# what do you use to clean bits?



## allthunbs (Jun 22, 2008)

As part of the discussion on helix planer heads at:

http://www.routerforums.com/tools-woodworking/29897-helix-planer-head-comments-pls.html#post245634

one of the requirements of Helix planer heads is that they be perfectly clean. To clean my router bits I'm using a concoction from Rockler called Pitch and Resin Remover. At $10.59 US plus shipping and taxes, this can quickly become an expensive situation.

Cleaning pitch and resin off of tools is not new and must be a problem since the beginning of cutting tools. 

What do you use? 

Do you have a concoction that your grandfather taught you and you're using even today?

Do you soak your tools or do you "spray" or do you brush?

Along those lines, do you clean your collet chucks the same way?

Are there alternatives to cleaning, i.e. do you pre-treat your bits.

Do you have a separate concoction for saw blades or "does one size fit all?"

Your comments are appreciated.


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## jschaben (Jun 21, 2009)

allthunbs said:


> As part of the discussion on helix planer heads at:
> 
> http://www.routerforums.com/tools-woodworking/29897-helix-planer-head-comments-pls.html#post245634
> 
> ...


Hi Ron - I essentially use the same stuff, Rockler Pitch and Resin Remover. However, I buy the concentrate. $14/qt but mixes with water at 4:1 giving a 1 gallon (US) yield. The mix is also reusable so I use it for the soak. Most of it is in a large, lidded pan to handle saw blades and the rest in a pint canning jar to handle the router bits. Been using this batch for a little over a year now. I also have a squirt bottle of CMT cleaner for quickie touch ups. 
That said, I have been cleaning router bits after every use. Just a wipe down with a towel moistened with whatever household cleaner I happen to have, 409, Fantastic, Mean Green.... etc. If there is anything that won't come off there, I spray it with a bit of the CMT cleaner and leave it set for a few minutes and wipe it off. I also use a brass brush at this time. So far I haven't had to go to any greater lengths.
Saw blades get cleaned and waxed whenever they come off the saw for any reason. Usually a spritz with the CMT cleaner and a 15 minute wait time is sufficient. When I first started on the Rockler cleaner, an overnite soak cleaned up everything. Remove router bearings before they go in the soup. 
Sorry, I haven't got a planer so have no idea how to deal with those.


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## Gene Howe (Jul 10, 2007)

Like John, I use 409 or Simple Green on saw blades and router bits. 
Also, definitely heed John's caution to be careful with caustic stuff and router bit bearings. Soaking will degrease them and make them useless/dangerous.


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## Phil P (Jul 25, 2010)

allthunbs said:


> To clean my router bits I'm using a concoction from Rockler called Pitch and Resin Remover. At $10.59 US plus shipping and taxes, this can quickly become an expensive situation.


Hi Ron

I've used an industrial compound called "Aqueous Solution" for years. It comes in 1 gallon/5 litre bottles of concentrate and is diluted for use. It is a citrus-based solution which can safely be tipped down the drain after use (according to the COSHH notes accompanying it), unlike the turps, meths or paraffin concotions used by our grandfathers. It also works quicker, IMHO. A near match for it would be the CMT Orange bit cleaner.

I tend to spritz on (to router cutters) and then get to work with an old toothbrush and tooth picks; heavier deposits require a soaking. Like John I always remove bearings before cleaning - they get a separate treatment of wiping the outsides with a cloth dampened with white spirits (to remove contact adhesive which won't rub off with a coarse cloth) followed by a quick spritz of WD-40. Collets and collet nuts get the same treatment as cutters, albeit using a brass wire brush for the insides. The router cone gets cleaned with a soft cloth and neat cleaner from time to time. Saw blades are left to soak in a tray of solution overnight before applying the brush/toothpicks; planer blades get the same treatment (it's simpler to take stuff off at the end of a session, leave it in soak and then clean, dry, oil and refit the following day). In all cases except for bearings I use BoeShield protective oil afterwards if the item is being stored

I'm sorry to say that I don't think there's any way to pre-treat bits to make them stay clean. By its nature wood contains sticky resins, as do MDF and particle board (melamine, chipboard, etc). Teflon-coated bits do stay cleaner - until the first time they are sharpened when half of the coating always seems to disappear.

I don't clean my tools every time they are used, instead I look for signs of a build-up and treat them then - to clean each tool each and every time it is used would be a nightmare in both time and cost terms

Regards

Phil


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Empire Bit & Blade Cleaner - 16 oz.-Sommerfeld's Tools For Wood
Empire Bit & Blade Lubricant - 2oz.-Sommerfeld's Tools For Wood

===


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## derek willis (Jan 21, 2009)

Cellulose thinners!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## bobbotron (Jan 7, 2010)

I usually just use mineral spirits, it gets them pretty clean, and it's not too toxic, as far as cleaners go...


