How to Change Blade on Chicago Miter Saw

Table of Content show

There can be a number of reasons why you may want to add a different blade to your Chicago miter saw.

You may want to use another blade for a different application or maybe your current blade has simply been worn out.

Whatever the reason is, the process to change the blade is fairly simple and it shouldn’t take a lot of time as long as you follow the instructions provided.

Quick Summary

In this post, we will provide detailed instructions on how to effectively change the blade on a Chicago miter saw.

We will also provide a list of everything you will need as well as some safety precautions.

So without further ado, let’s get into it.

Some Safety Precautions

Safety precautions are something that many veterans and even novice woodworkers tend to gloss over.

Many people feel that nothing can go wrong and as a result, they don’t spend as much time taking safety precautions as they should.

There is a lot that can go wrong when you are working with a miter saw. Hence, it’s crucial that you work slowly while taking safety precautions to ensure you don’t hurt yourself or others around you.

Important safety precautions you should take when you change the blade on a miter saw are:

Ensure that you wear thick gloves or some sort of protection for your hands before you start working with a miter saw. You don’t want the dull or the sharp blade to injure your fingers.
Wear some type of eye protection such as safety goggles throughout the entire process.
If you are doing this for the first time, make sure to do everything slowly. There’s no rush and the importance should be on getting things right.
Make sure to apply the appropriate amount of force when you are screwing things into place during changing. You don’t want to exert a lot of pressure as that can damage the screw, the blade or even the saw.
Before you attempt to change the blade on a Chicago miter saw, make sure that you go through the instruction manual for it. This will help you get even more acquainted with its different components before you perform any changes.
If you are running into too many issues, it’s okay to stop. You don’t need to hurt yourself over it. If you feel stuck, then it might be a good idea to get it changed from a professional.

After you’ve taken care of all the importat safety measures, you can go ahead and start the changing process for the blade.

How to Change the Blade on a Chicago Electric Miter Saw (Step-by-Step Guide)

Chicago miter saws are extremely user-friendly which is why, even if you’re doing it for the first time, you should not run into too many issues.

Just go through the instructions provided below thoroughly and follow them to a T. You should be able to get your blade changed in no time.

Here’s how you change the blade on a Chicago miter saw:

Step 1: Before you do anything at all, you must first make sure the miter saw is powered off and not plugged into any power socket.

The saw being just powered off is not enough. You must ensure it’s not plugged into any power socket. You don’t want the blade to accidentally turn on while you are trying to change it.

You can imagine how bad it would be if something like that happened.

Step 2: Once the miter saw is powered off and unplugged, the first step to changing the blade is to lift up the blade guard.

The blade guard is a shield that protects your hands and face from the blade while you are operating the Chicago miter saw. You need to get it out of the way so that you can safely handle the blade to remove it. Then, you can add the new one to it.

To adjust the blade guard and get it out of the way, you must first inspect it to find the screw locations that hold it in place. You can easily find these locations just by studying the blade guard.

If you can’t find the locations for them, it can be a good idea to look at the instruction manual.

After identifying where the screws are, loosen them with either a screwdriver or a wrench.

Once the screws are loose, you can easily just handle the blade guard and push it in order to make it rise upwards. This will move it out of the way and reveal the miter saw blade underneath.

Step 3: After you move the blade guard out of the way, you must find the spindle lock.

The spindle lock holds the blade in place and prevents it from rotating while you handle it.

You will need to find and push the spindle lock in order to lock the blade in place. This will allow you to remove the blade without it moving around.

Step 4: After you’ve taken hold of the spindle lock, find the screw that holds the miter saw blade in place.

The screw may be protected by a bolt cover. Again, you can easily locate this bolt cover just by observing the blade itself. If you can’t find it, then you can read through the instruction manual to locate it.

Use a wrench to remove the bolt cover in order to reveal the screw underneath. Next, use a screwdriver to unscrew it and make the blade lose.

Please note that during all of this, you should be shoving the spindle lock-in at the same time so that the blade does not rotate.

After the old dull blade is loose, you can easily remove it from the miter saw.

Step 5: Take the new blade and slowly add it back to the location where you removed the previous blade from.

You will need to secure it properly until the spindle lock properly locks the blade in place. When this happens, you will hear an audible click that will let you know that the spindle lock has been properly initiated.

Next, insert the screw back into the same location and tighten it with a screwdriver. Lastly, take the cover of the bolt and tighten it atop the screw with a wrench.

During all of this screwing and wrenching, you must shove in the spindle lock at the same time to ensure that your new, sharp blade does not rotate.

Also, make sure you don’t over-tighten anything as it can cause damage to the screw, the blade, or even the miter saw itself.

Step 6: Now that the blade has been properly secured into the Chicago miter saw, the next step is to put the blade guard back in its original position.

Lower the blade guard back to its original position so that it protects you from the new blade inside. Next, insert all the screws back in and tighten them completely with your screwdriver.

Once more, you must be very careful at this point so that you don’t over-tighten anything. As mentioned earlier, it can lead to damage to your miter saw so be careful.

After the blade guard is attached, you’re golden.

Note: Get all the tools beforehand.