cleaning bandsaw blades

[Jim Colombo]

I recently cut some roots (I don't know what kind of wood it was) on my bandsaw and the blade is caked with resin and pitch on the inside (wheel side).
I tried spraying a small section with "Blade and Bit" and wiping it off with a rag. It worked pretty well but there is no way I can do the entire blade that way. I'm assuming i can coil the blade and soak it in something but I don't know what.
What would be the best way to clean the blade?

[ken masoumi]

I Have used this product called washing soda and can tell you it works,just a couple of tablespoon full of it in water and let it soak for 20 minutes(longer if too much gunk stuck to your blade),it is a good product and very inexpensive.


http://armandhammerlaundry.ca/assets/Uploads/washingsodaen.png

[Jim Colombo]

I Have used this product called washing soda and can tell you it works,just a couple of tablespoon full of it in water and let it soak for 20 minutes(longer if too much gunk stuck to your blade),it is a good product and very inexpensive.


http://armandhammerlaundry.ca/assets/Uploads/washingsodaen.png
Ken;
Does the blade rust because of the water?

[ken masoumi]

I usually dry it quickly and give it a good spray of WD-40 ,wipe.,never have had to deal with rust.


PS.use warm water(1 tbsp/qt) ,may have to use a soft bristle brush to remove some of the pitch off the blade.(Got the idea from a member- Mack C in Brooklin)

[Ken Platt]

You might try Simple Green. It's pretty widely available. I dilute it down maybe 1:1 with water. Seems to clean caked on gunk very well. Coil the blade up, find something flat and shallow to put it in, pour the diluted Simple Green on it, then save the Green after. I keep an old glass jar with the diluted stuff and use it again. No need to worry about rust as long as you put the blade fully under water to soak and then dry the blade fully as soon as you wash it off.

Ken

[Yonak Hawkins]

SuperCut sent me a spray product called Bladesaver, a pitch and resin remover. "Just spray it on and wipe it off," they claim. I haven't tried it yet.

[Rob Price]

I soak mine in kerosene, no rust issues, dissolves most stuff.

[Tai Fu]

If the steel is totally immersed in water, it should not rust but if its partly in the water, or has water droplets in it then it will rust. Rust is an electrochemical process... it seems to require a bit of air in order to rust. I had bolts immersed in water and it never rusted but as soon as you lose enough water for the steel to be exposed to air, it would start rusting.

[Paul Incognito]

It's been a while, but I used to use Easy Off oven cleaner. Spray it on, let it sit then wipe it off. Worked great!
Paul

[Tom Ewell]

Trend tool and bit cleaner

Used all manner of cleaners over the years, so far this is the best I've used in terms of speed, odor, simple wipe down and leaves a protective coating on the treated blade.

Haven't been able to locate any container other than the 500ml spray bottle but could pour it into a container for the folded bandsaw blade.

[Jim Colombo]

I put the blade in the sink, submerged in hot water and added baking soda. The gunk started coming off almost immediately, after less than 5 minutes it was clean as a whistle (no scrubbing). Dried it off and sprayed with WD40.

Thanks for all the suggestions.

Jim

[Howard Acheson]

It's been a while, but I used to use Easy Off oven cleaner. Spray it on, let it sit then wipe it off. Worked great!
Paul

Oven cleaner may work for non-carbide band saw blades but don't us it for carbide tipped band saw or table saw blades.

[Mike Leung]

I read in one of my shopnotes magazine that 409 removes resins and pitch. After I run out of my pitch remover from rockler, I will use 409.

[Paul Incognito]

You know Howard, I was wondering about that. We used it years ago before carbide blades were common. I'll keep it in the kitchen.
Thanks.
Paul

[Gus Dundon]

Oven cleaners or simple green will work. Try the remover from woodcraft.

[ken masoumi]

I put the blade in the sink, submerged in hot water and added baking soda. The gunk started coming off almost immediately, after less than 5 minutes it was clean as a whistle (no scrubbing). Dried it off and sprayed with WD40.

Thanks for all the suggestions.

Jim
Jim I'm sure you are aware that the "ARM & HAMMER so clean" is washing soda not baking soda,but anyhow I'm glad the baking soda also works.