table saw blade changing tool

Ken, I use Allan Little’s method.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jrEe4IKynR0

-- From the fruit of their lips people are filled with good things, and the work of their hands brings them reward. - Prov 12:14

I use the slim wrench that came with the saw to hold the arbor still. I’m not thrilled about any method that puts pressure on the teeth.

-- Charlie M. "Woodworking - patience = firewood"

I use Charlie’s method as well.

My saw came with 2 wrenches, one for the arbor and one for the nut. Works great. Important thing is to not over tighten. Snug is plenty tight enough.

-- Save lives, ease suffering, reduce morbidity and mortality, stomp out pestilence and disease, postpone the inevitable, and fake compassion. The Paramedics Creed

Wow, that’s a pretty simple yet very safe and effective way of changing a blade. Thanks for the video link.

-- Weekend Wood Wrecker

Mark Davisson,Thank you for the link,it’s easy enough ,I’m going to use that method(for changing regular blades) from now on.

Charlie and Scott ,My saw is 37 years old and unfortunately I don’t have the thin wrench for the arbor,I’m not even sure if the arbor on this saw has a flat notch on it i.t should,I’ll have to check,if it does it would be easy enough to make a wrench for it and use it when changing dado blades.
Thank you all for your very helpful posts.

-- Ken from Ontario

Considering the cost of having a tooth replaced, I’d say
the Lee Valley tool is a smart buy.

I wedge a piece of wood in a gullet. I’ve had a couple
of saws that had a hole for a bar you drop in to lock
the arbor or a wrench.

Most of the time I’m able to break the nut loose while just holding onto the blade between the knuckle of my index finger and thumb (obviously I avoid the teeth, but you can use a leather glove if you’re more comfortable). It’s fast and effective the vast majority of the time….the key is to just snug the nut in the first place…..it doesn’t need to be overly tight because it’s self tightening. If that doesn’t work on the first try, I grab a quick-grip type clamp and place the jaws on each side of the blade body in place of the grip of my hand….the blade will rotate until the clamp rests on the table surface and provides more resistance than my hand. If that fails, as a third resort I use a block of wood to stop the rotation.

I’m not advocating that it’s the best method, but it’s what I do.

-- Happiness is like wetting your pants...everyone can see it, but only you can feel the warmth....

Ha. My old Unisaw has flats machined on the arbor. I made my own wrench out of 1/4” plate steel. I finally threw away the Delta sheet metal nut wrench and bought a used 7/8” combination wrench ($.50) at the pawn shop. Out of the whole bin of random wrenches, it was the first one I picked up. Hardly rates a tool gloat, I suppose.

Before I had the Uni, I did the old wedge a piece of wood between the teeth and the table trick. Considering those teeth are designed to strike hardwood at a high rate of speed, I doubt if tapping against the carbide with a stick would harm them. But I’ve been wrong before.

+1 on KS’s leather glove suggestion. that’s what i do. also, forrest advises against using wood to chock the blade teeth:

http://www.forrestblades.com/Forrest_Saw_Blade_Instructions.pdf

see “installing blade on saw arbor”.

-- there's a solution to every problem.......you just have to be willing to find it.

Those plastic deals are useless if the blade has got on good and tight, maybe thru a tough cut that almost jammed the saw. The reason, of course, is that when using this plastic thing to try and loosen the arbour nut, the teeth don’t want to dig into it, that only happens on tightening. A waste of money I would say.

-- Dwight - "Free legal advice available - contact Dewey, Cheetam & Howe""

I also hold the blade with my fingers. If you can’t loosen it this way, it’s too tight.

-- Joe