Carbide and Lye (Oven Cleaner) - Problems?

[Jacob Reverb]

Hey, all,

I've always used spray-on oven cleaner containing lye (sodium hydroxide) to remove pitch/gum from my saw blades, and it works darn well.

However yesterday I watched this video that came with my Freud router and they said NOT to use lye or oven cleaner on their router cutters, suggesting that the lye could harm the carbide. Instead, they said to soak router bits in kerosene to remove pitch.

I've never heard of lye harming carbide before, and although I once wondered whether lye might harm the brazed joints, I haven't seen any signs of that either...what gives?

[Mike Gott]

I have always been told never to use anything like oven cleaner on brazed carbide tiped blades and bits, I was told it could possibly damage something in the brazing that holds the carbide to the steel plate or shaft. The DeWalt site has addressed this exact issue and you'll find everything you may be asking at the link I pasted below:

http://www.dewalt.com/us/articles/ar...working&ID=353

Mike

[David G Baker]

My Dad and brother had a paint stripping business and most metals that were nonferrous would dissolve in the chemical stripper. The chemical was a lye/sodium hydroxide product. I never checked to see if it dissolved brazed items.

[glenn bradley]

I've never heard of lye harming carbide before,

There have been many magazine articles and forum discussion on the corrosive effects of oven cleaner. There have also, like you, been those that report using it for extended periods of time without launching a blade tooth. A mild citrus cleaner works well for me but there have been a couple of times I was tempted to reach for the Easy-Off. I just let 'em soak for 30 minutes instead.

[Josiah Bartlett]

It may attack the brazing, and it is probably a long term effect. I mainly don't use lye on saw blades because I don't want to have any flung into my eyes when I turn on the saw. Usually carbide blades have little nooks and crannies in the brazing that hold liquids pretty well.

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

It can attack the brazing setting the carbide loose.

[Ray Moser]

A friend has had good results using 'Simple Green' to remove pitch from saw blades. He says a brief soak and the stuff wipes right off and the product is supposedly more environmentaly friendly than those with lye. And not as tough on the skin.

[John Gregory]

I too have used Simple Green with success. Effective and safe.

A friend has had good results using 'Simple Green' to remove pitch from saw blades. He says a brief soak and the stuff wipes right off and the product is supposedly more environmentaly friendly than those with lye. And not as tough on the skin.

[Jim Weisgram]

I used to use Simple Green (immerse and soak for a while). Their web site now advises against it that; it can damage the carbide. I guess if you use it right after sawing and before the pitch hardens it can be sprayed on and wiped off.

I'm now looking for a better alternative, so far it appears to be get a jug of CMT.

[Jim Weisgram]

A little more web searching found several people recommending washing soda (not baking soda) in warm water. Supposed to be very fast. I've *got* to get some (it's in the laundry section of a grocery store) and try it out.

[Tom Walz]

Washing soda MSDS

https://fscimage.fishersci.com/msds/21083.htm

[Jim Weisgram]

OK, based on the MSDS, use rubber gloves and safety glasses... I did get some and it did get the crud off very quickly. I had to scrub for a few seconds with a toothbrush.

Also since it is a water based chemical you should plan to to rinse well and then use something like WD-40 afterwards.

[Bill White]

A little more web searching found several people recommending washing soda (not baking soda) in warm water. Supposed to be very fast. I've *got* to get some (it's in the laundry section of a grocery store) and try it out.

This stuff works, is not caustic, is bio, flush it down the drain, is cheap. What else do ya want?
Bill

[Charlie Plesums]

A friend has had good results using 'Simple Green' to remove pitch from saw blades. He says a brief soak and the stuff wipes right off and the product is supposedly more environmentaly friendly than those with lye. And not as tough on the skin.

I too have used Simple Green with success. Effective and safe.

I used Simple Green until I saw a response from the makers of Simple Green, posted on a forum (perhaps this one), that said to NOT soak saw blades in Simple Green.

I also saw something that said the FAA did not allow Simple Green to be used on airplanes, because if it seeped into a crack or joint, it could corrode the structure (not a good thing to do to airplanes).

I found it interesting that "Simple Green Extreme" had been approved by the FAA... apparently the "Extreme" version is less corrosive. After looking for a long time, I finally found the Extreme version available at Sams club in gallon jugs of concentrate. That is probably more than a lifetime supply, but it works good.

[Howard Acheson]

Never, never, NEVER use oven cleaner on carbide tooling.