# Product Review - Trend's Tool and Bit Cleaner.



## N'awlins77 (Feb 25, 2011)

Well let me start out by saying, I'm a changed man!! I'm the kind of person that when it comes to things like cleaning products, and the such, that's there's not much difference from one or the other. I've been cleaning my router bits, as I'm finished with them, with a product from Ashburns. We buy it by the case, at work. It's very similar to WD-40, it is a penetrating lube/cleaner. It works great on getting grease and grime off of my mechanic tools, so when I got deep into woodworking, I started cleaning my bits with the same stuff. I read Mike and others on here praise Trend's Tool and Bit Cleaner. But I figured the stuff I already had will work just as good. No reason to buy some specialty cleaner. Boy, was I wrong!! I guess cleaning bits, right after they have been used, is one thing. The sap and such hadn't had time to dry, before I cleaned it off. But I decided, when I was ordering some other things from Peachtree, and I needed a little bit more to make a decent order and came across the Trend Bit Cleaner, I figured I'd give it a try. 

About a year ago I started building my own kitchen cabinets. From the advice from members here, I purchased a Freud Diablo 60 tooth blade and put on my table saw. It has never been taken off since, except for today, for the purpose of this test. So you can imagine the build up on them.

And well, after doing this review this morning, you can bet your last dollar, I'll always have some of Trends Tool and Bit cleaner at hand!! The proof is in the pictures. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got 2 more saw blades to remove and clean!! ;o)


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

I got some not long ago too Lee and it really is that good and pleasant to use too. Once in a while you come across a product that really does excel at the job it is supposed to do and this is one of them.


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## OPG3 (Jan 9, 2011)

Lee, Everything I've heard about this product has been positive! Keep-up the good work! I am still using a pitch and gum remover that works good, but when I am done with that bottle, you can bet I'll be getting this one (Trend) on my next Peachtree order.
Thanks for your excellent review!
Otis Guillebeau from Auburn, Georgia


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## Mike (Nov 22, 2004)

Lee, try it on a rusted tool. Spray on and let it sit for a minute or two, work it around with green ScotchBrite pad, wipe with a clean towel.

Now that you know how good this works the next step is Trend's diamond sharpening products. Do not confuse them with cheap diamond sharpening products, there is a huge difference in performance and life span. I am working on a review with photos and I think this combination is another winner.


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

I bought a good water stone from Lee Valley at least 15 years ago and it does a very good job. About 10 years ago I started using diamond hones and the water stone hasn't seen much use since. Even the cheap ones are good. The best thing about the diamond stones is that they stay flat. In fact, you can use the coarse ones to true up water stones that are worn. I'll be watching for your review.


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## N'awlins77 (Feb 25, 2011)

Mike, I tried it on an old pipe wrench I got from my Dad, and it probably wasn't the best thing to test on, since it has about 40 years of rust on it, but it did do pretty well on it. It didn't have that "WOW" factor that I got out of using it on my blades, but it did knock some rust off. However, I don't think it would have showed in any pictures. 

After using the Trend stuff again, on the pipe wrench, it sure started to smell familiar too me. I think it smells like this citrus cleaner I have. Has the same feel to me between the fingers too. I never thought about trying the citrus stuff on the bits or blades. But that Trend cleaner definitely has a familiar smell to it. 

And I tell you what, after finishing cleaning my three saw blades (table, miter and circular) I ripped a couple of boards for some trim I'm still working on for the kitchen, and I sure did feel a difference in my cut. Almost like I had the blade sharpened.


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## PRDarnell (Mar 21, 2012)

Lee and everyone,

I just called my local tool shed, Syracuse Industrial Sales, and asked about the Trend product. They don't carry it but do carry the newer CMT Bit and Blade Cleaner. Have any of you been able to compare the two products? Or use them?

Thanks.

Paul


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## N'awlins77 (Feb 25, 2011)

Not I Paul! 

