What is a good method for cleaning the hardened pitch off my circular saw blades?
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Oven cleaner is common.
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
The secret to a long life is knowing when its time to go. M. Shocked
I used to use oven cleaner too, until someone on another forum warned me that it can weaken the brazing that holds the teeth to the blade. I never noticed any problems but have switched to Simple Green. With the Forrest blades costing $90+ why temp faith? After a fifteen minute soak in a lid from a five gallon bucket I wipe the gook off with a coarse rag and then hold the blade in front of the space heater for a few moments to ensure it is dry.
To be honest, I have never cleaned a saw blade. I send them outto get sharpened or re-toothed if one or two is missing and the sharp shop guy has a turntable with a wire wheel type doo-dad that buffs them right up.
My other (newer) blades are Freud with the teflon or whatever on them and they don't seem to gunk up. I also don't use much resinous wood.
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
The secret to a long life is knowing when its time to go. M. Shocked
Whatever you do...don't use oven cleaner on your new teflon blades. It will take the coating off almost instantly. How do I know that?????
I sometimes think about all of the products available to us because of the military. Boots weren't left and right until the military required it. In the 19th century, you bought them and then let your feet train them -- very uncomfortable for awhile, I'd bet. Consider the others (I can't list them all), but Simple Green was a military spec. We got it in 55 gallon drums.
Arm and Hammer washing soda. Cheap. One box will last a long time.
Got tip from my saw sharpener.
Are you now 100%?
Chuck S.live, work, build, ...better with wood
100% what ? Normal? Nah. Still half nuts. Dr. got the meds adjusted for the thyroid, so all that is fine.
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
The secret to a long life is knowing when its time to go. M. Shocked
D
Glad to here you're half normal/nuts. Same here. Glad the meds are right.
Chuck S.live, work, build, ...better with wood
Simple Green
You can buy pitch-cleaner at a woodworking store. I've used it, it works, but it might be pricier than is really needed. Woodworkers I know use oven cleaner for a really bad blade, and Formula 409 as long as the blade isn't too bad. I also suspect that any of the citrus-based cleaners would work as well, and without all the noxious fumes of oven cleaner. It's pretty hard, if not impossible, to damage a clade with cleaning agents. After all, it's a piece of steel with carbide tipes welded on, should stand up to anything but the strongest of acids.
For me, the hardest part seems to be finding an appropriately-sized container in which to soak a 10" (from the TS) to 12" (from CMS) blade. Once I find something, I soak the blade for a while, then scrub with a nylon brush. If I"m feeling particularly anal about it, I'll put a coat or two of paste wax on the blade and buff it out.
A 10" blade fits nicely in a 5 gal. bucket lid.
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
The secret to a long life is knowing when its time to go. M. Shocked
Yep, sphere, you are right, and that's what I usually use for the 10"-er. But I'm such a klutz I make a mess trying to get the cleaning fluid back into the bottle for recycling (I hate just tossing the stuff, bad for the environment, bad for my wallet)."If the trout are lost, smash the state."
Plastic dish pan I use to used under an old 65 chevy truck with a bad rear main seal. Wallyworld still carries them.
Davw
That's pretty funny!! When I was 12 years old, my dad let me buy a 1931 Model A Ford to run around the country roads near our house.
The rear main leaked so bad that I used to buy 2 1/2 gallon cans of oil and cut the side off of the can to form a tray under the rear main. It was hanging there with four pieces of hay wire.
When the can collected a few quarts, I would dump it back into the engine to be recycled. I was a recycling pioneer at an early age!
I use Simple Green on my 10" table saw blades. I buy those throw away aluminum foil pizza pans at the grocery store, lay a blade in it and pour in enough Simple Green to just cover the blade. Let it sit for a few minutes and scrub with a plastic scrubber or scrub brush.
I've found that periodic cleaning cuts down on the number of trips to the sharpening shop.
This from "The 250 Best Shop Tricks" a Woodworkers Journal publication from a few years ago:
... in a plastic dishpan, with an inch of boiling water to cover the blade, I sprinkle a couple of tablespoons of baking soda around the perimeter of the blade. Within a minute the pitch is gone. I remove the heaverrier deposits with a small nail brush charged with baking soda, then dry with a hair drier.... (from Dennis DiVito)
I have done this method with good results. In fact I have just colledted together all my blades to give them a cleaning tomorrow.
Household ammonia works great..and for the same reason the baking soda and hot water trick does.
I use Simple Green, full strength, in the bottom of a 5-gallon bucket. Also works well to clean hole saws, drill bits, and anything else that's gunked up with wood pitch.
Warning, though - don't leave anything in the Simple Green overnight unless you WANT to remove the paint. It won't take red Teflon off a Freud blade, but it will take the lettering off, and it takes paint off a hole saw really quickly. Also found that if you soak a hole saw overnight and take the paint off, they cut MUCH better and cleaner. Especially with a little paraffin wiped on the sides.
My wife picked up some Simple Green for me yesterday. I hope it's the right stuff because she said there are lots of products labeled Simple Green. She got the gallon heavy duty cleaner that looks purple!
I guess nothing is simple about "simple green". Purple simple green? I guess maybe the heavy duty stuff is purple, but then why not "simple purple"?
heavy duty cleaner that looks purple
That may be a cleaner called "Ka-Boom". If it is, it's supposed to be for cleaning showers and bathroom tile.
AFIK, Simple Green is always green. The concentrate is fairly dark green and the diluted stuff is lighter. I've never seen it any other color.
It also works great to clean up old caulking. Yesterday, I had to recaulk a bathtub (after cleaning up a really bad homeowner caulking job - lol). I scraped off most of the old caulk with a plastic putty knife, spritzed it with Simple Green, scrubbed it with a plastic scrub pad, and wiped it down with paper towels. The whole job took about 30 minutes.
I used the purple Simple Green on my blade and soaked it overnight. I would say it got most of the stuff off, but there seems to be a lingering brownish tarnish on the non-carbide parts. I would not call it an easy cleaning job as I scrubbed mine with an aluminum wire brush after getting most of it off with a nylon brush. I am still not sure this product I used is the same one you folks are recommending. This is a detergent product, right? Mine says biodegradable on the label as well.What did surprise me though was after the cleaning workout I could see the less than sharp edges of the carbide using a 10 power eye loop. I think I'll call up a grinding shop and see if they can put the edge back on this blade.
I've used oven cleaner and a brass-bristle brush for years. Never had a problem although I've heard the "bad for carbide" stories.
Simple and easy and won't hurt the carbide..... aluminum PIZZA PANS. Various diameters
You can stack'en and put in any concoction you wish to use.
...The unspoken word is capital. We can invest it or we can squander it. -Mark Twain...
Be kind to your children....they will choose your nursing home.
Like Sphere said - lid of 5 gallon joint compound bucket for a container.
I guess I'm the "non-green" guy as I usually use acetone and a brass brush (acetone + nylon don't get along too well).
Only takes a couple of ounces and the pitch slides off with the first brush stroke. Then spray with WD-40 and wipe.
Jim
Never underestimate the value of a sharp pencil or good light.
Jim
After trying the purple Simple Green, your method sounds faster and easier with the acetone. That'll be my pick next time.
Well a few years back I worked at a shop in Woburn MA and cold tap water did the trick.
YIKES!!
Remember the movie 'A Civil Action' staring John Travolta
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Civil_Action
carbuerator cleaner is the same stuff as commercially marketed pitch cleaner, and its easier to find