# bit cleaner and lube



## newby (Feb 24, 2011)

Hi everyone, first thanks to everyone for your in-put about the op box joint jig. Second Ria only has 4 more chemo's to go, time has really gone fast. She has done really well. She will get a month off then 7 weeks of radiation. Anyway is bit cleaner and bearing lube a good idea? I have been using straight bits the most right now. Is there one brand that is better than another, or can I use household stuff to clean and lube, Thanks Mike 


I know that the more I know the more I realize I don't know!


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## istracpsboss (Sep 14, 2008)

I use a household degreasing spray that contains limonene which seems to work quite well and was vastly cheaper than the proprietary bit cleaners. Down here, it was also much easier to obtain.
Don't forget to protect any bearings when using these things as it will affect the bearing lubricant as well if you don't.

Cheers

Peter


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## N'awlins77 (Feb 25, 2011)

I use a WD-40 equivalent that we use at work. I put some on a rag, wipe the bits off. It removes all residue and the final wipe leaves a fine coat to protect from rust.


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## jschaben (Jun 21, 2009)

fisherman123 said:


> Hi everyone, first thanks to everyone for your in-put about the op box joint jig. Second Ria only has 4 more chemo's to go, time has really gone fast. She has done really well. She will get a month off then 7 weeks of radiation. Anyway is bit cleaner and bearing lube a good idea? I have been using straight bits the most right now. Is there one brand that is better than another, or can I use household stuff to clean and lube, Thanks Mike
> 
> 
> I know that the more I know the more I realize I don't know!


Hi Mike - glad to hear things are still progessing with Ria. 
I've taken to cleaning bits after every use. Just takes a quick wipe down with a cloth moistened with whatever spray cleaner I have available. Anything that doesn't come off with that gets a brush with a brass bristle brush. I also have a bit and blade kit, reg price about $25 at Rockler, regularly on sale for $12. For bearing lube I have some that came with a "bearing survival kit" or some such name from Peachtree which included some lube. If I didn't have that I think I would go with 3-in-One oil. A light machine lube, primarily intended for sewing machines, I think. WD-40 doesn't seem like a good idea as it's more solvent than lube. Router bearings are supposed to be sealed but seems if WD-40 got in there it would flush out any lube. Just my .02


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## N'awlins77 (Feb 25, 2011)

John, I was kind of wondering about those bearings and their seals. In my line of work I use bearings (larger ones then on bits) all the time and with most of them you can get them "open", "shielded", or "sealed". The shielded ones, the shields are made of steel or aluminum. They fit tight to the outer race and have a small gap at the inner race. Sealed bearings, the shield or seal are made of either plastic or the larger ones, plastic coded aluminum. And those fit tight to outer race, and up against the inner race. The ones on router bits look to be just shielded. Which to me, with saw dust as fine as some of it gets, could easily find it's way in the bearing. I would have thought they would use "sealed" bearings. But it don't look like it to me. But anyway, I don't spray a whole lot of WD on the bearing. Just enough to wipe it clean. I use more on the bit itself.


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## jschaben (Jun 21, 2009)

N'awlins77 said:


> John, I was kind of wondering about those bearings and their seals. In my line of work I use bearings (larger ones then on bits) all the time and with most of them you can get them "open", "shielded", or "sealed". The shielded ones, the shields are made of steel or aluminum. They fit tight to the outer race and have a small gap at the inner race. Sealed bearings, the shield or seal are made of either plastic or the larger ones, plastic coded aluminum. And those fit tight to outer race, and up against the inner race. The ones on router bits look to be just shielded. Which to me, with saw dust as fine as some of it gets, could easily find it's way in the bearing. I would have thought they would use "sealed" bearings. But it don't look like it to me. But anyway, I don't spray a whole lot of WD on the bearing. Just enough to wipe it clean. I use more on the bit itself.


Hi Lee, I don't really know a whole lot about bearings. I have had a couple I've managed to overtorque and popped the "seal" off. Looked to be just a stainless steel ring pressed or snapped into the bearing races. Didn't see any obvious signs of lubricant either.


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## N'awlins77 (Feb 25, 2011)

Yea John, I've actually purposely taken them out. Lots of times they'll only have the shielded ones in stock, and they tell you to just pop out the shield. In gear boxes, you want the open ones, so the oil in the gearbox can get in the bearing. And as you found out, it don't take much to pop them out. I use my razor blade knife. But I usually do find bearing grease in them. Now maybe these are made specifically for router bits and they don't use grease in them to cake up with the sawdust. Not sure. But it seems like the actual "sealed" ones would work better on a router bit.


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## papawd (Jan 5, 2011)

I spray the bit or rag with Wd-40 to clean the wooddust and never have had a problem with the bearings yet, sometimes I spray a little Boshield t9 on them ,we have so much humidity here we try anything


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## jerrag (Sep 23, 2008)

WD40 is some strange stuff. Years ago I worked as a gunsmith, when we got into bluing guns we couldn't locate a good place to get water displacing oil for the final bath so we began using WD40. It always made our bluing jobs so much lighter and after awhile another fellow came and opened up barrel shop in conjunction with our smithing. He was a bit more experienced with bluing, and laughed at us, told us to read the label on the can, sure enough it removes rust. Now bluing on guns is a form of rusting so using WD40 we were, in fact removing much of the bluing we had worked so hard to apply. We purchased the proper water displacing oil and our bluing jobs looked 80% better. I think I would stick with the 3 in 1 oil too, my dad used that for most everything around the house, and I have followed in his footprints good old 3-in-1 oil has been around forever making sowing machines hum and getting the squeak out of most everything around the house.


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## papawd (Jan 5, 2011)

Good point Jerry, I still use a little wd-40 on some things and have been using more Bosheild T9 on alot of things


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## derek willis (Jan 21, 2009)

I keep a pot with a scew lid containing Cellulose thinners, the most efficient cleaner ever, just drop in for a minute remove and wipe over.


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## sourdough (Jan 31, 2010)

Just one more guy who uses WD-40 and a small brass bristle brush. Very light spray, brush clean and quick wipe. Try to avoid bearing area. Has worked so far but then, I am not running bits for hours at a time every other day either.
And, just in case you forgot to do it: use same technique on the teeth of your TS blade.
Didn't occur to me until couple years ago and it is surprising how dirty/rusty it can get down in those teeth!!


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