A saw guide pad seal enables recycling of the coolant/lubricant used in a lumber sawing operation. The saw guide pad seal directs the coolant to coolant return chambers. The coolant return chambers have a negative pressure developed from the motion of the saw blade or provided by a vacuum pump or blower, and return the coolant to the coolant tank. A heat-exchanger is optionally used to control the temperature of the coolant, providing more consistent operation of the saw, and a filter is optionally used to remove contaminants before the recycled coolant is provided to the saw blade(s).