I need to clean my blades – bandsaw, table saw and router bits from all the wood resins and residue that comes from normal use. What do you all recommend? I’ve heard a lot about Simply Green (?) but have never used it. My table saw and router bits are carbide tipped.
Thanks in advance!
Crazy
Replies
Simple Green works well and doesn't damage the carbide or your skin and eyes the way that lye (sodium hydroxide) cleaners do.
To use it, spray it on, wait a while, and then give the blade or bit a light scrubbing with a brass brush. If the blade has a lot of burned on resin, a second spray and a longer wait may be needed, but that is rarely the case.
John W.
John,
I assume the lye based stuff you mentioned would be conventional oven cleaners.
I have heard that oven cleaners will actually degrade the carbide (or perhaps it was the brazing used to fix the teeth to the saw blank).
Do you know if this is actually true, or just a myth -- probably promoted by the folks that make blade cleaners?
The oven cleaners contain lye and a few of the commercially made blade and bit cleaners also contain lye. Lye does damage the binder material between the grains of carbide in a bit causing the edge to crumble and dull. Freud specifically warns against using lye based cleaners on their blades because it will damage the carbide.
John W.
As JohnW responded above, it's not a myth. Our very own Charles-from-Freud has responded on this issue in the past and cautioned against oven cleaner. I use Simple Green and a toothbrush, find that it works great.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)Another proud member of the "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>)
Simple Green, a toothbrush and about 5 minutes will get the job done on a 10-inch sawblade. No need to soak. Toothbrush is less likely than scotchbrite to get caught on the saw teeth.
FG, How does that green tooth paste taste? Like limes?
Won't it stain your choppers?
Mint up your molars?
I,d check the 'Use by date'.
They say most people don't clean out their medicine cabinets
all that often???
Steinmetz. I'm feeling in good humor today. (The wife has gone to Las Vegas)
Brings to mind the night my college roommate was prepping for a hot date -- ran into the bathroom at the last minute to swish with mouthwash. Ooooooops! That astringent skin toner tasted awful! LOL!forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)Another proud member of the "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>)
and who do you kiss after returning that toothbrush to the bathroom holder, LOL
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
You guys are sooooooo mean, LOL!forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)Another proud member of the "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>)
Your mouthwash story reminds me of a time when my wife got a cleaning kick after she discovered that a mix of white vinegar and baking soda will foam up and clean almost anything. Old stains on porcelan was one item mentioned and it worked fine there.
Since she admires pearly whites in a smile, and since neither white vinegar nor baking soda are toxic, she reasonned that it would be safe to brush her teeth with the combination.
Do you remember those little plastic toy boats that came in boxes of crackerjack? you could mix the vinegar and soda in them to make a motorboat - jet-powered - to scoot around in the bathtub.
or - remember those science fair projects? The ones where the kid makes a volcanno? Same fuel.
My wife didn't remember those things when she introduced the two substances to her mouth. the resulting foam was worthy of an energizer bunny commercial - it just kept foaming, and foaming, and foaming....
twenty minutes later, she was able to laugh with me, but at the moment, it was not so funny from her viewpoint.
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
Too, TOO funny! Gotta tell my sweetie that one!forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)Another proud member of the "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>)
Snicker.
Similar story, kinda. Roomie wandered into head after a really late date the night before, grabbed toothbrush and began brushing.
Unfortunately, he'd picked up my tube of Palmolive shaving cream.
Took me a week to quit snickering at him.
Leon Jester
Roanoke VA
Hey CrazyRay,
Simple Green is an excellent cleaner for removing pitch. In fact FWW did a comparison a couple of years ago. Get a plastic tub like Rubbermaid or Tupperware, place the blade and/or bits in it and fill it with Simple. Just fill it until you cover the blade or bit. Let it sit for about 10 minutes, then use a Scotch Brite pad, if the pitch is really stubborn place the blade/ bit back in the solution and let it sit for longer, then try the scouring pad again. Rinse with water and wipe dry!
There's no need to dilute the Simple Green with water, just pour it in as is. Get the 1 gallon jug if you can get it.
Those daring young men in their flying machines!
I use the CMT product for cleaning blades and it works as described with the Simple Green. I would imagine the Simple green costs less.
Mike
Fantastic ,the all purpose cleaner also does a great job.
Cleaning your cutters often will prevent a messy build up as well as extend their life. I can't stand the smell of Simple Green, it makes me choke. A few minutes soak in warm soapy water and a scrub with a fingernail brush will clean most bits and saws easily and not cost much. 409 is better than Fantastic but Zep citrus degreaser, sold at HD, melts the build up the best. Great for cleaning greasy car, BBQ and MC parts too. As always, read and follow directions on the label.
A guy at Highland Hardware recommended ammonia, which I use. I was cautioned not to soak the blade in it overnight as it could degrade the brazing. No need to soak that long anyway. It all comes off in 10 mins or so. A fan is helpful to keep from getting a snootful.
My dad uses a light baking soda and water mixture and says it works well.
I work in the sawfiling room at a large sawmill and we use simple green to clean everything. well that and a wire wheel...
The latest issue of wood magazine actually has an article about this very question. You may like to check that out.
I learned the hard way that a powered steel wire brush will rapidly dull the carbide teeth on a sawblade. I now use a brass hand brush and Simple Green and find that the blades clean up easily.
By the way, if you read the label on Simple Green spray bottles, they recommend diluting the product 10 to 1 for household use. Diluted, it still works well and is a lot more pleasant to use and lasts ten times longer. For blades and bits I still use it full strength.
John W.
Ray, the CMT 2005 blade and bit cleaner is in my opinion the best and safest method, (sans any blade/bit handling caveat's). It is biodegradeable and outcleans simple green by a long shot. It is what I recommend to my customers on a daily basis.
Sincerely;
The Tool Guy
Here are the results of a comparison test done on various cleaning agents.
ToolGuy just might be on to something.
OOps
This forum post is now archived. Commenting has been disabled