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How to change a table saw blade on a 315mm bench saw

Updated: 22 October 2026

The new 315 mm disc is on the bench and the nut is still tight. How to change a table saw blade, on a UK site saw or a workshop bench, starts with the plug, not the spanner. The usual failures are a saw that is still live, teeth that face the wrong way, and a riving knife left set for yesterday's kerf. Isolate the saw, mount only a blade the manual allows, then reset the knife and the guard before the plug goes back in. The distances come from HSE, and the isolate line from UK manuals including the Makita 2712. A qualifying purchase can earn us a commission at no extra cost to you. Which listing is which job stays on the [315mm x 30mm circular saw blade comparison](/hub/saw-accessories/315mm-x-30mm-circular-saw-blade).

The new 315 mm disc is on the bench and the nut is still tight. How to change a table saw blade, on a UK site saw or a workshop bench, starts with the plug, not the spanner.

Our top picks

Trend Trend CSB/31548 combination blade, 48 teeth

Best overall

Trend Trend CSB/31548 combination blade, 48 teeth
8.8/10about £37.00
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Draper Draper 24969 wood blade, 48 teeth

Alternative

Draper Draper 24969 wood blade, 48 teeth
7.1/10about £27.07
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BGS Do it yourself BGS 3957 carbide blade, 30 teeth

Best value

BGS Do it yourself BGS 3957 carbide blade, 30 teeth
8.2/10about £19.03
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On this page
  1. 1.Isolate the saw and wait until it has stopped
  2. 2.Mount the blade the manual shows
  3. 3.Reset the knife and the guard to this kerf
  4. 4.The first cut, and when to stop

Isolate the saw and wait until it has stopped

Switch the saw off and disconnect it from the supply before you touch the nut, the guard, or the knife. That is the line in the Makita 2712 manual, and the same principle in other UK bench instructions. A switched-off machine that is still plugged in is not isolated. If the saw is hard-wired, use the lock-off your workplace already uses. Wait until the blade has stopped. HSE expects the brake on this class of bench to stop the blade within 10 seconds. Do not jam wood into the teeth to hurry that stop.

Mount the blade the manual shows

Read the rotation arrow on your saw, then seat the disc so the teeth meet the wood in the direction that arrow requires. There is no universal tighten-clockwise step, because the nut belongs to the saw manual. A cracked body or missing tips means you stop. If the bore is larger than the arbor, the only reducer HSE's framing allows is a fixed ring, and only onto a smaller arbor. A ring will not open a 30 mm bore, and it will not turn a 305 mm disc into a 315 mm disc. Check a 2.2 mm plate against the Makita 2712 manual before the nut goes back on. That limit is on the saw fit page.
Trend Trend CSB/31548 combination blade, 48 teeth

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Trend Trend CSB/31548 combination blade, 48 teeth
8.8/10about £37.00
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Reset the knife and the guard to this kerf

Refit the riving knife for ripping, and reset it when the plate or kerf changes. HSE wants the knife thicker than the plate and thinner than the kerf, and within 8 mm of the blade at table level. A knife set for a 3.2 mm kerf can stand proud of a 3.0 mm kerf. If it will not pass, you need a different knife. A power feed is not a substitute. Put the crown guard back before you restore power. If the amazon row does not print a kerf, as on the Draper listings, take that figure from the manual or from Draper's own page. The checks are on the buying guide.

The first cut, and when to stop

Restore power only after the nut is tight to the manual, the knife is within 8 mm, and the guard is on. HSE wants a push-stick for the last 300 mm of a rip and for any cut under 300 mm. The stick should be at least 450 mm long, with a bird's mouth. Use it on the offcut too, unless the offcut is wider than 150 mm. Stop if the plate is cracked, tips are missing, or the manual will not show rotation and the nut. Choosing 24 or 96 teeth belongs on the tooth count page, with the saw still isolated.

Common questions

Do you unplug the saw before you touch the nut?
Yes. Switch off, disconnect from the supply, and wait until the blade has stopped. The Makita 2712 manual says the saw should be unplugged before the blade is installed or removed. A machine that is only switched off at the paddle, with the plug still in, is not isolated. Do not slow the blade with a scrap of wood.
Which way do the teeth face?
The teeth face the way your saw's rotation arrow requires, so they cut on the side of the disc the manual shows. This page does not give a clockwise rule, because thread and flange differ by machine. If the manual is missing, do not guess from a video of a different saw. Missing tips or a cracked plate mean you stop, rather than mounting the disc to test the damage.
How close should the riving knife be after the new blade is on?
Within 8 mm of the blade at table level, and only if the knife is thicker than the plate and thinner than the kerf. That is the HSE figure for this class of bench, not a 3 mm to 8 mm gap copied from a US manual. If you have changed kerf, measure again. A knife set for a 3.2 mm Trend kerf is not automatically right for a 3.0 mm BGS kerf.
What if the new kerf is narrower than the knife?
Do not run it. The knife has to be thinner than the kerf, or it will not sit in the slot the teeth have cut. You need a thinner knife, or a blade whose kerf is wide enough for the knife you already have. Forcing the timber through, or taking the knife off for that one job, is the failure this check is there to prevent. A power feed does not remove the requirement.
When do you use a push-stick?
Use one for the last 300 mm of a longer rip, and for any cut under 300 mm. HSE's stick is at least 450 mm long, with a bird's mouth. Use it to clear the offcut as well, unless the offcut is wider than 150 mm. Your hand should not finish the cut in line with the teeth, and it should not travel beside the blade to steady a short piece. The fence does not replace the stick.

Related pages

210x30 saw blade

315mm x 30mm circular saw blade

Best 315mm table saw blade 30mm: which job it suits

315mm circular saw blade 30mm bore: checks to make

Makita 2712 blade size: the 2 mm body limit checked

Circular saw blade tooth count: 24, 30, 48, 72, 96

Sources

Public UK sources and the amazon.co.uk listings compared on this page. Updated 22.10.2026.

  1. HSE: circular saw benches (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  2. HSE WIS16: circular saw benches (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  3. HSE: wood dust (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  4. HSE: woodworking standards, including BS EN 847-1 (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  5. Makita 2712 manual (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  6. Trend CSB/31524, CSB/31548 and CSB/31572 (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  7. Draper 24969 TCT circular saw blade (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  8. amazon.co.uk Trend CSB/31548 (retrieved 21 October 2026)