I am looking for some suggestions on the most efficient way to clean my table saw blades . Also would like to here some info on the best solvents (safe ones)
Thnks
Larry
Discussion Forum
Get It All!
UNLIMITED Membership is like taking a master class in woodworking for less than $10 a month.
Start Your Free TrialCategories
Discussion Forum
Digital Plans Library
Member exclusive! – Plans for everyone – from beginners to experts – right at your fingertips.
Highlights
-
Shape Your Skills
when you sign up for our emails
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. -
Shop Talk Live Podcast -
Our favorite articles and videos -
E-Learning Courses from Fine Woodworking
-
-
Replies
I use CMT Formula 2050 part # 998.001.01
Works very well.
................................................
SOME PEOPLE ARE LIKE SLINKIES...THEY ARE NOT REALLY GOOD FOR ANYTHING, BUT...THEY STILL BRING A SMILE TO YOUR FACE WHEN YOU PUSH THEM DOWN A FLIGHT OF STAIRS
Larry - I've tried many methods with good success. Most degreaser sprays work well, as do many citrus cleaners. 409, Greased Lightning, Simple Green, Fantastic, LA's Totally Awesome, Goo Gone, etc. Spray them on, and hit them with a tooth brush or brass bristle brush, rinse with water and dry....takes 4-5 minutes start to finish. If you clean them often, they're easier to keep clean, will last longer and cut better.
tooth brush or brass bristle brush..Brass or Nylon (something) work great but you can get alot of tooth brushes for one brass brush these days.
Thanks for the info
Larry
WG and ALL, brass brushes for brushing sued leather show up at drycleaners, shoe makers and some of the bigger super markets with the housewares junk. Ones with a 4" wood handle in fiber, stainless and brass as a set from LV IIRC. PADDY
Larry,
I'm working my way through a bottle of Freudsolv. It works quite well.
Chris @ www.flairwoodwork.spaces.live.com
- Success is not the key to happines. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful. - Albert Schweitzer
I bought a brass brush and it works great with oven cleaner. Recently I was at a Wood Expo in a near by town and bought a whole bag of brass brushes pretty cheap and they last forever. I notice my wife eyeballing them for household chores. You might want some rubber gloves using the oven cleaner. I don't use anything but after cleaning a saw blade my fingers are real slippery.
4Runner
No fight here! it works great with oven cleaner. I read someplace by some blade maker. NEVER use oven cleaner!
Oven cleaner does work, but no more effectively than the other cleaners mentioned IME, plus it's messier, a bit more expensive, is more likely to remove coatings and lettering, and is controversial as to whether or not it can do damage to the blade. No need...no advantage. It's quite likely there's a cleaner in your house now that'll work well.
I use CMT 2050 blade cleaner. It works quickly on router bits, shaper cutters and saw blades. I have also soaked blades in Evapo-rust and it really makes the carbide sparkle.
Life is what happens to you when you're making other plans .
"Life is not a success only journey." Dr. Phil
You'll often see oven cleaner recommended in old books, some magazine articles, etc. No need to use something that strong and (relatively) expensive, where gloves are required, eye protection, etc. A general purpose cleaner such as Simple Green works great. Simple Green is formulated to be diluted when used as a household cleaner, and if your blade isn't too dirty, you can dilute it some. Or use it full strength.
I bought a pizza pan at Safeway, plop the blade in there, pour SG around the edge, flip it over, pour again. Then let it sit for 5-10 minutes, and go over the teeth with a "firm" toothbrush. Cleans great, not caustic and not very expensive.
Where do you buy it? I'm up for improvement any time.
4Runner
You'll find Simple Green in the cleaning products of most grocery stores. It's very, very Green! I've also bought the foamy-spray version (for cleaning BBQ's) just to see if that was easier. Found it in the BBQ department of Ace Hardware. Not worth the extra $$.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Wow ! I wasn't sure which was the best way to clean my blades, so I thought I would ask the World and I got so many methods that I don't know where to start. Just kidding. I like the simple Green way and have some inthe shop. Will use it. Thanks to all for the advice.
Larry
Thanks again I'll look it up.
4Runner
I get my Simple Green at King Kullen, Pathmark, Stop & Shop ( all major grocery stores here in downstate New York) BJ's and Home Depot. I also assume it's available at Costco and Good Sams. It's available in both quart size spray bottles and gallon bottles.
