How often do you clean your TS Blades?

[tim walker]

Just curious. Do you ever clean them as part of routine maintenance when they don't appear gummed up or otherwise dirty? I have never cleaned mine(limited use due to back issues over the past 7 years) but when I started back full force and working with some more exotic woods I definitely notice some burning when rippling primarily. Interested in your responses for sure. I just bought one of those silicone containers for blade cleaning. I only have a small spray bottle of cleaner. Do you buy larger sizes and re-use it? Best sources for the cleaner? And finally, how long do you leave it in the solution and how hard do you scrub the blade, or do you just allow it to soak for xc-hours (minutes)

[Jim Becker]

Not very often, LOL. That said, if one monitors the blade(s) while using it/them, you can kinda visually see when they start to need attention. That varies with what you have been cutting, too. For the infrequent times I've cleaned them, I just use Simple Green

[Andrew Hughes]

Not very often for me. Maybe 3 times a year I set it in a round pans the ones they sell for water heaters. I have some great biological safe cleaner completely organic. My shop sits under the canopy of a live oak tree it keeps me cool in the summer. In exchange i promise not the wash polluting chemicals on it roots.
Good Luck

[Edward Weber]

As Jim said, it depends on what you've been cutting.
I clean them when ever they start cutting poorly or there is visible build up.
I use a non toxic blade cleaner. In my case, I just spray it on, wait a few minutes and then use a small brush to remove the resin and pitch. Once that's gone, simply rinse and dry.
It is amazing how much better a clean blade cuts afterwards, even when it didn't look that dirty.

[Brian Tymchak]

I clean my blades after cutting any significant amount of pine. Otherwise, very infrequently as I get almost no pitch build up from domestic hardwoods and plywoods (with the exception of cottonwood). I've been using Rockler's Pitch and Resin Remover as it is supposed to be made from all natural materials. The MSDS shows no toxic ingredients. I used to put the blade in a Rockler blade cleaning pan and leave it overnight. Brush with a brass brush the next day. Dry, then spray with Blade Coat. But I noticed a couple years ago that the red coating on my blades (Freud Industrial) started to delaminate. Not sure if the freud coating or the pitch remover changed. I now soak the blade for about a half hour before brushing. Sometimes it needs a little more brushing than before.

I did recently get quite a bit of pitch buildup on a bandsaw blade while ripping a bunch of cotton wood. I've never cleaned a bandsaw blade, but I don't see why it would be any problem. Just take a while.

[glenn bradley]

I am a task specific blade user for enough things that I get a good look at my blades pretty often. When I notice enough build up I will clean them. For high tooth count blades I will often clean them before I begin a session of precision or visually critical cross cut work. I cut the bottom 2" off of an old 5 gallon bucket. I just set the blade in, give it a few squirts of L.A. Awesome and let it soak. I have a plastic handle that I glued a couple of magnets into. I use this to flip the blade when I am scrubbing it with an old toothbrush. Usually just a brush around the circumference on each side will do it.

[Warren Lake]

new ply used firsr time tons of crap on the blade, cleaned it not long into it again tons of crap on the blade. Offshore nd probably crap glue. Ill have to clean it again and find some old baltic birch to compare 14" blade running 4,500 RPM

[Zachary Hoyt]

I've never cleaned a table saw blade, but probably should. I do try to clean the 2" slotting saw blades that I use to cut fret slots, but they're hard to clean because the teeth are so tiny.

[Lee Schierer]

Burning when ripping isn't always due to a dirty or dull blade. More likely it is caused by one of the following issues.
1. Using a cross cut or combination blade to rip. Dedicated blades may save time by not changing blades but it can also sacrifice cut quality.
2. Blade misalignment can also cause burning when ripping. Check your blade and fence alignment to the miter gauge slot.
3. A dull or damaged (chipped teeth) blade will also cause burning. If you don't see a lot of accumulation of pitch on the tooth faces or sides, the blade is probably dull.

[roger wiegand]

Once every 4-5 years if I think about it. I don't cut much (any) pine, I do get some burning on one side with sugar maple, so maybe it's time to do it again. I've always used Simple Green in the bottom of a 5 gal pail. Aside from the fact that it removes any painted labels from the blades it seems to work great.

