Let's Talk Cleaning off TS Blades

[Mark W Pugh]

OK, every thing on the net I read is contradicted by another individual.

So, how do you guys clean your blades? I don't want to scrub and scrub.

Exactly how are the carbide tips attached? From what I've read, another issue.

Thanks

[Don Jarvie]

I use Super Clean spray and a brush.

[Mike Kees]

I use oven cleaner. Put my blade in a tinfoil pie plate and spray it,let sit for a minute then use an old tooth brush. usually the back side is softened up so it cleans up without having to spray it. I rinse off at my sink and dry with paper towel. This works well for me.

[Paul F Franklin]

I use about 50-50 simple green and water, let it soak for 5-10 minutes, then brush with one of those stiff bristled brushes used for stripping paint. Doesn't take any hard scrubbing. Then rinse well and dry. Works for me. I use one of those oil change pans for the solution; it's the perfect size for up to 12" blades (at least). Trick is to do it fairly often; if the buildup gets thick and burned it's harder to get off.

[Rich Riddle]

A second recommendation for Simple Green and water. I use a brass brush with it.

[Brian Tymchak]

I bought the Rockler blade cleaning kit. The blade can soak a while, making the scrubbing part less of a hassle. The cleaner is good wrt carbide teeth.

[Bruce Wrenn]

Two five gallon bucket lids. Place blade in one, and spray with LA's Awesome from Dollartree. Put second lid over first to control evaporation. Come back in five minutes and then clean using plastic brush (also from Dollartree) and running water. We have a gas stove, so I put them on burner which is lit just until water starts to evaporate, then turn off burner. Spray with some of my homemade top saver to prevent rust.

[Mark W Pugh]

I use oven cleaner. Put my blade in a tinfoil pie plate and spray it,let sit for a minute then use an old tooth brush. usually the back side is softened up so it cleans up without having to spray it. I rinse off at my sink and dry with paper towel. This works well for me.

I like the idea of oven cleaner, but I've read it can loosen carbide tips. Again, how are carbide tips attached?

[Alan Heffernan]

I use Simple Green and a disposable pizza pan. Soak it for an hour, brush it with a parts cleaner brush, rinse, and dry. It's cheap and very effective.

[Matt Day]

Edit: misread the OP, thought we were talking about BS blades. I use a frisbee with simple green. I use full strength and reuse the fluid over and over. I'll strain the fluid through a blue shop towel to remove the large solids.

To answer the question on how the carbide is attached - brazing.
Watch this:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=sUtOMIlv2ok

[Rick Potter]

Like Bruce said....Awesome cleaner (on Freuds list of recommended products). I just put the blade in a cheap dollar store oil drain pan (takes up to 12"), spray on the cleaner and use an automotive parts cleaning brush to clean it. It works very quickly, then rinse, dry with a rag, and set it in the sun to heat up and dry.

Really gummy blades, I let soak for a while, then do the above. Router bits too.

[David Utterback]

I use ordinary laundry detergent in hot water with a toothbrush. Hope this is not hard on the blades.

[scott spencer]

Cleaning them is more important than how you clean them IMO. Clean blades cut better and last longer.

There are many methods that work well. For ease, cost, and convenience I think it's tough to beat grabbing whatever household degreaser spray that you have in your closet.....409, LA's Totally Awesome, Fantastic, Greased Lightning, Goo Gone, Simple Green, etc. Spray it on, hit with a toothbrush or brass bristle brush, rinse, and wipe off.....we're talking 4-5 minutes from start to finish. If you need to spend more, try Boeshield, CMT, Trend, or other blade cleaners. For really tough gum build up that's way overdue to be cleaned Freud suggests a kerosene soak. Oven cleaner works too, but is really harsh caustic....no need to expose yourself to it.

[Paul F Franklin]

Regarding how tips are attached, they are brazed onto the plate. I suppose it is possible that some chemicals might affect the braze metal, but I don't know this either way.

[Paul F Franklin]

So this seems like an authoritative word on the subject of cleaners affecting brazing or the carbide itself: http://www.carbideprocessors.com/pages/saw-blades/can-cleaners-harm-saw-blades.html

[Matt Day]

Thanks for that article Paul. The last paragraph says it all.

"We have soaked braze alloy in oven cleaner for a week with no discernible damage to the braze alloy."

[Mark Wooden]

I've used several solutions on my blades over the years; used oven cleaner for years after I found out it was a lot less expensive than commercial blade cleaners. It works fast and well on the cruddiest of blades but caustic. I now lean toward cleaners like Simple Green, Fantastic, etc.. Takes a little longer but less nasty mess. I use a nylon scrub brush from the hardware store.

[Chris Fournier]

Oven cleaner for over 20 years and have never lost a carbide tooth.

[Tom Ewell]

I've run the gamut mentioned above and settled on the CMT and Trend cleaners primarily for effectiveness and speed.

No need to soak, brush, rinse, dry, protect.

Just spray, brush (tooth brush), inspect for clean, wipe and puff of air and done.
The blade/cutter is clean and coated with protectant.

Most times there is very little waste of cleaner, a quick toweling of the 'container' is all that's needed to clean it out.

I do keep my cutters/blades fairly clean so heavy build up normally doesn't play into it and not sure how these cleaners would take on that scenario other than needing more time to work.

