Nothing lasts forever. Not our tools, not our repairs, and certainly not circular saws. Whether you plan on using your saws regularly or sporadically, you will inevitably have to dispose of them and get new ones. You can throw them away, but this is the most wasteful and the least eco-friendly option. Better options are available, especially if you are a bit creative and have some metalwork tools. So, let’s see what disposing of old saws can entail.
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Recycling
Recycling should be the most obvious solution for the disposal of old saws. After all, saws are made out of metal (usually steel). Therefore, if you wish to get rid of them completely, you should look for places that deal with metal processing. A quick Google search should show any scrap metal recycling business in your vicinity. Hopefully, you will have one within a short drive from your place.
One thing to keep in mind with recycling is that it is not a very cost-effective option. Changing your circular saw blade will cost anywhere between $50 and $200. Meanwhile, if you take it to your local metal scrap, you’d be lucky to get $2 for it. The price difference is because the recycling businesses don’t care about craftsmanship but solely measure the weight of the metal you bring.
Therefore, while your old circular saw may be top-notch quality, you’ll essentially get nothing for it. Factor in the fuel cost for your drive, and you are effectively losing money. Fortunately, there are other, more creative ways of disposing of old saws.
Donation
Local technical or vocational schools will likely be more than happy to receive your circular saws as donations. Their students can use circular saws in tons of creative ways, some of which we’re about to list. You’d be surprised at how creative people get when reusing metal.
The one thing we would recommend that you do when donating is to pack your belongings properly. You cannot be sure how the school will store your items or for how long. And the better you protect them; the more likely students will use them. However, when transporting your saws or packing tools when moving overseas, the best course is to use the right supplies and pack everything safely. That way, you will protect them from excess moisture and temperature fluctuations.
Creative ways of disposing of old saws
Just because you can no longer rely on your circular saw to work at high performance doesn’t mean it cannot serve any other purpose. With a bit of creativity, you can make great use of old saws, both as valuable tools and as artistic pieces.
Making knives
Circular saws are usually made out of quality steel. Therefore, if you have some metalworking tools, it only makes sense to repurpose them. One way of doing so is to create knives. The process of doing so is pretty straightforward:
- Mark out the shape of the desired knife on your saw (tang included). Plan so that the blade of the circular saw will be the blade of your knife. You can, later on, hone and sharpen it.
- Cut out the knife shape from the saw.
- Drill two holes for the handle screws.
- Clean the knife from rust, dirt, or excess materials with a metal grinder.
- If there is any stubborn rust, there are plenty of inexpensive chemicals you can use to get rid of it.
- Start working on the blade. If you wish to get rid of the saws, you will need to use a grinder. Once you grind it down to the desired shape, perform some basic sharpening.
- For the handle, we recommend that you use wood. Again, you need to cut out the desired shape and outline holes where you will screw the handle together.
- Once you cut out the handle shape, make sure it fits properly.
- Now look to grind it down, so it sits comfortably in your hand.
- After you’ve achieved the desired handle shape, screw it with two screws that go through the knife tang. If you plan to glue the pieces together and not have tang exposed, you will have to use woodworking clamps.
- Place polish on the handles, and perform the final sharpening of your knife.
You can easily create two or three knives for a single saw (depending on how large it is). You can keep your knives and have new tools to use daily. If you don’t wish to keep them, you can look to sell them online. Handmade knives can easily go for $100 – $200. Therefore, with some knifemaking, you can even look to make money by disposing of old saws.
Clocks
Repurposing an old saw as a clock can be a perfect addon for your garage. You can easily find available kits for clock-making, both online and in craft stores. Unless you are going for a more rustic look, we advise you to clean and polish your saw blade first. Then mount it on a nice piece of wood you will hang from your wall. When it comes to marking hours and clock hands, you have many options. You can, for instance, engrave hours and use metal hands. Or place more notable hour markings, and use wooden handles. The only limit is how creative you are.
Art pieces
The last method of disposing of old saws is to create art. As you can see, there are many different options for repurposing metal. And if you forgo usability and simply focus on aesthetics, you will open up even more, from metal flowers, ornaments, and sculptures, to more abstract pieces. You can even use your circular saw as a canvas for paintings. If you lack inspiration, head online and see what options there are. Once you start feeling creative, you’d wish that you had more circular saws to get rid of.