[George Yetka]

I've done it 1 time. it did make a visual difference but not a cutting one. I think I may just do it from now on when they get sent in for sharpening. I have a few good combo blades, ply blade, thin ripping blade, crosscut blade, dado set, box joint set. the specialties dont get much use so I probably wont need sharpening for many years. 2 of the combos are due for sharpening as they are the blades that are basically always on. After I finish my current project I will probably drop off 3-4 blades(after cleaning)

[Alan Lightstone]

I do it maybe 3-4 times a year. I actually bought the Microjig Blade cleaning system which is pretty nice, but had clearly cleaned blades without it for years. I also prefer non-toxic stuff.

[Michael Burnside]

Rarely. When I do I use 99% alcohol and a nylon brush. Generally when it is time to clean it's time to sharpen or time to replace. Same goes for CNC/router bits.

[Warren Lake]

ive cleaned twice on this blade just on one job and not a ton of material. I suspect mostly the ply but maybe im running a 14 blade at 4,500 RPM the speed is too high. Think it came set at that speed but last guy had a 12" blade. saw cuts like a razor. Having new offshore plywood doesnt help as past knew the materials I was using and had consistent results. There is tension in this material which doesnt help.

[Richard Coers]

Rarely. When I do I use 99% alcohol and a nylon brush. Generally when it is time to clean it's time to sharpen or time to replace. Same goes for CNC/router bits.
What product do you use that is 99% alcohol? Save yourself a bunch of money and use Simple Green. You won't have to wear heavy gloves with Simple Green.

[Warren Lake]

Richard do you keep it in a container and leave and re use? so you can leave the blades soaking and after a few its weaker.. Only past used oven cleaner and have emailed Royce to ask blade speed on 14" and Ply supplier for some info on the ply time to figure out why weeks ago only time to be working on the job.

[Andrew Seemann]

I confess, rarely clean my blades. I probably should more often. Typically I only do if I have a lot of pitch build up after milling something like white pine. For that I just use a rag with mineral spirits. For normal domestic hardwoods, I find the blade needs to be cleaned about the same time it needs to be sharpened, so I just sent it out dirty.

When I get burning while ripping, it is usually due to one or both of the following reasons.


Tension in the wood causing it to push against the blade, typically 1x and 2x softwoods, but not uncommon in hardwoods, especially unstable ones like birch and hard maple.
Feeding woods with high sugar content (maple, cherry, sometimes oak) too slowly, especially with a higher tooth blade (I get lazy about switching to rip blades esp for just a couple cuts). This tends to happen while switching hands while ripping, or especially when slowing to grab the push stick at the end of the rip.

[Mike Henderson]

I am a task specific blade user for enough things that I get a good look at my blades pretty often. When I notice enough build up I will clean them. For high tooth count blades I will often clean them before I begin a session of precision or visually critical cross cut work. I cut the bottom 2" off of an old 5 gallon bucket. I just set the blade in, give it a few squirts of L.A. Awesome and let it soak. I have a plastic handle that I glued a couple of magnets into. I use this to flip the blade when I am scrubbing it with an old toothbrush. Usually just a brush around the circumference on each side will do it.

That's a good idea about using the bottom of an old bucket. My 5 gallon buckets are too new, but I'll look for an old one somewhere.

Mike

[Pat Germain]

Plastic oil drain pans work really well for cleaning saw blades.

[Doug Garson]

+1 on Simple Green and plastic oil drain pans. Quick spray, soak for a few minutes (unless really bad), quick brush with an old toothbrush rinse with hot water, dry and spray with Boshield.

[Jim Allen]

Another +1 for plastic oil drain pans, but my cleaner of choice is Ozy-clean and hot water, soak it til the temperature subsides the scrub with a brass brush. I get my hot water from the Keurig machine, just enough to cover the blade.

[Bob Coates]

I'll second the simple green, I spray it on, let it soak, then use a SS brush pushing from the back of the teeth toward the cutting edge.

[andrew whicker]

Probably once a quarter I lay out my most used blades and clean them w simple green

[Larry Frank]

I clean mine when they need it.