Blade and bit cleaner???

[Mark Singer]

What is the best blade and bit cleaner? I tried CMT and it is a bit mild and only removed a portion of the residue

[Rob Wright]

Mark,

I had bought a small bottle of the CMT cleaner and also found it to be pretty mild. I have since been using Boeshield Bit and Blade Cleaner and have found it to work very well.

- Rob

[Rick Gooden]

I've used the CMT for a couple of years with pretty good success. I do need to let it sit on the blade (bit) for quite a while before brushing and wiping it off. Then I usually do it again. If I get in a hurry it doesn't do too well. I need to use up what I have but hope to find something else watching this thread.

[Ray McGrath]

I use bicarbonate of soda mixed at a rate of 1/2 cup per quart of hot water. Let the blade or bits soak for approximately 5 min. then brush off the resins off with a tooth brush. Works for me.
Ray

[Jim O'Dell]

I got some of the CMT cleaner from Woodcraft a couple weeks ago during their 10 +5% off sale. It works ok. But my blades were real dirty. The 40 T rip blade probably has never been cleaned. I almost went for the Boeshield cleaner, but changed my mind at the last minute. I have a plastic blade carrier that I sat each one in and sprayed it down and let it soak for a while. It was a pain getting the pitch out of the gullets, though. Cleaner softened it up fine, but had to wipe in each gullet to clear it out. I'll have to try the baking soda solution. Jim.

[Dave Bureau]

Simple Green

[Howie French]

I have used simple green as well, with great results.

However, I read somewhere that simple green could do damage to carbide blades.

Howie

[Rob Wright]

FYI:

Simple Green is a no no per these threads:

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=30707

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthre...t=simple+green

I have not ever used it - but Charles McCracken from Freud says that it does cause problems.

- Rob

[Andy Haney]

Woodcraft brand resin remover (pink stuff) has worked well for me. Dilutes in water.

Andy

[Pat Germain]

There is an aviation version of Simple Green which is safe for carbide. It's called "Extreme Simple Green" and was designed to clean aluminum.

According Simple Green's own web site, the standard Simple Green can leech the carbide from carbide bits. I'm sure it's mimimal. People have been using that stuff to clean carbide for years and I've never heard of any carbide bits suddenly breaking up. Although, I suspect it could affect hardness.

According to Forrest, kerosene is the best cleaner for blades and only the thing they recommend. I've used Formula 409 and it worked pretty well.

[Peter Quinn]

I'm using the boeshield bit cleaner. Its fairly quick and painless. It really cuts through pitch quick. It came bundled with their rust remover which is not my favorite thing, basically a mild acid solution that burns my nose more than it cleans any rust, wouldn't buy that again! But the pitch cleaner is good. A little goes a long way.

[Dewey Torres]

I have used oven cleaner and found that it removes pitch extremely well. I state this because blade pitch can make an otherwise sharp blade cut like I dull one and cause you to have to sharpen even though the blade may not need it. One caveat … this option is not the most environmentally friendly and you must adhere to the cautions. I have also read a few WW mags that have pitted oven cleaner against some of the products listed in this thread with favorable results as a low cost (secondary) option.

[Jules Dominguez]

I have used oven cleaner and found that it removes pitch extremely well. I state this because blade pitch can make an otherwise sharp blade cut like I dull one and cause you to have to sharpen even though the blade may not need it. One caveat … this option is not the most environmentally friendly and you must adhere to the cautions. I have also read a few WW mags that have pitted oven cleaner against some of the products listed in this thread with favorable results as a low cost (secondary) option.

I used to use oven cleaner, several years ago. It works. Then I read about the bad things it could do to a blade on another one of the SMC threads and quit using it I'm about ready to go back to it. It never harmed any of my blades that I know of, and it dissolves the buildup pretty quickly.

I soaked two blades in kerosene for about a day and a half and still couldn't get the buildup off.

[Quinn Kleerekoper]

carbide reactive process
Document Type and Number:
United States Patent 4477009
Link to this page:
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/4477009.html

Abstract:
A process of identifying and cleaning carbide entities. In the preferred embodiment of this invention, a visual indicating reacting composition is placed in a tank. An example of such a compound is a weak solution on the order to magnitude of one tenth molar or less of copper sulfate. After preparation of this bath, a large plurality of used tungsten carbide tools are dumped into the bath. Tools are allowed to sit in the bath for periods extending from five seconds to several hours depending on the strength of the bath and the thickness of the coating. When a characteristic orange color appears on a significant plurality of the tools sitting in the bath, the tank is drained of the copper sulfate solution and the tools are dumped upon a flat surface for visual inspection and segregation of the copper colored tools from the clear ones. After segregation, the copper colored tools are placed in a second bath. The second bath comprises a weak acidic solution with pH of the order of magnitude of less than 7 and more than 5. Extremely dilute acid such as nitric acid may be used in such a bath. In the second bath, once the copper colored tools are placed in the bath, the acid reacts with the copper colored reactant on the tools to dissolve said reactant and render the tool clear and clean. In this bath other contaminants or foreign matter are removed from the surface of the tool.

[Chris Barnett]

Call Grizzly. Bought a can of their brings tears to your eyes blade cleaner; it removed not only 30 year old resin, but started on the paint as well when I left it on too long. They say safe for carbide...and so far, they are right.