What can I use to clean the gum/junk off my router bits. I've seen
something in one of the catalogs (can't find it now), but surely
there's something I can pick up at Home Depot. I've tried minerial
spirits and acetone, but they don't work very well.

Thanks in advance for the help.

Rick

If its the same pitch and/or gum one finds on sawblades, I've had good luck
using a full-strength mixture of Simple Green cleaner. Just soak the bits
in the stuff for a few hours and the pitch wipes right off. I usual spray
the cleaned blades with WD40 before storing them. Don't see why SG wouldn't
work on router bits too.

Good luck

wrote in message
...
What can I use to clean the gum/junk off my router bits. I've seen
something in one of the catalogs (can't find it now), but surely
there's something I can pick up at Home Depot. I've tried minerial
spirits and acetone, but they don't work very well.

Thanks in advance for the help.

Rick

On Tue, 16 Nov 2004 08:05:28 -0800, wrote:

What can I use to clean the gum/junk off my router bits.

Loads of things. Most are hard to find, except in large quantities.
I have cyclohexane on hand in the workshop because it's a useful wax
solvent too (bit flammable - be careful how you store it). This is
what I usually reach for when acetone won't shift things.

Two that are easily found are car-parts shop "carb cleaner" and "brake
cleaner". The contents may vary, so read the tins. Generally carb
cleaner does a better job at shifting cooked varnishes, but brake
cleaner leaves no residue.

--
Smert' spamionam

Oven cleaner is fast!!!!!
Just rinse with water when you are finished to remove the residue.
max

If its the same pitch and/or gum one finds on sawblades, I've had good luck
using a full-strength mixture of Simple Green cleaner. Just soak the bits
in the stuff for a few hours and the pitch wipes right off. I usual spray
the cleaned blades with WD40 before storing them. Don't see why SG wouldn't
work on router bits too.

Good luck

wrote in message
...
What can I use to clean the gum/junk off my router bits. I've seen
something in one of the catalogs (can't find it now), but surely
there's something I can pick up at Home Depot. I've tried minerial
spirits and acetone, but they don't work very well.

Thanks in advance for the help.

Rick

What about oven cleaner? I have a can of tar/gum remover for saw
blades, router bits, etc. and it looks / smells / acts just like oven
clearner. When this ran out, I was going to just try oven cleaner.



wrote:
What can I use to clean the gum/junk off my router bits. I've seen
something in one of the catalogs (can't find it now), but surely
there's something I can pick up at Home Depot. I've tried minerial
spirits and acetone, but they don't work very well.

Thanks in advance for the help.

Rick

Soak in Simple Green, then use a brass brush to scrub off the crud

John

On Tue, 16 Nov 2004 08:05:28 -0800, wrote:

What can I use to clean the gum/junk off my router bits. I've seen
something in one of the catalogs (can't find it now), but surely
there's something I can pick up at Home Depot. I've tried minerial
spirits and acetone, but they don't work very well.

Thanks in advance for the help.

Rick

wrote in message
...
What can I use to clean the gum/junk off my router bits. I've seen
something in one of the catalogs (can't find it now), but surely
there's something I can pick up at Home Depot. I've tried minerial
spirits and acetone, but they don't work very well.

Thanks in advance for the help.

Rick

I read a review in the Oct 2004 issue of Wood magazine. They reviewed a
number of products and found a product called Empire Blade Saver the best. I
bought some and I have been very happy with it. I did not clean router bits
but a very gummy saw blade. Look on www.empiremfg.com for info on where to
buy this product.
\
\In the Wood magazine article they gave a warning about cleaning router bits
which have a router bit bearing. The cleaner can remove the lubrication from
the bearing. They recommend removing the bearing, cleaning the bit, and
then reinstalling the bearing and treating it with a high-speed
router-bearing lubricant.

Dick Snyder

If you want something that is easy on your hands, actually works and works
fast, safe for the environment and was developed specifically for cleaning
bits, CMT Formula 2050. It will generally clean a bit with a wipe of a rag
almost instantly and a little goes a long way.

http://www.cmtrouterbits.com/catalog/cmtfor2050.htm

or I pay $9.99 at www.wwhardware.com






wrote in message
...
What can I use to clean the gum/junk off my router bits. I've seen
something in one of the catalogs (can't find it now), but surely
there's something I can pick up at Home Depot. I've tried minerial
spirits and acetone, but they don't work very well.

Thanks in advance for the help.

Rick

"Jerry" wrote in message
oups.com...


What about oven cleaner? I have a can of tar/gum remover for saw
blades, router bits, etc. and it looks / smells / acts just like oven
clearner. When this ran out, I was going to just try oven cleaner.

It's been said and written that the manufacturers frown on over cleaner --
that it *may* loosen the carbide.
Whether this is like PVC and Dust Collector explosions, or not - I have no
idea.

I use Simple Green - and all it takes for my blades and bits is a couple of
minutes followed by a scrub then rinse. No idea why other folks (and Wood
magazine) need to soak their blades for hours. Maybe since I clean mine
every other month, it takes less time.

wrote:
What can I use to clean the gum/junk off my router bits. I've seen
something in one of the catalogs (can't find it now), but surely
there's something I can pick up at Home Depot. I've tried minerial
spirits and acetone, but they don't work very well.

Thanks in advance for the help.

