cleaning pitch off table saw blades

[BTL-A4]

What do you all recommend for cleaning pitch and gunk off table saw blades? I cut mostly MDF, 2x4's from the big box stores, plywood and oak.

 

[turbowoodworker]

Soak in Simple Grren or similar. Scrub with nylon or brass brush.

 

[Dumber than lumber]

I have used oven cleaner. It is lye in a spray can .... to best of my knowledge.

 

[CallumRD1]

I just soak the blades in very hot water with lots of dish soap for about 5 minutes and then give them a light scrub with a fine brass brush. Quick, easy, and very effective.

 

[SuzukiGS750EZ]

Ballistol...

 

[RTM]

Simple Green

 

[Snap_cap]

I have used oven cleaner. It is lye in a spray can .... to best of my knowledge.

Yup, oven cleaner works really well.

 

[jg4660]

Unless its affecting the cuts you make why bother?

 

[mike93lx]

simple green is what I've used the couple times I've done it

 

[Jmonnty]

Unless its affecting the cuts you make why bother?

Less efficient cutting leads to heat build up. Especially a problem in ripping hardwoods.

 

[RKA]

The thing with strong cleaners like oven cleaners is I don’t know if it has an adverse impact on the brazing. This is one of those things people debate without evidence that it does have an adverse impact. But, its generally good sense to use the least aggressive cleaner necessary to do the job. Most woodworking stores will carry CMT blade and bit cleaner or something similar marketed for the task. Let it soak for 30 minutes in a shallow pan, scrub with a soft brass brush as recommended above. Rinse and dry thoroughly. Simple green is great too, but dilute 1:5 with water. Go stronger if it’s not good enough.

To address jg4660’s point, often it’s a very gradual change over time and you might not be at a point where the blade is burning or you’re feeling extra resistance in a cut, but you can still see a difference with a clean blade if you took the time. And wood like pine can be particularly prone to loading the blade with pitch. Each of us has difference cutting habits (frequency, type of wood, whatever). No harm in cleaning the blade, testing the difference and adjusting the interval based on your results. I would gamble most (including me) don’t clean as often as we should to keep the blade working at its best.

 

[exmaxima1]

Ammonia in a bucket. Only need enough to cover the blades. I use a plastic scrub brush after soaking a few minutes.

 

[mike93lx]

Ammonia in a bucket. Only need enough to cover the blades. I use a plastic scrub brush after soaking a few minutes.

A pan, like an old baking sheet, allows for using way less cleaner and you can scrub while it is submerged.

 

[Milton Shaw]

Cut the bottom portion off a 5 gallon bucket leave the bucket bottom about 3/4 inch deep and that is all you need for a pan to soak the blades in. I have used Oven cleaner and others like simple green but save the oven cleaner for the really nasty blades.

 

[bob15]

Carb or brake clean on a rag seems to work for me.

 

[1cargarage]

Hot water and 1/2 cup of liquid laundry detergent. Soak for 10 min and brush with a toothbrush. Easy as it gets.

 

[JohnM45]

I'm a Boeshield fan. They make T-9 for rust protection of your cast iron tables and then they make a "Blade and Bit Cleaner" that works very well. They also have a "Rust Remover". Both the rust remover and cleaner come in pump spray bottles (not aerosol). The rust remover is almost like a liquefied navel jelly...

Boeshield products in general seem to be all good products....

 

[SteveCh]

For some years, I worked in a furniture factory. Table saws, panel saws, routers, etc. We put blades in a shallow pan and covered them with acetone. We had lots of acetone as it was used also in the paint booths. Dissolves the pitch away mostly; whatever might be left can be brushed off easily.

Acetone isn't nice stuff to breathe or absorb through the skin, so use caution.

 

[dnschmidt]

Dawn dishwashting soap. Put some in a cup and use a paint brush to brush it on the blade. Pitch gone in seconds. Every bodyshop in America uses this stuff to clean cars as they come in to remove silicone and grease. Dawn's the bomb.

 

[Minnesota Steve]

I've found Washing Soda works really well. It's not an ultra harsh cleaner, and is safe to pour down the drain.

Tablespoon per quart of warm water. Put it in a spray bottle... spray it and scrub with brass bristle brush. Then rinse off with clean water and dry.

It's sold by Arm & Hammer in the laundry dept at grocery store. Make sure it's the washing soda and not the baking soda.... totally different things.

