Clean Saw Blades, Router and Drill Bits, and Jointer Blades

Are your blades having a hard time cutting? 
It could be that the teeth are dull.
It could be that the teeth are out of alignment. 
It could be that the teeth are dirty. WHAT!!!
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What Types of Blades Are There?
The blades that I am talking about are blades that have a cutting edge:
Like
Circular saw blades, band saw blades, jig saw blades, router bits. drill bits, jointer blades, planer blades. This just names a few blades that are on the market. There are specialized blades and bits out there.


You might think that the teeth being dirty won't change how the teeth cut the wood. But believe me it will. Dirty teeth can and will cause burning of the wood, warping of the blade while cutting. Excessive heat buildup on the blades, and the most important of all these is that IT CAN SIGNIFICANTLY SHORTEN THE LIFE OF THE BLADE.

SAFETY TIP: When performing any of the following procedures. ALWAYS i do mean ALWAYS put safety first. This means wearing gloves, eye protection, and in this case a CHEMICAL APRON. Some of these chemicals are very harsh and will eye, nose, and skin irritation. Be sure to always read and follow safety directions on the container label. Always unplug power tools before cleaning.


Pitch Buildup
Different woods contain different amounts of sap. These woods will produce more pitch than others when cutting them. This makes it impossible to say when you will need to clean your blades. But as you start using your new blades in your power tools you will notice that the motor has to work harder to keep the blade turning to keep cutting the wood.

You will also notice the burning of the wood when the blade gets dirty. Once you notice that the blade is burning the wood. It is better to stop and clean the blade. This will save you time and money down the road because it will only get worse as you keep cutting.

Remember: That the more pressure in the cutting of wood can cause mistakes and injury.



When To Clean The Blades
There is no set time for you to clean the blades. This really depends on how much they are used, What type of wood you are cutting, and the age of the blade.


Hand saws, band saws, circular saws, jig saws, just to name a few of the many different types of blades there are. Any blade with teeth will get this resin buildup on them and cause havoc when trying to cut wood. Because with this buildup it will cause you to push harder to get the saw to cut. The more pressure that you have to use to get the blade to cut means less control that you will have on the cutting process.

How To Clean The Blades, and Bits
There are commercially grade cleaners that you can use that either wipe or spray on to the blades. Remember: That a lot of these commercially cleaners have fumes that can be harmful to the breathing and skin.

My Personal Favorites
I like to use just household brands when cleaning my blades and bits.
1. They are common to all areas.
2. They usually don't have fumes that require respirators.
3. They are usually will cause skin irritation so be sure and wear protective clothing, and eye protection.
4. Ajax, Comet,  or S.O.S. pads are some of my favorites. They might take a little longer to clean the blade and teeth. But they are usually safe to use in the shop.
5. Also I use a brass cleaning brush that you can usually get in a hardware store. These brushes will get into the corners of where the teeth are joined to the blade. The brass will not rust or wear like normal brushes.

I always try to keep at two blades and bits around. This way if I don't have time to clean the blade, I can just change it out and use the other. But at the end of the day when I am through cutting I always go back and clean the blades or bits that are dirty.

After cleaning the blades and/or bits, I will dry them thoroughly and then wipe them down with a light lubricating oil to keep them from rusting. Then I swipe some , pint, quart, and gallon size freezer bags from the kitchen to put them in until I need them.

Then when i get ready to use them again, I will take them out of the bags, and wipe them down thoroughly before putting them to use.

TIP: I never handle any blades or bits without gloves. I use leather gloves to handle the blades and bits, for two reasons.
1. It is a safety precaution, it's really hard for the blade or bit to cut me with the gloves on.
2. Then there is the oil factor. My skin has oil in it. Which will rub off on to the blades which will make the pitch stick even faster.

Me I like to use ordinary kitchen cleaners that you can find in the stores. One good one is S.O.S. pads these work great getting rid of the pitch, resin, sap, or my popular work gunk that gets on your blades. Get an old toothbrush, or if you want to go high-tech you get an old electric toothbrush that you don't use anymore. This will clean the edges of the tooth. These work just as good as those commercial cleaners and don't cost near as much.


Not to mention cost of some of these cleansers, then you have to battle the fumes they put off while using them. S.O.S. pads or Comet, or Ajax cleansers don't give off fumes so you can pretty much use them anywhere. Some of these commercial cleansers will stain, eat, and otherwise damage surfaces so be very careful when using them.

Then after you get them clean you will need to use a light oil or lubricant on the blades and teeth to keep them from rusting. Cleaning carbide tipped blades or regular hard steel blades are the same.