SawdustSteve Long Island, New York
Thanks, there's slot of information out there and opinions.I appreciate all the advice.
4Runner
Simple Green works great.. I Agree.. And you are great also! No fight with your husband! I just love your and mel's posts!
Standard Simple Green should not be used on carbide saw blades according to the manufacturers of Simple Green. They make an industrial metal cleaning product that can be used.Oven cleaner is taboo according to all the blade manufacturers I am aware of. It damages the carbide and brazing material that holds the blade tip on.Kerosene or mineral spirits will work just fine.Howie.........
The issue of using household cleaners such as Simple Green on carbide-tipped saw blades is in essence a theoretical one. If you were to leve the blades in the solution for a very, very long time, theoretically there could be degradation of the binder that holds the tips to the saw. Leaving a blade in solution for 15 or 20 minutes is not going to dissolve anything but the crud we're trying to get rid of.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
I know what you're saying Jaime, but when the manufacturer comes out against it, it carries some weight with me. Freud has also come out strongly against oven cleaner and standard Simple Green.Howie.........
All,
Simple Green and those other commercial items that have been talked about in this thread are for wimps. Everyone who has actually tried it, will tell you that nothing cleans a blade like the gastric acid of a goose. Of course, it helps if you have access to geese which can be offed. It is a dirty job to kill the goose and extract the gastric juices, and it is a bit smelly, but it really cleans those blades. So are you after "clean and easy" or "the best way possible"?It is best to sneak up on the goose.MelMeasure your output in smiles per board foot.
Rabin, an inexpensive blade cleaner is Arm & Hammer Washing Soda. If you can't find that, use Arm & Hammer Fabricare. I just put about a 1/4 cup of the detergent in a bucket or plastic container, put a couple inches of water with it, put your blade in for 10 or 15 minutes, brush the blade off with an old toothbrush, dry, ad you have a very clean blade. It's reusable numerous times. Non-toxic. No need for gloves, etc.Don
Hey, FG, you stole my idea!! - lolI started using Simple Green and the throwaway pizza pans a couple of years ago, and cleaning my blades has become a fairly frequent and routine exercise. It's quick, easy, and safe. Who could ask for more?
I keep my pizza pan, though, Dave. It's out in the shop somewhere, LOL. forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
This is a different take on cleaning table saw blades, router bits, etc... I use laquer thinner. For the most part, what builds up is resin from woods like pine, and laquer thinner dissolves it instantly, no scrubbing required.
I'm not sure I'd leave a teflon-coated blade or bit soaking in it, but I've used it on a rag with these sorts of blades with no issues.
Obviously, I do this outside as I have a gas-fired water heater in the shop. The nice part about laquer thinner is that there's no possibility of a chemical burn as with oven cleaners, and only a very small amount is required.
The amount of scrubbing required with SG is minimal, as long as the blade isn't grossly dirty. I guess it's all a trade-off as to how much chemical hassle you're willing to deal with. I prefer to handle solvents as little as possible. There was a time when the smell of turpentine or lacquer thinner didn't phase me, but the last several years I pretty much have to use a respirator for anything stronger than oderless spirits. (and probably should for those anyway)forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
hey rabin,
ive used oven cleaner for years. one does have to be careful, as it is quite toxic. i prop the sawblade up on a block of wood, spray on the cleaner, wait 20 to 30 minutes, put on my rubber gloves, grab an old tooth brush, hold blade under running tap,brush,rinse and dry. someone gave me a bottle of "blade and bit" non-toxic, biodegradable, good stuff. it's made by pms products in holland mich.
eef
I use spray on oven cleaner , spray let set use a brass brush and wash off works great
I have a 12" tin dog food dish from KMart that I put my blades in for cleaning. I use Extreme Simple Green. It's an aircraft parts cleaner that's safe on any type of metal.
You can buy a lot of stuff to clean sawblades, but for this regular maintenance a person shouldn't pay through the nose for a good product. I have discovered that regular Formula 409 will do an excellent job in a short time. Here's my method: Put a double layer of paper towels (or newspaper if you're really into recycling) in the bottom of your kitchen sink. Spray the Formula 409 on it to saturation. Spray your sawblade until completely covered with 409, then lay it on the paper towels. Cover with one layer of paper towel (no newspaper this time) and pour enough 409 over it to make the paper towel sag and contact the entire blade. Eat lunch. After lunch, expose the sawblade and loosten the remaining residue with an old tooth brush or a fingernail brush (or some other nylon-bristled brush). Rinse with very hot tap water, pat dry with a dish towel, and lay the blade on a dish rack or some other rack to allow the heat that is in the metal (from the hot wter) evaporate any residual moisture on the blade. In just a few minutes, you can use the blade. One last step I do is floss the expansion slots with Superfloss, a "wooly" floss that collects gunk pretty well.