 

[CJ7VFR]

Cut the bottom portion off a 5 gallon bucket leave the bucket bottom about 3/4 inch deep and that is all you need for a pan to soak the blades in. I have used Oven cleaner and others like simple green but save the oven cleaner for the really nasty blades.

This is absolutely brilliant! How come simple things like this always elude me? I always used an old cookie baking sheet, which never really worked all that well, and never seems to be able to be completely flat.

The bottom portion of my next Homer bucket from Home Depot will now become my saw blade pitch remover holder!

Excellent!

Jim

 

[RKA]

This is absolutely brilliant! How come simple things like this always elude me? I always used an old cookie baking sheet, which never really worked all that well, and never seems to be able to be completely flat.

The bottom portion of my next Homer bucket from Home Depot will now become my saw blade pitch remover holder!

Excellent!

Jim

If you like that, just use the 5 gal bucket lid (HD sells them separately). They have a 5/8” lip on the top side. No cutting involved.

 

[HenryAZ]

Kerosene and oil, 50-50. After you're done with the blades, use it to soak all of your cast iron machine tables, and leave it on over the weekend. Some will soak into the table to help prevent rusting, and just wipe off the excess.

 

[CJ7VFR]

If you like that, just use the 5 gal bucket lid (HD sells them separately). They have a 5/8” lip on the top side. No cutting involved.

You guys are blowing my mind! Excellent idea! I have a Home Depot coupon too. I am off to buy myself a new saw blade pitch remover holder.

Jim

 

[JohnM45]

Kerosene and oil, 50-50. After you're done with the blades, use it to soak all of your cast iron machine tables, and leave it on over the weekend. Some will soak into the table to help prevent rusting, and just wipe off the excess.

Isn't that going to leave residue on the tables? Maybe the kerosene will thin the oil down quite a bit. I much prefer either a coating of clear paste wax or the Boeshield, which contains a wax, I think.

the wax can reduce surface friction, which is nice for sliding wood and neither will stain or soak into the wood.

 

[Lynden]

From This Old House...

"Use a solution designed specifically for cleaning sawblades. Commonly-used oven cleaner may appear to work in the short term, but the active ingredient of lye can affect the brazing (the process that joins the carbide tooth to the blade plate) which could loosen teeth and cause them to dislodge during use."

https://www.thisoldhouse.com/tools/21015769/how-to-clean-saw-blades

 

[Bretny]

I think I'm a bit more qualified to awnser this than most people. I own a sawmill and work with green wood a lot. Green meaning it was a tree a few days prior to me nailing it up. I have tried brake clean, dish soap, simple green, carb cleaner, penetrating oil and none of it really worked well.

The easiest and best thing I have found that works is heating it and scrubbing it off. Heat meaning very hot water or even a small propane torch. I have even removed pitch on the plastic cases of my chainsaw using heat. I oil them a bit now to keep the pitch off.

If you think about it the pitch got there because it got heated by the cut. Remove it the same way.

 

[bullnerd]

Oven cleaner here too, mostly because we had it when I needed it.

Still using blades I cleaned 30 yrs ago, no teeth have flown off yet.

 

[HenryAZ]

Isn't that going to leave residue on the tables? Maybe the kerosene will thin the oil down quite a bit.

No residue, you are right about the kerosene.

 

[1cargarage]

I'll say it again - Hot water and liquid laundry detergent.
No kerosene, no lye, no oven cleaner, no harsh organic chemicals if you don't need them. Pitch comes off after 10 min soak + a light scrub with a toothbrush and you can pour it down the drain without poisoning your water table. No worrying about weakening the brazing, won't dry out your hands, no fumes, fresh linen scent.

 

[mc4life27]

What do you all recommend for cleaning pitch and gunk off table saw blades? I cut mostly MDF, 2x4's from the big box stores, plywood and oak.

I use this orange bio degree set from the bike store. They claim it’s safe to drink and I just soak it for a little then take a stuff tooth brush and wipe dry


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[BTL-A4]

I used hot water, dish soap and a soft bristle brush. I got most of the gunk off. Then I used simple green. There are still some small spots, but they scrape off with a finger nail. I soaked the blade for about 10 minutes.
Thanks for the tip about using a bucket lid. It worked great.

 

[vetleap]

What do you all recommend for cleaning pitch and gunk off table saw blades? I cut mostly MDF, 2x4's from the big box stores, plywood and oak.

I love a lot of these answers and will give some a try! I have soaked blades by laying them in tinfoil and rolling up the sides. Still need to be careful not to tear the sides but there's always more tinfoil..