Replies

1. 
   wrick2003 | May 27, 2003 05:19am | #1

   simple green rocks.     rg

2. 
   CreativeWood | May 27, 2003 05:39am | #2

   You should be able to get Simple Green at your local Super Market, and yes Wal-Mart carries it also.

   God Bless.......

   Raul S

   Creative Woods

3. 
   forestgirl | May 27, 2003 11:04pm | #3

   I can't tell from your post what you're going to be using the Simple Green for, but if it's for cleaning saw blades, I like the BBQ-cleaning formula (foamy).  I found it at Ace Hardware, but it's probably at a variety of other stores such as Target, maybe grocery, etc.

   forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl   ;-)

1. 
   MichaelLomax | May 28, 2003 06:11pm | #4

   Hello again Jamie,

   One word of cation regarding the cleaning of carbide saw blades.  Some household cleaners like oven cleaner can/will cause pitting in the carbide.  I cannot remember the actual componant in the stuff that causes the problem.  B-B-Q cleaner may contain the smae stuff.

   Just a thought.

   Lomax

1. 
   forestgirl | May 28, 2003 07:40pm | #5

   Yes, hello again.  Following "Charles from Freud"'s advice, I stopped using oven cleaner last year.  Simple Green has none of that caustic stuff in it -- the BBQ-forumula for Simple Green is simply a foam version, enabling it to cling a bit to surfaces.  Thanks for piping up though.  I still see references, even in magazines, about using oven cleaner for blades.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl   ;-)

1. 
   handtoolguy | May 28, 2003 09:26pm | #6

   I recently tried something called Charlies Soap ( it is available from the Japan Woodworker) and it smoked anything I have tried for blade/bit cleaning.  Just sprayed it in and 2-3 minutes later just wiped off-no scrubbing.

1. 
   forestgirl | May 29, 2003 02:12am | #7

   Any clue what it's active ingredients are?  I'm staying away from real caustic stuff such as lye.  BTW, the Simple Green has (so far) been just that fast.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl   ;-)

2. 
   handtoolguy | May 29, 2003 07:32am | #8

   Not completely sure as the bottle is somewhat vague, I guess Charlie is trying to hide the secret!  It does say that it is "certified biodegradable and safe for the environment".  Here is the link to the Japan Woodworker catalog description.  Hope this helps.

   http://www.thejapanwoodworkercatalog.com/c/g8/p/056f.html

3. 
   forestgirl | May 29, 2003 09:12am | #9

   What does it say about protection for the skin while using?  That's a major clue. forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl   ;-)

4. 
   bjpearce | May 29, 2003 11:18am | #10

   Hello, been reading your and Handtoolguy's mail  :)  And I'm interested to know more about what types of oven cleaner to use. A general 'oven cleaner is good' never felt right, i've picked up that Non-caustic is the way to go, and a good way to check that is by reading the safety directions, especialy in regards to skin exposure.

   Any more info' would be much aprecited.

   Ben

5. 
   Len | May 29, 2003 06:19pm | #11

   FWIW

   Attached are several MSDS's of the products everyone is talking about. I included a MSDS for Easy Off oven cleaner just for comparison.

   Here's it in a nut shell. Simple Green and Charlie's soap have essentially the same precautions. Pretty much none. What is interesting, is the precautions for Easy Off are not that different. Of course, I am not a chemist so I can't tell you how bad the chemicals are that make up the products. Maybe someone else can throw that in.

   For me... I'll stick with Simple Green. It's easy to get and it makes my mag wheels shine.

   Len

   Edited 5/29/2003 11:21:06 AM ET by Len

   Edited 7/29/2003 12:32:09 AM ET by Len

   
6. 
   forestgirl | May 29, 2003 07:49pm | #12

   Hi Ben, you voyeur you.  Take the term "oven" out of the phrase, and we'll continue.  The cleaners that I've seen mentioned that seem to work well are Simple Green and 409.  I'm sure there are a number of others out there, but stay away from old fashioned "oven cleaners" such as EasyOff. 

   Kerosene works well also, but yuck! I've gotta run right now, but when I get back to Knots I'll try to find that old thread where Mr. Charles explained why it's not a good idea to use caustic cleaners on carbide-tipped tools.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl   ;-)

7. 
   bjpearce | Jun 03, 2003 03:47am | #23

   Thanks for the info, Living in Australia it's not always possible to find the same brands, so it helps to be armed with knowledge as well.

   Ben

8. 
   handtoolguy | May 30, 2003 07:24am | #13

   Completly safe, you can put it right on your hands..no gloves.  Must say though, simple green does work well, just not as fast.

9. 
   forestgirl | May 30, 2003 08:38am | #14

   Very cool!  So far, my blades haven't been gunked up enough to worry about the time factor, but if they ever are, I'll keep the alternative in mind.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl   ;-)

10. 
    poorsh | May 31, 2003 07:34am | #17

    Hi From Mac

    The active ingrediant in most of oven cleaners etc was sodium hydroxide, different forms were pearls or flakes depending on strength. Most household products were limited to about 6%. This also is called Lye and was used to make soap from the reaction between it and animal fat.The industrial product went up to 50-60 % used in hot tanks to degrease engines etc. Different wetting agents and surfactants were adde depending on the application.

