Originally Posted by
Howard Acheson
While this inveriably leads to contention, here is Frued's position on blade cleaning. At least a couple of other manufacturers expouse the same.
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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 product for carbide tool cleaning. Freud recommends using kerosene.
Charles M.
Freud, Inc.
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