Is there a consensus on which product works best for cleaning saw blades and
router bits? Any recommendations?

Max

I use a product from CMT called Formula 2050, about $12 for 18oz spray
bottle. Work really well, and non-toxic.

You could also use oven cleaner.

-nick


"Max" wrote in message
...
Is there a consensus on which product works best for cleaning saw blades
and
router bits? Any recommendations?

Max

In article , "Max" wrote:
Is there a consensus on which product works best for cleaning saw blades and
router bits? Any recommendations?

This topic comes up all the time. Google-search this newsgroup and you'll see
lots of opinions and recommendations.

My personal preference is washing soda. It's cheap, it's environmentally
benign, and it couldn't possibly be easier to use. Dissolve 1/4 cup in a quart
of warm water. Soak the blade for five or ten minutes, and most of the gunk
will float away. Light scrubbing and a rinse will remove the rest.

Washing soda can be found in most grocery stores on the same aisle with the
laundry detergent. When you find the borax, you're close to the washing soda.
It's Arm&Hammer brand; the box looks a lot like their baking soda box, only
bigger.

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

Nobody ever left footprints in the sands of time by sitting on his butt.
And who wants to leave buttprints in the sands of time?

"Nick Degidio" wrote in message
...
I use a product from CMT called Formula 2050, about $12 for 18oz spray
bottle. Work really well, and non-toxic.

You could also use oven cleaner.

-nick

CLEANING AND MAINTENANCE

For the best performance, keep your Infinity Drawer Lock Joint Bit clean.
Built up pitch and sap can insulate the bit, causing it to run hot. The
excessive heat can damage the cutting edge.

DO NOT use caustic materials like oven cleaners as they can damage the bond
between the carbide cutters and the bit body. Most woodworking supply
outlets have commercially prepared solutions that safely remove the pitch
and gum associated with machining wood. There are also several household
cleaners that are effective in the cleaning of router bits.

I use a product from CMT called Formula 2050, about $12 for 18oz spray
bottle. Work really well, and non-toxic.

This stuff works!

--

Rumpty

Radial Arm Saw Forum: http://forums.delphiforums.com/woodbutcher/start

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -


"Nick Degidio" wrote in message
...
I use a product from CMT called Formula 2050, about $12 for 18oz spray
bottle. Work really well, and non-toxic.

You could also use oven cleaner.

-nick


"Max" wrote in message
...
Is there a consensus on which product works best for cleaning saw blades
and
router bits? Any recommendations?

Max

"Max" wrote in message
...


Is there a consensus on which product works best for cleaning saw blades
and
router bits? Any recommendations?

Wood magazine, shortly before their Glue Issue, rated these.
They didn't rate Simple Green very highly, which Simply confirms my own
personal experience that it does an excellent job. Spray, wait 3 minutes,
light scrub brush, rinse, dry, done.

DO NOT use caustic materials like oven cleaners as they can damage
the bond
between the carbide cutters and the bit body.

How do you figure? Any source for that?

Aren't the cutters welded on?

On 4 Mar 2005 12:22:12 -0800, Larry Bud wrote:
DO NOT use caustic materials like oven cleaners as they can damage
the bond
between the carbide cutters and the bit body.

How do you figure? Any source for that?

I'd be interested in seeing something about that.

Aren't the cutters welded on?

Mine are all brazed, at least the ones I've looked closely at. ?shrug?

On 4 Mar 2005 20:28:09 GMT, Dave Hinz wrote:

On 4 Mar 2005 12:22:12 -0800, Larry Bud wrote:
DO NOT use caustic materials like oven cleaners as they can damage
the bond
between the carbide cutters and the bit body.

How do you figure? Any source for that?

I'd be interested in seeing something about that.

Aren't the cutters welded on?

Mine are all brazed, at least the ones I've looked closely at. ?shrug?

This info was contained in several magazine articles that came out in
the late '80's or early '90's. Sorry I can't provide specific mags or
dates.

I can't vouch for the accuracy of the articles but I do know that oven
cleaner is nasty stuff. Much easier to use one of the 'orange' hand
cleaners. Just spread it on, wait a minute and rinse it off. For me
it almost instantly dissolves wood resins and glue build up. Blow the
excess water off the blade and dry with a paper towel. Easy peasy and
none of the downsides of oven cleaner.

"Larry Bud" wrote in message
oups.com...
DO NOT use caustic materials like oven cleaners as they can damage
the bond
between the carbide cutters and the bit body.

How do you figure? Any source for that?

Aren't the cutters welded on?


Forgot to mention. The cite came from the Infinity Tools web page. I figure
they would know better than me what is good or bad. The cutters are brazed
on.
--
Ed
http://pages.cthome.net/edhome/

"Rumpty" wrote in message
...
I use a product from CMT called Formula 2050, about $12 for 18oz spray
bottle. Work really well, and non-toxic.

This stuff works!

I have been using Formula 2050 for years. Makes a good oven cleaner too.
:~)
Actually I use it to clean up build up on my out door smoker.

