Workshop services
TCT sharpening
& re-tipping
We restore TCT circular saw blades to full cutting performance — face, top and side grinding to correct geometry, K20 or K40 carbide re-tipping, and tensioning. Courier from anywhere in Southern Africa. Return typically within 4-7 working days.
How it works
The sharpening & re-tipping process
Every blade that comes in is inspected before any work starts. We assess the condition of the tips, the body, the braze and the plate — and quote accordingly before proceeding. You are never charged for unapproved work.
Receive & inspect
The blade is cleaned and inspected under direct light. We check tip condition (height remaining, cracking, braze integrity), plate flatness, and any signs of overheating or impact damage. We then confirm the scope of work and quote before starting.
Face grinding
The front face of each tip is ground to restore a flat, sharp cutting face. We use diamond wheels with adequate cutting fluid flow and grind in multiple shallow passes — the only way to avoid the friction martensite that causes premature tip loss and plate cracking.
Top grinding
The top of each tip is ground to restore the correct clearance angle. For fine-finish blades, tolerances here are tight — asymmetric clearance causes the blade to cut in a curve rather than straight.
Side grinding
Side clearance is ground on both sides simultaneously to ensure symmetry. Asymmetric sides cause lateral drift — the blade wanders toward the high side regardless of fence alignment.
Re-tipping (where required)
Tips that are missing, fractured, or worn below serviceable height are removed and replaced. New carbide tips (K20 or K40) are brazed with BrazeTec silver solder.
Final inspection & return
Completed blades are inspected against a straight reference surface and under direct light. We check tip symmetry, clearance angles and braze quality before packing in individual cardboard and returning by courier with the service invoice.
What to include when sending blades
- Your name and contact phone number
- A brief description of the required work — or simply describe the problem you're seeing (burning, drift, chipping, etc.) and we'll assess
- The timber species and application if you want us to advise on carbide grade
- Whether tensioning or levelling is needed (if you're unsure, say so — we'll check)
Quote before we proceed. If the work required exceeds a standard sharpen — for example if multiple tips need replacing — we will contact you with a quote before starting. You decide whether to proceed. No surprises on the invoice.
Packing matters. Tip-to-tip contact in transit chips carbide even without a visible impact. Wrap each blade individually in corrugated cardboard. Never put multiple blades in the same packaging without separators. Blades damaged in transit due to inadequate packing cannot be repaired to new condition.
5 Rapid Street
Riverside Industrial Park
Nelspruit / Mbombela, 1201
What we sharpen
Blade types we service
If it has TCT tips brazed to a steel plate, we can sharpen it. The list below covers the most common types — if yours isn't listed, call us and we'll tell you straight whether we can help.
Rip & cross-cut saw blades
General purpose TCT circular saw blades for solid timber ripping and cross-cutting. Any diameter from 150mm through to 1220mm and beyond.
Multi-rip blades
Multi-rip saw sets with matched tooth geometry across all blades in the pack. Symmetry between blades is critical. We return sets calibrated to the same clearance angles.
Panel sizing & fine-finish blades
High tooth-count blades for panel sizing, cabinet work and fine cross-cutting. The tight tolerances of these blades demand more careful grinding than standard rip blades.
Scoring blades
Small-diameter scoring blades that run ahead of the main blade on sliding table saws and beam saws. Must be precisely matched in height and set to the main blade. We service both as a unit.
Plate saws & large-diameter blades
Plate saws and large-format blades up to 1220mm diameter and beyond. We advise on the correct handling and packaging for large-diameter blades. These require extra care in transit.
Specialised & non-standard
Conical blades, grooving heads, profile cutters and other non-standard TCT tooling. Contact us first, we'll confirm whether we can service it and what information we need.
Carbide selection
Which grade for your application
The two most common mistakes in re-tipping are using too soft a grade in a demanding application (tips break) and using too hard a grade in a shock-load application (tips fracture on impact). We advise on grade selection as part of the service — tell us what you're cutting and we'll match the tip to the job.
| Grade | Best for | Avoid when |
|---|---|---|
| K20 | General purpose solid timber, softwood and hardwood in normal cutting conditions. The everyday workhorse. | Very hard, abrasive or fibrous timbers where tip wear rate is high |
| K40 | High shock-load applications — large diameter, heavy ripping, hardwoods with silica, recycled timber with possible metal inclusions | Fine-finish panel work where surface quality is critical |
| Stellite 12 | Maximum wear resistance in hardwood, high-silica exotic species and applications where re-tipping is infrequent. Significantly longer life between services. | Impact applications — Stellite is wear-resistant but more brittle than K40 under shock |
The standard re-tipping grade for most solid timber applications. Good wear resistance, adequate toughness under normal cutting loads. Re-sharpens cleanly.
Tougher, more impact-resistant grade. Preferred for large-diameter ripping, dense hardwoods and any application where tip breakage (rather than wear) is the problem.
52% cobalt, 30% chromium, 9% tungsten, 1.8% carbon — 47–51 HRC. Not as hard as carbide but far less brittle. Exceptional wear life in high-silica African hardwood species.
Turnaround & delivery
How the courier service works
Customers across Southern Africa send blades by courier. We service and return — no need to travel to Nelspruit. The process is straightforward once you've done it once.
How to pack blades for courier
Ready to send blades in?
Package your blades, courier to Nelspruit, and we'll come back with a quote before starting. Return typically within 4-7 working days.