As useful and durable they are, saw blades are bound to get worn out over time. They get rusty, dull, and slow. So, what to do with old saw blades once they are of no use? Should you just toss them out or put them in a box in the garage, consigned to oblivion until your great-grandchild discovers them again in a post-apocalyptic world?
Luckily, there are many ways you can reuse and recycle your saw blades without throwing them away. Keep reading to learn more about your options regarding old saw blades.
How to know your saw blade is old and what to do with them
Saw blades are usually made of steel, and some manufacturers use other additives to enhance their performance. They are usually of good quality and last for a long time.
However, with time and repeated use, you’ll notice your trusty saw blade is getting slower than usual, rusty appearance, or causing more chipping and rips. That’s when you know it’s getting old and you need to do something about it.
There are several ways you can use to revive your old saw blade. You can recycle it, sharpen it for re-using or make something completely different and new out of the blade. It all depends on what type of blade you own and what state it is in.
Now without further ado, let’s check out all the things we can do with old saw blades.
How to Reuse Old Saw Blades
If your blade is made of quality material, it’ll stay sharp for a longer period of time and when they get dull, instead of throwing them in the garbage, you can make them usable again by sharpening them.
You can whet your saw blade easily in your own home. The sharpening tools can be found in your local hardware stores and that’s a pretty good investment since it’s cheaper than buying a new blade every time one frays.
If you’re not feeling confident about sharpening the blade at home or if it’s a blade that’s difficult to sharpen, just take it to the professionals and they’ll do the work for you. You can find companies and shops in your town that offer this kind of service.
Many companies even offer to exchange your old blade for a new one from them. And then if they find the blade is fixable, they’ll sharpen and re-sell it. If not, then it goes for recycling.
How To Recycle Old Saw Blades
Depending on the type and quality of the blade, your saw blade can be resharpened only so many times. Some low-quality blades aren’t even fit for resharpening. So what to do with them? We take them for recycling.
If you have blue bins (recycling bins) in your area and allow saw blades, you can dispose of them there for recycling.
You can also dump your old saw blades in the metal recycling bin of your local recycling center. They’ll be recycled with cans and other recyclable metal things.
Since steel is quite valuable, recycling companies are happy to take them (most of the time) for recycling, but you should always check with them first before disposing of your saw blades.
Taking them to a scrap metal vendor is another good option. As I said before, steel is a valued metal and the dealer will pay you a few bucks for the blades.
Whatever you do, please do not chuck in the blades in the bins without proper cautions. Handle them safely and check the recycling company’s policy to safely hand over the blades.
Repurposing Old Saw Blades
Recycling is not the only option available for saw blades. There are many other cool ways you can use them once they are deemed not worthy for their original purpose. A quick surf around the internet, especially sites like Pinterest can give you a plethora of creative options.
One of the coolest things you can turn your old saw blade into is a knife. An old circular saw blade or hand saw blade can be turned into a knife. You can also turn an old reciprocating saw blade into a perfect marking knife.
There are plenty of tutorial videos and how-to guides on the internet for you to follow. Or you can take the blades to someone who specializes in these things to get a knife out of your saw blade.
Knives made from saw blades are pretty badass (they are customized to your liking. duh!) and perfect for gift giving. Also, they last pretty long since saw blades are made of high-quality materials.
Another cool way to repurpose saw blades in painting them. If you are artsy, this should be a fun little project. Or you can also give them to some artist to paint on.
You can also donate old saw blades, turn them into clocks, garden art pieces, signs, pizza cutters, and many more nice crafty things. So cool, right?
Discarding Old Saw Blades Safely
No matter what you do, at one point, reviving your saw blade will be a lost cause. You’d have no choice but to get rid of it. Either throw it in the bin or give it to the recycling center. Whichever you choose, please be safe and dispose of them with caution.
They are sharp metal objects that can cut you or someone else even when they are dull. You should wrap your blade in layers of newspapers and then tape some cardboard around it to prevent the blade from slipping. You can also label it as “sharp” using a sharpie before putting it in the bin.
Conclusion
It’s amazing how things still can be beneficial in some ways even after they’ve lost their primary function, right?
Now you know what to do with old saw blades which have been lying around in your workplace, waiting for their forever home. Just make sure whatever you do, you take necessary precautions so as not to hurt yourself or anyone else.
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