There are hundreds of "sources" for this, mostly personal opinions or "Joe
said so". After many debates on the wreck, I remember one industrial engineer
or such, who took care of really big equipment. They did use some caustic
cleaners, but also inspected and measured their effect. He comfirmed that it
will damage the blade. However, for the number of times a home woodworker is
likely to clean the blade each year, it would last many-many years.

OTOH, it is nasty stuff, and some good alternatives have been mentioned in
this thread.
GerryG

On 4 Mar 2005 12:22:12 -0800, "Larry Bud" wrote:

DO NOT use caustic materials like oven cleaners as they can damage
the bond
between the carbide cutters and the bit body.

How do you figure? Any source for that?

Aren't the cutters welded on?

"GerryG" wrote in message
...
There are hundreds of "sources" for this, mostly personal opinions or "Joe
said so". After many debates on the wreck, I remember one industrial
engineer
or such, who took care of really big equipment. They did use some caustic
cleaners, but also inspected and measured their effect. He comfirmed that
it
will damage the blade. However, for the number of times a home woodworker
is
likely to clean the blade each year, it would last many-many years.

OTOH, it is nasty stuff, and some good alternatives have been mentioned in
this thread.

Most of the suggestions are milder alkali than oven cleaner, because they
works rapidly, and with water. Organic solvents will work as well. Which
means use what you have - I like "TSP" (which isn't) 90 because it's cheap
and quick - and works.

Get a good flat-bottomed plastic container large enough to put your blade in
and soak, with maybe an old toothbrush handy for those deposits behind the
teeth.

For router bits, I keep a spray bottle with some WD40 in it to clean off the
stuff while it's fresh, and put them back in storage a little damp.

Try 'Simple Green'. It's actually a household cleaner, but works
amazingly well on a lot of stuff. I've put it in a powerwasher to wash
the siding on the house or the car - won't hurt plants, but it can
clean paint off sometimes. I use an old toothbrush & dip it into the
concentrate to clean off blades & bits. Not as fast as some things
mentioned here, but it isn't caustic, smells nice, cheap & works for a
lot of other stuff, so it's handier for me.

GerryG wrote:
There are hundreds of "sources" for this, mostly personal opinions or
"Joe
said so". After many debates on the wreck, I remember one industrial
engineer
or such, who took care of really big equipment. They did use some
caustic
cleaners, but also inspected and measured their effect. He comfirmed
that it
will damage the blade. However, for the number of times a home
woodworker is
likely to clean the blade each year, it would last many-many years.

OTOH, it is nasty stuff, and some good alternatives have been
mentioned in
this thread.

Oven cleaner is sodium hydroxide. NaOH. What's the alloy for the type
of brazing used for cutter blades?

I suppose if you soaked the blade for a few days in NaOH it might cause
some problems, but the solution is only 4-5%, and it's only on a few
seconds. And it's cheap.

"Max" wrote in
:

Is there a consensus on which product works best for cleaning saw
blades and router bits? Any recommendations?

Max



Oxisolv blade and bit cleaner.

Take a 12" wide round pan (I used a planter drip tray)
Fill it with about 1/8" of ammonia
Put the blade in it and let it soak for about 30 seconds
Use a small tooth brush and the all the dirt and grime easily brushes
away.

It is best to do this outside, and try not to breath the ammonia...

This is the cheapest, most effective solution I've found.

Regards,

-Steve in Banks, OR
http://woodworking.bigelowsite.com


In article ,
Max wrote:


Is there a consensus on which product works best for cleaning saw blades and
router bits? Any recommendations?

In article , w (Stephen Bigelow) wrote:
Take a 12" wide round pan (I used a planter drip tray)
Fill it with about 1/8" of ammonia
Put the blade in it and let it soak for about 30 seconds
Use a small tooth brush and the all the dirt and grime easily brushes
away.

It is best to do this outside, and try not to breath the ammonia...

This is the cheapest, most effective solution I've found.

Have you tried washing soda? No fumes....

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

Nobody ever left footprints in the sands of time by sitting on his butt.
And who wants to leave buttprints in the sands of time?

On Tue, 08 Mar 2005 02:04:12 GMT, w
(Stephen Bigelow) wrote:

Take a 12" wide round pan (I used a planter drip tray)
Fill it with about 1/8" of ammonia
Put the blade in it and let it soak for about 30 seconds
Use a small tooth brush and the all the dirt and grime easily brushes
away.

It is best to do this outside, and try not to breath the ammonia...

This is the cheapest, most effective solution I've found.

Regards,

-Steve in Banks, OR
http://woodworking.bigelowsite.com

I've had ammonia eat holes in brass. I'd be a bit worried about the
brazing that holds on the tips.

Stephen Bigelow wrote:
Take a 12" wide round pan (I used a planter drip tray)
Fill it with about 1/8" of ammonia
Put the blade in it and let it soak for about 30 seconds
Use a small tooth brush and the all the dirt and grime easily brushes
away.

It is best to do this outside, and try not to breath the ammonia...

This is the cheapest, most effective solution I've found.

