I am busy resawing 2 1/2 inch maple with a Resaw King blade, but the resin buildup (or is it syrup?) is so much on the blade that my workshop is blue with smoke and it seems as if I am using a laser rather than a saw!!! What can I clean the blade with apart from thinners that will not be too heavy on the nose and lungs (I have had enough of all the smoke as it is!!)
Stapes
Replies
Something doesn't sound right, Stapes. Are you resawing green wood? KD maple doesn't normally have a lot of pitch or resin. Smoke is a sign that the blade is toast or there is an alignment problem, blade rubbing on blocks or guides, board pinching on the cut, misplaced feather boards, etc. There are numerous non-toxic blade cleaning products as well as some household cleaners that will work. You may need something serious if you have burnt the blade. Even if the blade is brand new, it sounds like you may have to send it to Laguna for sharpening. If you get smoke, it's time to stop cutting and figure out the problem. You don't want to set the dust collector on fire. One of the better cleaners I've used is Zep citrus degreaser, HD carries it around here. You will have to do some scrubbing with a fingernail brush and maybe even a razor blade if the gum is baked on.
Thank you for advice.
Stapes
As others have said, something doesn't sound right if there's smoke. Suffolk machinery (maker/seller of Timberwolf BS blades) recommended a chainsaw oil/kerosene mix (50/50) as a blade lubricant for blades 1" and above. They recommend PAM (the kitchen vegetable shortening, non-stick stuff) for blades 3/4" and under! Apparently adds to the life of the blade, decreases noise and prevents pitch buildup. And, if applied sparingly, will not stain grade lumber. I gotta try this.
Good luck.
be careful not to use too much Pam or the wrong type. I am embarassed to share this but I used something like a Pam canola oil spray and it was so slippery the blade sproinged right off the wheels of the bandsaw. It was dangerous and scary but so stupid it was sort of funny since no one got hurt. That stuff must be good for something, real slippery
I tried the PAM; didn't do a thing for me (or the bandsaw blade). I tried the kerosene/oil mix on my 3/4" blade and that really did work. I squeezed a little of the mix onto a cotton rag, and wiped down both sides of the tensioned blade by pinching the rage around the bladefrom the backside (unplugged!) by spinning the upper wheel backwards. Works just dandy. I put the PAM back in the kitchen where it belongs. Glad to hear nobody got scraped! Whew!
So the chainsaw bar oil on the band saw blade doesn't contaminate the wood???
I've wanted to try this but thought it would cause more problems than it solved...
Jeff
That's why I lube my bandsaw with a mixture of tung oil, linseed oil, and polyurethane.
KIDDING. :)My goal is for my work to outlast me. Expect my joinery to get simpler as time goes by.
Somewhere in Knots, I brought this up before and somebody mentioned that the oil/kerosene mix would be bad for the tires. I don't know; I have had my bandsaw only 3 months. I tried the PAM and there is more noise sooner than with the 50/50. With the spare use of 50/50, I didn't have any staining on 5.5" resawn walnut. Maybe try a test cut first?
The information came directly from Suffolk's catalog. ". . .a 50/50 ratio of HIGH ADHESION CHAIN SAW BAR OIL, and kerosene or diesel fuel." I used kerosene; I didn't have diesel. This mixture they recommend for band mills using 1.25", 1.5" and 2" bands. They indicate that the sound of cutting decreases by over 50% and not to apply again until the sound increases. Further, Suffolk says there is no pitch buildup, longer life, no rusted or pitted bands.
The Suffolk catalog also recommends PAM spray or vegetable shortening for 3/4" and smaller band saw blades on smaller machines (Delta, Grizzly, Jet, etc).
Paraphrasing from the catalog, Suffolk says that lubricating the band will increase blade life by over 30%. And "Applied sparingly, you can cut grade lumber with NO staining to your product and we feel it also enhances tire life."
I'm open to any +'s and -'s; I just want to learn.
brett,
Your post reminded me of the story my dad told years ago, about a fellow who worked with him in a farm machine shop. This guy decided that the shop's bandsaw, used for fitting up wagon beds and such, would work fine to slice up a country ham for the company christmas breakfast. Dad said it threw the blade on the second slice, and that it took the poor guy the rest of the day to clean all the ham fat off the saws tires, blade and guides.
Cheers,
Ray
I'm with hammer. Something doesn't sound quite right. If it is just pitch though I've had pretty decent result using steel wool and WD40. I just periodically wipe some WD on the blade then pinch a steel wool pad around the blade while spinning the upper wheel backward with my hand. Dont try spinning in the normal direction. The teeth will just tear the steel wool to shreds.
If you build it he will come.
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