My understanding is that oven cleaner attacks the cobalt binder that holds the sub-micron carbide particles together in the tooth. Even a very small amount of this attack will dull the edge by making it crumble under load. The crumbling is microscopic, but so is a truly sharp edge.In my woodworking class we held a clean-off where a variety of products were raced against one another. The students all brought their favorites to class. My favorite product, Oxisolv, came in second. The winner was regular household 409. I don't know how the 409 is on the cobalt binder. One guy who used oven cleaner at home said that it was no faster than the safer stuff we used in class.I still use the Oxisolv because it works fast enough, is claimed to be gentle on the blade (was made for that purpose), and I have a gallon of it! I just lay the blade in a plastic laundry tub and spray the rim. Wait a minute and brush off loosened pitch, then wipe with damp rag, then dry rag. Very little material is used per cleaning.Bill
Ive been using household ammonia in a pizza pan for years. A good soak seems to melt away all the build up in short order. Use in a ventilated area.
The plastic lid from a 5-gallon pail works well also as a reservoir or portable blade cleaning surface.
I put the blade in a shallow pan (I use the cover from an old film reel container which is just the right size for my 9" blades.) and pour Formula 409 over it to cover the blade. In a few minutes I can clean the teeth off with a toothbrush, turn the blade over and do the same thing on the other side.
I use un-cut Simple Green (let it soak about 10 minutes on both sides in a shallow plastic tray and stiff bristle brush) about every 1000 linear feet on hard-wood and 500 linear on soft-wood with more resin or... whenever I see pitch accumulate and start to build if sooner. The pitch will create heat build up on the blade.
Will the Simple Green harm the carbide molecules or whatever? I really don't have a clue! I have blades that have been to the sharpener many times and none have self-destructed yet...
I will switch to more friendly version of Simple Green as soon as they put it on the shelf. I continue to look but the only place I have found it is by mail order and I won't pay the shipping. Until that time I will continue to use Simple Green and a stiff bristle brush which takes about 20 minutes total.
>> Will the Simple Green harm the carbide molecules or whatever?According to the manufacturer of Simple Green, the answer is yes. They specifically warn against using the standard Simple Green for cleaning saw blades. The recommend the one mentioned above that is safe to use on all metals.Howie.........
I have read that recommendation by the manufacturer, Howie. I am sure they have done testing.. the question is how long will it take for that to happen? I also believe that they have liability issues that could be of concern to them when giving the warning.
All I am saying is that until Simple Green gets their product they say will not harm carbide readily available on the market... I will continue to use the standard Simple Green as I have suffered no ill effects personally. I clean often which amounts to once every two weeks average and sometimes more. I have 4 rip blades alone not counting two 40 T blades. Three of those blades are over 4 years old and have been to the sharpener average 6 times apiece.
I have never had a tooth or carbide projectile fly off one yet and all have been done with Simple Green. And that certainly is not to say it can't happen just as they warn. I am aware of 3 instances that a Forrest tooth came off a saw blade on the first cut out of the package which had never been subjected to Simple Green or any other cleaner. Therefore I am much more concerned with weld and braze quality than what Simple Green might do to a blade over the long haul which for me is simply..... nothing yet!
But again.. I will make the switch as soon as it is put on the shelf local. I look for it weekly in the Box stores.. groceries.. hardware stores.. etc. and at this point the only available sources I have found are inter-net mail order and I'm not going there.
So... Warning to All.. Simple Green in the standard form carries a warning from the manufacturer that it could harm carbide so.... user beware!
Sarge..