    Cheers

    Mac

11. 
    sawduster | Jun 04, 2003 04:50am | #27

    In addition to its other uses, firefighters in this area use Simple Green to wash the smokey smell out of their hair, to clean up air cylinders, and even to clean regulators on their SCBAs. It's great stuff and doesn't appear harmful, as the firefighters are not any crazier than they have ever been.

4. 
   IanC | May 31, 2003 05:06am | #15

   Well Wanda, apparently I gave you some bad advice when I suggested you try Oven Cleaner to remove pitch. I seldom give advice here but when I do, it's based on some experience, not what I've heard or read.   I tried oven cleaner about 10 years ago, was amazed, and have used it ever since on the same 4 blades.  Two of the blades, a Systimatic and a Forrest, are used daily, cleaned with Easy Off about twice a month, (240 times each) and sharpened by a pro maybe three times a year.  After reading posts about "flying missles" and "pitted carbide", I became concerned.  So I looked at a blade under a 20 power gemscope but I honestly couldn't see any evidence of damage. 

   So the damage must be in the molecular stucture of  the metal, undetectable to the naked eye.  Or,  maybe this rap on oven cleaner is just hearsay or conjecture, who knows?  I just hope I haven't done any permanent damage because all toll, I've got about 550 bucks invested in those blades, including the 250 dollar Systimatic dado set. 

   I've been a Simple Green fan for some time now.  My wife and I have been refurbishing a filthy old house and we use it for everything. So the next time I clean blades, I'll give it a try and if it works as well as Easy Off, I'll switch. 

   Ian

   
   

   ---

   Edited 5/30/2003 10:07:56 PM ET by IANCUMMINS

   
   

   ---

   Edited 5/30/2003 10:09:35 PM ET by IANCUMMINS

1. 
   forestgirl | May 31, 2003 07:27am | #16

   Ian, I've searched a dozen different ways trying to find Charles MC's post where he describes the reasons not to use regular oven cleaner, but alas, no success.  And, I don't remember it well enough to summarize his points.  I have a vague recollection, though, that it had something to do with the metals used to bind the carbide to the blade. 

   I just figured since he's been involved in the manufacturing process at Freud for quite a long time, I'd take his word for it.  There doesn't seem to be much downside -- other cleaners work well.  Upside is I don't worry about getting them on my hands.

   I'll drop him a line and see if he has time to re-cap his post.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl   ;-)

1. 
   IanC | May 31, 2003 03:30pm | #18

   FG, All this started with an earlier post in Tools by Wanda that you may not have seen. She asked "Best way to remove pitch from sawblades".  I believe the info from Freud is included there.

   Ian

1. 
   forestgirl | May 31, 2003 07:45pm | #19

   OK, I never did find the original thread, but I found another one where Charles kicked in a short version, to wit:

   While I value Scott Whiting's opinion I do STAUNCHLY disagree on the use of caustic substances to clean carbide cutting tools. They deteriorate the cobalt binder in the carbide and, on cutters/blades with tri-metal foil, like Freud, they also attack the copper alloy. I assure you that we have extensive experience with this matter and, in spite of contrary opinions, the fact is that the use of oven cleaner can definitley lead to small carbide missiles in your shop. The alternatives are numerous, effective and cheap (like Simple Green or my preference: kerosene)

   Charles M Freud, Inc.

   [edit:  OK, I found Wanda's original thread from May 25.  This has been very confusing.......]

   forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl   ;-)

   Edited 5/31/2003 12:51:25 PM ET by forestgirl

2. 
   wendy | Jun 01, 2003 03:31am | #20

   Hi everyone,

   Thanks for the advice. Now all I have to do is get my hands on a bottle of Simple Green. I've never heard of it before. I'll have to have a look next time I'm at HomeHardware, Canadian Tire of WalMart. My ripping blade is in desperate need of a cleaning.

   Wanda

1. 
   forestgirl | Jun 01, 2003 06:32pm | #21

   Wanda, I think you'll find that once you have an easy way to clean them, you won't put it off.  Keeping a blade clean of pitch really improves its performance!

   Be sure you hold on to old toothbrushes for this purpose<g>.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl   ;-)

1. 
   wendy | Jun 02, 2003 03:42am | #22

   Hi Forestgirl,

   Yup, a sharp blade makes life easier and safer. I really need to set aside some time to clean my ripping blade. I've been putting it off far too long. Procrastination is not a good thing. LOL I've got to get myself to WalMart to have a look for that Simple Green.

    

   Wanda

5. 
   DaveMartins | Jun 03, 2003 06:28am | #24

   I read this forum and tried some simple green and I couldn't believe it on blades.  I now use it on everything.  Good stuff!

   Dave

1. 
   RoyinMD | Jun 03, 2003 07:59pm | #25

   This has been a very interesting discussion, thank you all. Since I am almost out of my spray can of "Pitch Cleaner" I'll have to go all the way to the kitchen for some Simple Green, love the stuff. I should have thought it worked on blades because my neighbor uses it to clean car and lawnmower engines. I like the idea of going more natural in as many areas as possable.

   Lessons learned: I used my pitch cleaner spray and light steel wool without gloves ONCE! Doh!

   I use hand cleaner (orange pumice) to clean many tools, it works great. I don't use it on blades because it is slightly abrasive.

   Enjoy, Roy

1. 
   forestgirl | Jun 03, 2003 08:24pm | #26

   Welcome to the Simple Green Club, Roy!forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl   ;-)