[Andrew Pitonyak]

I've run the gamut mentioned above and settled on the CMT and Trend cleaners primarily for effectiveness and speed.

No need to soak, brush, rinse, dry, protect.

Just spray, brush (tooth brush), inspect for clean, wipe and puff of air and done.
The blade/cutter is clean and coated with protectant.

Most times there is very little waste of cleaner, a quick toweling of the 'container' is all that's needed to clean it out.

I do keep my cutters/blades fairly clean so heavy build up normally doesn't play into it and not sure how these cleaners would take on that scenario other than needing more time to work.

I wanted to enforce what he said. I have used different cleaners designed for the task. I use very little, I spray them onto the blade, let them sit for about 30 seconds; more if they are really nasty, or, I just use a second application. Then I hit them with an old tooth brush. They come clean almost immediately.

I use very little cleaner so incrementally it costs very little. It is very fast, and it works really well.

Specifically, I have used the Boeshielf Blade and Bit
http://www.amazon.com/BOESHIELD-BLADE-BIT-8-OZ/dp/B001N9YLWK

More recently, I am using some stuff from Rockler.

[Mike Ontko]

I posted an earlier query about tablesaw blade wear (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?242014-tablesaw-blade-wear) that ended up with a brief exchange over cleaning and cleaners.

I'm still using the cleaning solution from Lee Valley--mixed at about a 1:6 ratio with water. Just soak the blade for few of minutes, more or less depending on the amount of buildup, then brush off any caked on residue with a nylon or brass bristled brush. Rinse well with water, then dry completely (I use a hair dryer so my blades have more bounce and shine).

[guy knight]

simplest method spray with oven cleaner wait one minute use brush rinse dry good to go

[glenn bradley]

I like the idea of oven cleaner, but I've read it can loosen carbide tips. Again, how are carbide tips attached?

Tips are brazed and you will get multiple takes on the tolerance (http://www.carbideprocessors.com/pages/saw-blades/can-cleaners-harm-saw-blades.html) to different cleaners. Oven cleaner is damaging but, only very slightly. L.A. Awesome from the dollar store is safe and requires almost no scrubbing. I use a nylon brush for stubborn stuff but, generally letting the blade set for a few minutes does the trick. You experience will vary with how long past the "right time" you wait to actually clean the blade ;-)

[Howard Acheson]

Here is the recommendation from Freud. Most blade manufacturers support this info.

Definitely avoid oven cleaner and other caustics. They attack the cobalt binder in the carbide and can lead to carbide failure (translates to tiny missiles of carbide at 100+ mph). Also, Freud and some other brands of blades have a tri-metal brazing foil that uses copper alloy for a cushioning layer. The copper can also be affected by these cleaners (translates to larger missiles of carbide). We recommend soaking overnight in kerosene in a vented container and using a stiff nylon bristle brush to clean. Teflon coated plates will clean up with a soapy cloth (except for the teeth as mentioned earlier). There are commercial blade cleaning products that are not caustic but we don't officially sanction them.

The manufacturers of Simple Green recommend NOT USING their standard product for carbide tool cleaning. They have a metal cleaning formula that is safe to use. Freud recommends using kerosene.

Charles M.
Freud, Inc.

[Howard Acheson]

I like the idea of oven cleaner, but I've read it can loosen carbide tips. Again, how are carbide tips attached?

The blade tips are brazed onto the blade plate.

See my prior posting above. Oven cleaner and standard Simple Green and other household spray cleaners are not recommended.

[Cody Colston]

Does anyone know of a documented case of a carbide saw tooth disengaging and translating to "a tiny missile of carbide at over 100+ MPH?"

I use oven cleaner and will continue to do so unless I experience a carbide tooth failure because of it. I only have to leave it on the blade less than a minute, hit it with a plastic bristle brush and rinse. No more build-up.

[Bill Zickel]

Hello,
Here is a short video of how a Professional saw shop cleans and replaces tips on carbide tipped saw blades.
https://vimeo.com/137025186?utm_source=email&utm_medium=clip-transcode_complete-finished-20120100&utm_campaign=7701&email_id=Y2xpcF90cmFuc2NvZGVkfGU3YmI1MTAzNGU0YTU5Z GQ3YjFlODc4OTdjM2RiNmQwNzB8MzI0MjI5NHwxNDQwMjgxNjg 3fDc3MDE%3D

[Ronald Blue]

"The manufacturers of Simple Green recommend NOT USING their standard product for carbide tool cleaning. They have a metal cleaning formula that is safe to use."

That's interesting because if you go to Simple Green's website they show a photo of a saw blade in the how to area.

http://simplegreen.com/cleaning-tips/rooms/garage/tools-blades/

[Rick Lizek]

http://www.toolcrib.com/blog/2008/07/toolcribcoms-ultimate-guide-to-cleaning-saw-blades-and-router-bits
Lye based cleaners are not recommended.

[Ole Anderson]

I use an orange based spray cleaner which needs very little soaking time, followed up with a gentle use of a brass bristle brush for really burned on pitch. Rinse in the laundry tub and dry. Zep Heavy Duty Citrus Degreaser available at HD. You really don't need anything as powerful as an oven cleaner, nor do you need to soak for a half hour.