teeth can result in burning wood panels. Burning can also be caused if your machine speed is too high, if the blade is poor quality or if there is an issue with the spindle. A standard visual inspection is an effective way to determine uneven saw teeth before burning.

5. Improper flow of coolant

If you don’t adjust the flow of coolant onto your saw blade, then the material that you are working on will not be sufficiently lubricated to ensure that you can keep your temperatures in check. When you take coolant out of the equation in this way heat generation goes out of control and this can have an impact on the durability of the blade. 

Keeping an eye on the various components of your panel saw will help you to keep most of these common problems in check, and keep your machinery working safely. Regular cleaning and maintenance of your panel saw will help you to catch common issues before they become more serious problems. It is worth finding the time to undertake regular maintenance.