But... Mike, I did give the Trend cleaner another try on some rust again. This time it was some light rust I had noticed on my scroll saw table, before I locked up for the night. I sprayed the Trend cleaner on it, let it sit for a minute, and using JUST a rag (no Scotch Bright, or anything) and it wiped the rust right off. No shadow or stain of the rust being there. Just gone! Can you buy this stuff by the gallon?? LOL Really good stuff, in my opinion!!


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## Mike (Nov 22, 2004)

Trend Tool and Bit cleaner is also available in 5 or 55 gallon drums. The spray bottle lasted me a year and I use it more than most people would.

Paul, the CMT product is not as good from what I have seen. You can purchase the Trend Tool and Bit cleaner from Woodcraft.com; Sommerfeld Tools and Peachtree.


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## PRDarnell (Mar 21, 2012)

While waiting for my Trend Tool and Bit Cleaner to arrive I tried the CMT 2050 on an old 6.5" circular saw blade on my old 147B P-C. I use that saw for a lot of stuff just because it is fairly small and handy.

I was NOT IMPRESSED. I applied the CMT twice, waiting 10-15 minutes each time before wiping it off. There is still a small amount of residue (pine pitch?) near the base of the teeth. I haven't tried cutting with it yet. But as for application it wasn't what I hoped. It smelled something like liquid soap and didn't have any sign of lubrication or slipperiness left on the blade once I wiped it off.

When I get my Trend cleaner I'll try it on a similar blade and report back in.

Grrrr.


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## MAFoElffen (Jun 8, 2012)

PRDarnell said:


> While waiting for my Trend Tool and Bit Cleaner to arrive I tried the CMT 2050 on an old 6.5" circular saw blade on my old 147B P-C. I use that saw for a lot of stuff just because it is fairly small and handy.
> 
> I was NOT IMPRESSED. I applied the CMT twice, waiting 10-15 minutes each time before wiping it off. There is still a small amount of residue (pine pitch?) near the base of the teeth. I haven't tried cutting with it yet. But as for application it wasn't what I hoped. It smelled something like liquid soap and didn't have any sign of lubrication or slipperiness left on the blade once I wiped it off.
> 
> ...


If Trend does a better job on a "similar" blade... Then I'd try the atomic test- try to clean off what the CMT blade cleaner left. (It's a test right?)

Hmmm. I'm wondering about the solutions commercial sharpener's use... I've seen pictures of one shop's process- where they had a dip tank and dipped 50 blades at a time. 3-5 minutes... Poof.








But most of those are ultrasonic, heated and use caustic cleaning agents. (One company claims same results in a more people friendly formula...(Ultrasonic Cleaning Chemicals - Omegasonics)

Of course here's a link to an incomplete list and some tests. (This link may be old and before Trend Blade and Bit Cleaner came out with their's):
Different Cleaners that can be Used to Clean Saw Blades and other Carbide Tools

Read that and it will hopefully desuede you from some...

Maybe we should do our own proof test...


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## PRDarnell (Mar 21, 2012)

I have a couple lye-based cleaner. I stopped using them due to the unpleasantness and inconvenience. They are up on the back of a high shelf. I may have to admit defeat, climb up and bring one of them down. I think I'll wait for the Trend to test.


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## N'awlins77 (Feb 25, 2011)

*New use for Trend's Tool and Bit Cleaner*

I just discovered another use for Trends Tool and Bit cleaner. 

My router motor body, as most I'm sure, is made of aluminum. After a while the aluminum oxidizes and leaves a rough coating on my motor. Makes it hard to make fine adjustments. Well, yesterday evening I went to do some routing on my table, and I couldn't get the router to adjust up or down. Pulled the motor out and found that since I had not used the router in a while, they had heavy oxidation on the motor. Like I normally do, I took a piece of red Scotch Bright and some W-D40 and began to use some elbow grease to polish the motor. Then I thought of the Trend bit cleaner. I sprayed some on my pad and then commenced to polish the motor. The oxidation came off SO much easier. Just a little buffing and a nice clean and smooth surface appeared!! Way less effort then with the WD!


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