After ripping a bunch of somewhat “wet” Douglas Fir for my workbench, the blade on my table saw was pretty gummed up. It was time for a good cleaning. When I clean my saw blades I keep it simple and use Simple Green. It’s able to clean off most of what can get on a saw blade.
I saturate both sides of the blade with Simple Green and let set for about 15 minutes. I then use an old toothbrush to scrub the residue off. I also use a glove, because the teeth are sharp and we want to work safe. Sometime for the tough stuff I use a Scotch Brite pad to scrub a little harder. For the most part it comes clean with the toothbrush. I didn’t show it but I had planned to use some OptiCut-XL on the blade after cleaning it. I’m going to send this blade out to be sharpened, so I didn’t treat the blade this time.
Here are some before pictures.
After a little scrubbing the blade is good as new.
As part of the cleaning I noticed I had lost a tooth along the way. I have a second blade, so I’ll be sending this one out to be sharpened and have the tooth repaired.
-- Mike - http://inquisitivewoodworker.blogspot.com/
8 comments so far
teenagewoodworker
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2032 posts in 253 days
posted 143 days ago
thanks for the post. I’ve always used simple green but I’ve been using an acetone brush so i haven’t got them that clean yet. a toothbrush gets it much cleaner as you showed here because of the stiffer bristles so i think that i’ll use one next time my blade is in for a cleaning. thanks for the post.
Karson
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12906 posts in 886 days
posted 143 days ago
Thanks for the post. I’m going to give it a try. I usually let the sharpener clean my blades for me.
But I’ve got a carbide resaw band blade that I’d like to clean.
-- Karson Southern Delaware karson_morrison@bigfoot.com
Scott Bryan
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9095 posts in 307 days
posted 143 days ago
Thanks for the post. I usually use oven cleaner. But this is much less caustic. I will give it a try.
-- With God's help all things are possible- even woodworking. Woodworking is not just a hobby, it is an (expletive deleted) expensive hobby.
kem
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53 posts in 204 days
posted 143 days ago
Thanks for the tutorial. I’ve never done this before and it’s helpful seeing what I need to do. I’m going to have to do this soon, after milling the rest of my workbench base. I’m also using a Woodworker II. Isn’t it a great blade? It ripped my top boards like butter through a hot knife or is it the other way around?
-- Kevin
Mike Lingenfelter
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390 posts in 599 days
posted 143 days ago
I was planning to use the blade a little more, it’s still pretty sharp. When I found the missing tooth I decide to send it out to be sharpend and repaired.
Yes the Forrest blade is like a hot knife through butter :).
-- Mike - http://inquisitivewoodworker.blogspot.com/
GaryK
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8486 posts in 474 days
posted 143 days ago
I use the same thing, but I let the blade sit in it overnight and then just wipe it off.
Works great.
-- Gary, East TX -- The longest journey begins with a single step.
sharad
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328 posts in 290 days
posted 143 days ago
Your post creates greater awareness in protecting your valuable tools. I will regularly use this method to protect my new tools. Thanks
Sharad
-- patanjali
Mike Lingenfelter
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390 posts in 599 days
posted 143 days ago
Not only is a sharp tool safer to use but so is a clean tool. I was noticing that my cuts weren’t as effortless as they were when the blade was new and clean. Even though I’m sending this blade out to be repaired and sharpened, it cut much better after it was cleaned. Also, doing regular cleaning also helps you find problems, like my missing tooth.
-- Mike - http://inquisitivewoodworker.blogspot.com/