Regards,

-Steve in Banks, OR
http://woodworking.bigelowsite.com


In article ,
Max wrote:


Is there a consensus on which product works best for cleaning saw blades and
router bits? Any recommendations?

There was an article lately in Fine Woodworking (I think) that indicated
that oven cleaner was quickest and most thorough.

I've never tried oven cleaner, but I've use a spray cleaner called
"Simple Green" and an old toothbrush. 30 seconds on a 60 tooth blade is
all it takes.

Chris

The other variable is how bad with what is the blade. Maybe just some dust
caught in dried and heated sap? If not too burned, a toothbrush and Simple
Green works fine. Or even Windex, which I think has a little ammonia. For
tougher jobs, soak in ammonia or TSP. Every other person will find the other
one working better, probably because they're cleaning something slightly
different.

OTOH, take the brand new Forrest 7-1/4 blade I put in my panel saw and cut
some hardwood ply with. How was I to know they label the thing on the opposite
side from standard 7-1/4 blades? While it still cut splinter free (backwards,
amazing!), the side of the teeth was a solid black. Forget the toothbrush and
Simple Green. Forget the ammonia or TSP. Soak in oven cleaner and then run the
edge of a wood block over it to scrape off the remaining junk.

Blade is now sparkling clean and, in a couple of weeks I'm really looking
forward to seeing how well it cuts in the other direction. Then I'll probably
clean it with Simple Green.

GerryG

On Thu, 10 Mar 2005 06:23:37 GMT, xris wrote:

Stephen Bigelow wrote:
Take a 12" wide round pan (I used a planter drip tray)
Fill it with about 1/8" of ammonia
Put the blade in it and let it soak for about 30 seconds
Use a small tooth brush and the all the dirt and grime easily brushes
away.

It is best to do this outside, and try not to breath the ammonia...

This is the cheapest, most effective solution I've found.

Regards,

-Steve in Banks, OR
http://woodworking.bigelowsite.com


In article ,
Max wrote:


Is there a consensus on which product works best for cleaning saw blades and
router bits? Any recommendations?

There was an article lately in Fine Woodworking (I think) that indicated
that oven cleaner was quickest and most thorough.

I've never tried oven cleaner, but I've use a spray cleaner called
"Simple Green" and an old toothbrush. 30 seconds on a 60 tooth blade is
all it takes.

Chris

"GerryG" wrote in message
...

OTOH, take the brand new Forrest 7-1/4 blade I put in my panel saw and cut
some hardwood ply with. How was I to know they label the thing on the
opposite
side from standard 7-1/4 blades? While it still cut splinter free
(backwards,
amazing!), the side of the teeth was a solid black. Forget the toothbrush
and
Simple Green. Forget the ammonia or TSP. Soak in oven cleaner and then run
the
edge of a wood block over it to scrape off the remaining junk.


Your blade's labeled on the proper side for some saws. I caught mine before
I cut with it - Makita - but it sure does come as a shock. Sort of like
those morons who design Wal-Marts who put the entrance on the left, and
wonder why so many follow the rule of the road and go right.

xris wrote in news:JJRXd.20695$gJ3.20261@clgrps13:

Stephen Bigelow wrote:
Take a 12" wide round pan (I used a planter drip tray)
Fill it with about 1/8" of ammonia
Put the blade in it and let it soak for about 30 seconds
Use a small tooth brush and the all the dirt and grime easily brushes
away.

It is best to do this outside, and try not to breath the ammonia...

This is the cheapest, most effective solution I've found.


I spray on oven cleaner to clean my blades. Quick and easy. Spray on,
let sit 5-10 minutes, and use an old toothbrush to brush it clean.
Use the "no heat" type. My blades come out sparkling clean. It does
tend to remove some of the writing on some blades. It hasn't hurt my WWII's
but has pulled some of the printing off of others. I can't remember which
ones though, Freud I think. It doesn't hurt the blades though.


--
Michael Burton
Thunderbird Hardwoods
Llano, TX

mhburton at tbird-hardwoods dot com

On 21 Mar 2005 19:19:20 GMT, the inscrutable Michael Burton
mhburton@tbird-hardwoodsdotcom spake:

I spray on oven cleaner to clean my blades. Quick and easy. Spray on,
let sit 5-10 minutes, and use an old toothbrush to brush it clean.
Use the "no heat" type. My blades come out sparkling clean. It does
tend to remove some of the writing on some blades. It hasn't hurt my WWII's
but has pulled some of the printing off of others. I can't remember which
ones though, Freud I think. It doesn't hurt the blades though.

Ol' Sherm sez otherwise, and I'm obliged to accept his cautions.
http://tinyurl.com/639z3 Look for Sherman Whipple's post.
or
http://groups-beta.google.com/group/rec.woodworking/browse_thread/thread/5f327ea5c13c7ffc/eabf490228aa5df9?q=braze+saw+blade+group:rec.woodw orking#eabf490228aa5df9

For safety, build one of these. I prefer an X for the eye, though.
http://www.whipplesargent.com/whipjig5.pdf

--

People will occasionally stumble over the truth, but
most of the time they'll pick themselves up and carry on.
--anon