Why do I always put off cleaning my table saw blade?

[Dave Houseal]

It only takes 5 minutes to do, but I always wait until I can't bare it any longer. Last night I was cutting a bunch of plywood for some shop cabinets and decided I couldn't stand the tear out I was seeing. So when I was switching from dado to combination blade took the time to spray it down and brush away the pitch and resin. The not so surprising result was perfect cuts with no tear out. I really have to stop doing this to myself! :mad:

Thinking about it today I realized I do the same thing with sharpening chisels and plane blades. I've gotten into the habit of sharpening them after every project so they're ready to go, but in the middle of a project I'm so reluctant to stop and sharpen even though it'll end up saving me time.

I'm sure there are more things I shouldn't put off as well. But that's my list for now :D

[Van Huskey]

I keep meaning to make myself a couple of signs that simply say "Don't be lazy", but then I am too lazy...

[Kyle Iwamoto]

I keep meaning to make myself a couple of signs that simply say "Don't be lazy", but then I am too lazy...

LOL. Can I buy one since I'm too lazy to make my own?

[Dave Houseal]

For Sale: Sign that reads "Don't be la" on unfinished plywood with some tear out along the edges. :D

[scott spencer]

...Why do I always put off cleaning my table saw blade?...

So it'll go dull faster and you can buy a new one! :D

[Sam Murdoch]

For Sale: Sign that reads "Don't be la" on unfinished plywood with some tear out along the edges. :D

That's a good one :D

[Dave Houseal]

So it'll go dull faster and you can buy a new one! :D

Hahaha....that sounds like something I'd do but this is a pretty good blade from Ridge Carbide. Maybe I'm just looking forward to my first sharpening.

My wife was using my lousy crapsman circular saw once and she somehow got the cord in the way. She asked what's wrong with this and I picked up the other end of the cord. She uttered some sort of expletive and an apology. I shouted "New tool!" and threw it in the trash can. :D

I could have put a new cord on it, but any excuse to get something better lol

[ian maybury]

I'd a pretty similar experience a few years ago too Dave. I'd no idea it mattered so much. Actually amazing how much difference cleaning can make....

ian

[Van Huskey]

I will state what I am sure is obvious to most. Pitch build up = heat, heat is bad for tooling, so letting a blade go without cleaning it means it dulls faster, so more money for sharpening and more often replacement of the tooling. This money requires one work more to make the money so it is not only false economy but false laziness. Ergo more cleaning means more time for lazy.

[scott spencer]

Hahaha....that sounds like something I'd do but this is a pretty good blade from Ridge Carbide....

That blade's definitely a keeper (errr, I mean "keeper cleaner")!

[Biff Johnson]

Dave,

What are you using for blade cleaner? I've got several sample packs I use but it's time to commit to actually buying some!

Thanks!

[Dave Houseal]

Haha....that's the ticket, just gotta think it through a little. I can't believe I've been doing lazy all wrong :-)

[Peter Quinn]

Remember that game rock paper scissors? Well this is basically the same game, but in my case cheap beats lazy, and I'm plenty of both. I got a big bottle of trend blade cleaner, all my tooling gets a regular bath since I got that first bill for resharpening. Now if they had a " sharp chisel spray" I d buy that in a gallon jug so I could have enough to share, seems most everybody needs a bit of that!

[Dave Houseal]

I use Boeshield Bit and blade along with a brass wire brush. Works pretty well from what I can tell though I've never used anything else to compare it with.

[Van Huskey]

Now if they had a " sharp chisel spray" I d buy that in a gallon jug so I could have enough to share, seems most everybody needs a bit of that!

I always wondered why I like rasps so much, one of the few things you can put in a liquid and sleep while it sharpens!

[Jerrimy Snook]

You guys are killin' me. You get a smoother/burnished cut when the blades are dirty. The heat and smoke even stain and preserve the wood for you. Let the blade do the work...that is what you bought it for anyway.

We have a 60 gallon ultrasonic cleaner that we clean 30 blades at a time. It works great! No more scrubbing.

Now please go burnish some wood and send the dull, dirty blades to me for resharpening. :D