Why is there pitch buildup on TS blade body?

[Noah Katz]

I'm puzzled by how many pitch removal products and blades with antifriction coatings there are.

Given that the teeth and kerf are a fair amount wider than the blade body, doesn't it mean something is wrong if there's pitch buildup on the blade body?

Seems like the blade must not be parallel to the fence, or the blade itself is deforming enough to rub on the wood.

[Jim Becker]

Even if you have a perfectly aligned tool, chips and sawdust from the cut will still be in contact with the blade body and the heat and friction can and will help transfer pitch to places other than the actual saw teeth.

[Al Killian]

Along with what Jim said, there is also a small amount of moisture in the wood. This helps it stick to the metal.

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

Even if you have a perfectly aligned tool, chips and sawdust from the cut will still be in contact with the blade body and the heat and friction can and will help transfer pitch to places other than the actual saw teeth.

What thet guy said~!!! The dust will be tumbling around in that gap and it's heated so it liberates pitch

[Noah Katz]

"chips and sawdust from the cut will still be in contact with the blade body and the heat and friction can and will help transfer pitch to places other than the actual saw teeth."

Hmm...it seems that centrigugal force would keep all the sawdust near the perimeter of the blade.

Maybe it's because, even with a splitter, the kerf can close and allow contact with the blade until the splitter is reached.

[Andrew Williams]

I haven't had this issue come up, but every time I clean the blade I put a little WD-40 on the ground disc of the blade.