Back in the day when CharlesM from Freud posted in threads like these, he posted this informtion in a similar thread. You can click on that link, or read the copy/paste below. Note the last sentence.
forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Jaime, that's an old caveat from Frued. The current one is as follows:Definitely avoid oven cleaner and other caustics. They attack the cobalt binder in the carbide and can lead to carbide failure (translates to tiny missiles of carbide at 100+ mph). Also, Freud and some other brands of blades have a tri-metal brazing foil that uses copper alloy for a cushioning layer. The copper can also be affected by these cleaners (translates to larger missiles of carbide). We recommend soaking overnight in kerosene in a vented container and using a stiff nylon bristle brush to clean. Teflon coated plates will clean up with a soapy cloth (except for the teeth as mentioned earlier). There are commercial blade cleaning products that are not caustic but we don't officially sanction them. The manufacturers of Simple Green recommend not using their product for carbide tool cleaning. Freud recommends using kerosene.Charles M.
Freud, Inc.Howie.........
Might it actually be a woodworking tool? I'll have to go back and see how far away the guy who's selling it lives, just for kicks it'd be fun to see the item in person.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
OK, so that's the official policy. Wanna bet on whether Charles still uses Simple Green? ROFL!!!forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
That's one of the reasons I use laquer thinner - no exposure of the blade to aqueous compounds means no deterioration. It's also incredibly quick, and you can re-use the thinner for 3-4 cleanings before it's too gunky to use.
Then again, I don't have any issues with solvents. The tiny amount of VOC they generate in the amounts I use is a fair bit less than the emissions from filling my gas tank. Suppose I'd look at it differently if I was a large cabinet shop and subject to EPA VOC emissions regulations...
This comes up over and over. Tool shops use a strong caustic, such as oven cleaner, because it is fast and cheap. Several of the earlier posters did a great job explaining why there may be better methods.
In all the years I have seen this come up, here is the list I have compiled of recommended cleaners in alphabetical order. All of these have people who strongly favor them. Many have people who oppose them. Some I would not use for health or safety reasons. All can be dangerous. For MSDS info check http://hazard.com/msds/
409
Pro Pride Heavy Duty Cleaner Degreaser' from 'Smart and Final'
Ammonia
Arm & Hammer washing SODA
Black Maxx
Bladesnbits
Boeshield Bit and Blade cleaner
Borax
brake fluid
bug and tar removers for cars
Castrol degrease
Castrol Super Clean
citrus-based cleaner
CMT Formula 2050
Dawn dishwashing detergent
Dawn Power Dissolver
De-Solve it
Dish Soaps (For a Dishwasher)
Do All machinery cleaner
Empire Blade Saver
Fantastic
Fast Orange hand cleaner
Freud fresolv(?)
Fume Free Easy Off Oven Cleaner
Gasoline
Goo Gone
Goof off
Goop
Greased Lightning
Hand Soaps
Hand Washing Dish Soaps
Hot tap water and a nylon brush
Kerosene
Krud Cleaner from HD
LA's Awesome Original Cleaner and Degreaser (undiluted)
Lestoil
Lye - a half teaspoon of lye and a drop of detergent in a quart of water
M.E.K
Mean Green
methyl hydrate
Mild Detergents
mineral spirits, but will use Naptha, Acetone, Toluene or gasoline if that's all I have.
most degreasers or citrus cleaners
Mr. Clean
Naphtha
Oil Eater
Orange Glow
Oven cleaner works well too
OxySolv, from Woodworker's Supply
Purple power
Rocklers cleaning kit
Rolloff
Scrubbing bubbles bathroom cleaner
Simple Green
Simple Green Xtreme
Solvents
spray carburetor cleaner
Spray Nine
strong coffee for long term soaking
Sudsy ammonia
TSP or tri sodium phosphate
Varsol
Washing Soda
water - just soak the overnight in a pan of water then scrub with a soft bristle brush.
WD-40
Woodcraft Resin Remover
Zep Purple
Can cleaners hurt carbide?
First, there are thousands of grades of carbide so discussing the properties of carbide is like discussing the properties of wood. Therefore, I suppose, everybody is right. I think there may be a bit of an effect but too small to be of practical concern. Sort of like losing weight by getting your hair cut.
Hello Rabin,
I simply place the saw blade the stopped kitchen sink with a couple inches of hot tap water and a bit of Lestoil, wait about ten minutes, and remove the now soft gunk with a tooth brush. Finally, rinse and dry. Works great and never fails to make my WWII look and cut like new.
Bob, Tupper Lake, NY
Edited 9/30/2008 4:42 pm ET by salamfam
This forum post is now archived. Commenting has been disabled