Circular saw maintenance

Depending on its age, you may be able to find a maintenance manual on line, where you can look for lubrication instructions.

Throw it away and buy a Skil 77 Mag.

If that is not an option, find the oil fill hole and fill it with 90 weight hypoid gear oil available at any auto parts store or spend more money and buy the same oil branded for use in a an electric saw.

Others may have a different take, but that is mine and it works for me.

I have an older Rockwell with bearing grease caps, but most saws are sealed, remove the brushes to see how much life is left, maybe motor bearings could be oiled if they are not sealed. There isnt much to maintain, the power cord would be first to replace if its real old and cracked or worn.

Why do ridicule his father's present? Did people ridiulce your father's presents to you, or yours to your children?

How often do you think you will use the saw? If it's not going to be very often and it seems to be working ok now then don't worry about it. If it starts making "bearing" noises, then take it to BD shop and have them replace the bearings if you want to keep the saw. Also, the saw your dad gave you, if it's an old one, may be quite heavy compared to a new one so again, you have to weigh the trade offs and amount of use. I had a circ saw that seemed to need bearings and I had it serviced for $25 (this was 15 years ago) and when I got it back it still sounded like it needed bearings. I bought a new $50 one and it's been fine for the last 15 years of occasional use.

If it's an important keep-sake, you might be better off not trying to disassembling it to perform maintenance. Actually, if it's important, you might be better off not even using it.

I have several tools that I got from my father. I just keep them clean and functional, but don't actually use them. Too many memories with them to take a chance harming them.

I also have old B&D saw inherited from my father. It must be over 30 years old and I've had it maybe 25 years. I see no way to oil or maintain it and have used it numerous times. All I've ever done was buy new blades.

I treasure the few tools of my father's that I ended up with. At garage sales, when I see twins to to tools I used in childhood (ie, a red-handle Yankee ratchet screwdriver, or a Stanley miter box), I snap them up, if the price is decent. Will I ever use them much? Not as long as my modern tools keep working. But it pleases me to have them around. And if the power ever goes off for good, well, these old tools will still work fine.

-- aem sends...

Blow out the sawdust (a blow gun works well) and wipe down the unit with a rag dampened with kerosene or mineral spirits. Remove any built up gunk with an old toothbrush. Remove the blade, clean it (you can use a strong detergent or oven cleaner), and get it sharpened or replaced. Sometimes a special wrench is needed and the arbor may be a left-handed thread. Check the brushes for excessive wear and replace them if needed (it may be difficult to find replacements for an old saw). Check the saw, safety features and cord for damage or wear. Use lubricant/grease as recommended by the manufacturer.

My local non-big box hardware store has a drawer of electric motor brushes. If I can't find the right size brush, I get the next bigger size and sand it down to the correct size. Seems to work fine for me. Jus throw the sandpaper out after using it, the carbon from the brushes gets into everything and is difficult to remove, even though the sandpaper is still sharp.