Just like any other piece of equipment, your cold saw requires regular care and maintenance to ensure a long productive life in your shop. Keeping the machine clean and maintained by following a preventive maintenance schedule will help you avoid those costly repairs and lost production hours caused by a major breakdown.

Here are some suggestions for extending the life of your cold saw:

Remove the chips from the saw's vise

It sounds sensible and straightforward, but it's a step that saw operators often skip. Maybe it's because they are in a hurry or it doesn't seem all that important. But allowing the chips to build-up will eventually prevent the vise's moving parts from…well…moving.

Make it a point to remind everyone who uses your saw to take the time to clean the chips away when they are done, if for no other reason than as a courtesy to the next person who uses it.

Do not skip regular maintenance

Your cold saw is made up of moving parts that must be lubricated at all times. Skipping your regular maintenance will result in downtime and a shorter life for an expensive machine that adds value to your operation.

Replace any worn parts immediately

Cold saws are precision cutting machines. As such, you will need to replace worn parts quickly so that it continues to be precise. Make sure you replace everything that caused a problem. For example, don't just change a belt if the pulley is also worn out.

Frayed wires are more than a safety hazard

A bad electrical wire is hazardous on its own. Add flying metal chips and spewing coolant to the mix, and it's an injury waiting to happen. A secondary issue could be the cold saw shorting out and causing significant damage to the machine. Prevent all of this by changing wires and cords that are cut or frayed.

Clean the coolant and top off the tank

Use a special oil-cleaning rag and blot it on the top of the coolant. This should remove the surface oil. Then, take something like a kitty litter scoop and take out the accumulated metal. Add some fresh water-soluble coolant to bring it to an optimal level.

In some cases, your coolant may be so dirty that you must replace it. When that happens, you'll need to pump out the old coolant, clean the tank, and add a fresh mixture.

Maximize the life of your blades

Without a doubt, extending the life of your saw blades will contribute to your productivity and the bottom line. Circular saw blades with carbide tips are ideal for high production metal sawing, but they are expensive. So, if you are resharpening and replacing them frequently, the increased productivity will be offset by those costs.