Simple Green

[Byron Trantham]

I just read this on another site and thought I would bring it to your attention. Has onyone heard of this? I've been using SG for quite a while and really like it. Man, everytime you think things are ok, you read stuff like this!:mad:

A conversation on a local WW'ing forum concerning cleaning carbide and carbide tipped blades and bits lead to some concern about Simple Green for this purpose.
SG is all I use so I submitted this question on SG's web site via their feedback form and received a reply saying that SG is fine to use for cleaning carbide tipped tools.

Then this afternoon a fellow from SG called and said that was sent in error.

According to him, their testing has shown that submerging a carbide, or carbide tipped tool in regular, consumer SG can cause hydrogen embrittlement, which could cause the carbide bonding to weaken.

He strongly recommended not using SG for this purpose.

He did recommend Extreme Simple Green http://industrial.simplegreen.com/ind_prod_ext_mor.php for cleaning carbide products. It's relatively new and not available everywhere, but is available at http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/cspages/09-00809.php in Atlanta for $10.80 a quart.

[George Summers]

Here is the thread from 1/31/06

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=30453&highlight=simple+green

George

[Craig Stueve]

I saw that same post and would like to see what else anyone may have heard as well. I haven't been into WWing for very long, but have always been told that Simple Green was the way to go for blade cleaning.

Craig

[Jarrod Nelson]

:mad:

I just bought a bottle to clean my saw blades. What else is it good for?

[Corey Hallagan]

Simple Green is the best all around cleaner/degreaser around. My father in law rep'd this stuff way back when it was only avialble to atutomotive stores. the owner wen to the trade shows with an aquariam full of it with fish swimming. if you ever get grease in the carpet, SG will take it out.

If you don't soak your blades for long periods you should be ok. I just spray it on and let it sit a few minutes and scrub with a nylon brush. I clean them once a month so they don't get to bad, same with router bits. You should be ok.

Corey

[Norman Hitt]

:mad:

I just bought a bottle to clean my saw blades. What else is it good for?

Excellent for cleaning the "Oil & Grease Spots" from your Garage or Driveway, cleaning the vent hood over your cookstove, and many other things.

[Jamie Buxton]

That seems to me that this report might be one of those web rumors. Go look at the Simple Green web site. It is a rather detailed site with lots of FAQs. If a rep were willing to admit in an email that the stuff damages carbide, I'd expect that same information to be showing up on that web site. After, that would be a pretty big exception to the usual uses of such a product.

[Charles McCracken]

That seems to me that this report might be one of those web rumors. Go look at the Simple Green web site. It is a rather detailed site with lots of FAQs. If a rep were willing to admit in an email that the stuff damages carbide, I'd expect that same information to be showing up on that web site. After, that would be a pretty big exception to the usual uses of such a product.
I agree that it is hard to determine fact from fiction on the web but I was part of the original discussion that this arose from and the original post is at ncwoodworker.net forum if you are interested in hearing it from the "horse's mouth".

Charles M
Freud America, Inc.

[Howard Acheson]

Charles M.

You might want to go over to the Wood Magazine forums to participate in the discuss there.

See ya there if this isn't a violation too.

[Bill Lewis]

Well I don't know about the hazards of SG, but I will suggest an alternative product. I've had excellant results with "Greased Lightning". I think it works better than SG, and I would expect no less on its ability to clean blades. You can buy it at most automotive stores: pep boys, advance auto, etc... it comes in a purple bottle. Sold in spray bottles and gallon containers. I have no connection to the product I just think it works great.

[Marcus Ward]

SRAM corp (maker of bicycle parts) says not to wash chains in simple green for this reason. Many reports of snapped chains after soaking in SG.

[Ken Massingale]

That seems to me that this report might be one of those web rumors. Go look at the Simple Green web site. It is a rather detailed site with lots of FAQs. If a rep were willing to admit in an email that the stuff damages carbide, I'd expect that same information to be showing up on that web site. After, that would be a pretty big exception to the usual uses of such a product.

Hi to everyone. I've been hanging around the Creek quite a lot, but this is my first post.

I'm the one that contacted SG as quoted in the original post. I didn't realize this topic had made it here from the other forum.
Sorry this one is not a rumor, I wish it were. I won't repeat everything but will add that the phone call was made to correct the email reply. The fellow spent around 15 minutes explaining their testing and why they do not recommend SG for carbide. He said a quick spray and through rinsing is probably o.k., but soaking is not.
HTH,
Ken