Rick
You can try "Blade and Bit" or you can try Easy Off oven cleaner. And I have
heard that Simple Green works too but I have never tried it. Oven
cleaner cleans gummed up blades and bits but you must be careful to
remove all residue. There is some concern that oven cleaner may attach
brazed carbide cutters but I have read from reputable blade folks that
oven cleaner works just fine.

Philski

It's only available in Canada, probably because of shipping regulations, but
there should be the equivalent of Lee Valley Tools resin cleaner in the US.

http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.a...,41 080,41162

In article , wrote:
What can I use to clean the gum/junk off my router bits. I've seen
something in one of the catalogs (can't find it now), but surely
there's something I can pick up at Home Depot. I've tried minerial
spirits and acetone, but they don't work very well.

Washing soda. Dissolve at the rate of 1 cup per gallon of warm water. Soak for
five minutes, and rinse the crud off.

--
Regards,
Doug Miller (alphageek-at-milmac-dot-com)

Get a copy of my NEW AND IMPROVED TrollFilter for NewsProxy/Nfilter
by sending email to autoresponder at filterinfo-at-milmac-dot-com
You must use your REAL email address to get a response.

Try EasyOff oven cleaner. It works for me.


"Doug Miller" wrote in message
m...
In article , wrote:
What can I use to clean the gum/junk off my router bits. I've seen
something in one of the catalogs (can't find it now), but surely
there's something I can pick up at Home Depot. I've tried minerial
spirits and acetone, but they don't work very well.

Washing soda. Dissolve at the rate of 1 cup per gallon of warm water. Soak
for
five minutes, and rinse the crud off.

--
Regards,
Doug Miller (alphageek-at-milmac-dot-com)

Get a copy of my NEW AND IMPROVED TrollFilter for NewsProxy/Nfilter
by sending email to autoresponder at filterinfo-at-milmac-dot-com
You must use your REAL email address to get a response.

In article MRKmd.623051$8_6.175279@attbi_s04, "Ace" wrote:
Try EasyOff oven cleaner. It works for me.

Washing soda is cheaper and less hazardous (EasyOff = lye in a spray can).

--
Regards,
Doug Miller (alphageek-at-milmac-dot-com)

Get a copy of my NEW AND IMPROVED TrollFilter for NewsProxy/Nfilter
by sending email to autoresponder at filterinfo-at-milmac-dot-com
You must use your REAL email address to get a response.

philski wrote in message ...
wrote:
What can I use to clean the gum/junk off my router bits. I've seen
something in one of the catalogs (can't find it now), but surely
there's something I can pick up at Home Depot. I've tried minerial
spirits and acetone, but they don't work very well.

Thanks in advance for the help.

Rick
You can try "Blade and Bit" or you can try Easy Off oven cleaner. And I have
heard that Simple Green works too but I have never tried it. Oven
cleaner cleans gummed up blades and bits but you must be careful to
remove all residue. There is some concern that oven cleaner may attach
brazed carbide cutters but I have read from reputable blade folks that
oven cleaner works just fine.

Philski

We recommend oven cleaner. It is easy, fast, very effective and
everyone knows to be careful with it. It does affect the braze alloy
slightly however the effect is not important on a practical level. It
is sort of like trying to lose weight by having your hair cut.

Caustic cleaners have been the industry standard in top end saw shops
for better than twenty years.

We have several pages on this on our website at
www.carbideprocessors.com

Tom Walz

I WD 40 mine, keeps em slick for storage, too.

TSP -90 else. sodium sulfate, same as washing, I think.

"Tom Walz" wrote in message
om...
philski wrote in message
...
wrote:
What can I use to clean the gum/junk off my router bits. I've seen
something in one of the catalogs (can't find it now), but surely
there's something I can pick up at Home Depot. I've tried minerial
spirits and acetone, but they don't work very well.

Thanks in advance for the help.

Rick
You can try "Blade and Bit" or you can try Easy Off oven cleaner. And I
have
heard that Simple Green works too but I have never tried it. Oven
cleaner cleans gummed up blades and bits but you must be careful to
remove all residue. There is some concern that oven cleaner may attach
brazed carbide cutters but I have read from reputable blade folks that
oven cleaner works just fine.

Philski

We recommend oven cleaner. It is easy, fast, very effective and
everyone knows to be careful with it. It does affect the braze alloy
slightly however the effect is not important on a practical level. It
is sort of like trying to lose weight by having your hair cut.

Caustic cleaners have been the industry standard in top end saw shops
for better than twenty years.

We have several pages on this on our website at
www.carbideprocessors.com

Tom Walz

"Tom Walz" wrote in message
om...



We recommend oven cleaner. It is easy, fast, very effective and
everyone knows to be careful with it. It does affect the braze alloy
slightly however the effect is not important on a practical level. It

I suspected as much myself, but it was only a suspicion.


Caustic cleaners have been the industry standard in top end saw shops
for better than twenty years.

Thanks for weighing in on this.

On Tue, 16 Nov 2004 08:05:28 -0800, wrote:

What can I use to clean the gum/junk off my router bits. I've seen
something in one of the catalogs (can't find it now), but surely
there's something I can pick up at Home Depot. I've tried minerial
spirits and acetone, but they don't work very well.

Thanks in advance for the help.

Rick

Oven cleaner ($1 a can) works better than mineral spirits. I soak
the bits for 15 minutes, lightly brush (with a toothbrush), rinse,
dry, and spray with WD-40 to prevent rusting.

Almost forgot I put this post up.

Thanks all for the replys.

Rick

I used EasyOff. Worked great. Careful that stuff is caustic!

Again thanks to all,
Rick