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

http://www.birdbrand.co.uk/msds/Cellulose Thinners.pdf

======



derek willis said:


> Cellulose thinners!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## N'awlins77 (Feb 25, 2011)

WD-40 or equivalent, hasn't failed me yet!


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## Phil P (Jul 25, 2010)

Cellulose thinners? Mineral spirits (white spirits?)? Really good for the environment, those are! Not to mention highly flamable. 

Regards

Phil


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## papawd (Jan 5, 2011)

Have used WD40, last year or so using Boshield T9 and follow that with Johnson Paste Wax


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## allthunbs (Jun 22, 2008)

jschaben said:


> Hi Ron - I essentially use the same stuff, Rockler Pitch and Resin Remover. However, I buy the concentrate. $14/qt but mixes with water at 4:1 giving a 1 gallon (US) yield. The mix is also reusable so I use it for the soak. Most of it is in a large, lidded pan to handle saw blades and the rest in a pint canning jar to handle the router bits. Been using this batch for a little over a year now. I also have a squirt bottle of CMT cleaner for quickie touch ups.
> That said, I have been cleaning router bits after every use. Just a wipe down with a towel moistened with whatever household cleaner I happen to have, 409, Fantastic, Mean Green.... etc. If there is anything that won't come off there, I spray it with a bit of the CMT cleaner and leave it set for a few minutes and wipe it off. I also use a brass brush at this time. So far I haven't had to go to any greater lengths.
> Saw blades get cleaned and waxed whenever they come off the saw for any reason. Usually a spritz with the CMT cleaner and a 15 minute wait time is sufficient. When I first started on the Rockler cleaner, an overnite soak cleaned up everything. Remove router bearings before they go in the soup.
> Sorry, I haven't got a planer so have no idea how to deal with those.


Hi John:

My problem is that I can't get the Rockler stuff any more. I live too far from the border and I can't get caustics shipped across the border. I'm looking for an equivalent that I can assemble myself from locally procured materials.

Ron


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## allthunbs (Jun 22, 2008)

Gene Howe said:


> Like John, I use 409 or Simple Green on saw blades and router bits.
> Also, definitely heed John's caution to be careful with caustic stuff and router bit bearings. Soaking will degrease them and make them useless/dangerous.


Hi Gene:

I've seen 409 somewhere but I've not heard of simple green before. Your caution on bearings is well advised and heeded. 

Ron


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## allthunbs (Jun 22, 2008)

Hi Phil:



Phil P said:


> Hi Ron
> 
> I've used an industrial compound called "Aqueous Solution" for years. It comes in 1 gallon/5 litre bottles of concentrate and is diluted for use. It is a citrus-based solution which can safely be tipped down the drain after use (according to the COSHH notes accompanying it), unlike the turps, meths or paraffin concotions used by our grandfathers. It also works quicker, IMHO. A near match for it would be the CMT Orange bit cleaner.


What is "aqueous solution?" It sounds intriguing but, alas, shipping caustics, again, is a problem.



Phil P said:


> I tend to spritz on (to router cutters) and then get to work with an old toothbrush and tooth picks; heavier deposits require a soaking. Like John I always remove bearings before cleaning - they get a separate treatment of wiping the outsides with a cloth dampened with white spirits (to remove contact adhesive which won't rub off with a coarse cloth) followed by a quick spritz of WD-40. Collets and collet nuts get the same treatment as cutters, albeit using a brass wire brush for the insides. The router cone gets cleaned with a soft cloth and neat cleaner from time to time. Saw blades are left to soak in a tray of solution overnight before applying the brush/toothpicks; planer blades get the same treatment (it's simpler to take stuff off at the end of a session, leave it in soak and then clean, dry, oil and refit the following day). In all cases except for bearings I use BoeShield protective oil afterwards if the item is being stored


I wonder how useful this information would be to beginners? In my mind, it sure short-cuts the learning curve.



Phil P said:


> I'm sorry to say that I don't think there's any way to pre-treat bits to make them stay clean. By its nature wood contains sticky resins, as do MDF and particle board (melamine, chipboard, etc). Teflon-coated bits do stay cleaner - until the first time they are sharpened when half of the coating always seems to disappear.


I was thinking along the lines of Boeshield T9 etc.



Phil P said:


> I don't clean my tools every time they are used, instead I look for signs of a build-up and treat them then - to clean each tool each and every time it is used would be a nightmare in both time and cost terms


That's a reasonable statement and probably the philosophy I attempt to follow. Unfortunately, my track record is less than stellar. I usually use a bit/blade until it looks pretty gungy then I try to figure some way of cleaning it.

Thanks again, Phil

Ron


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## allthunbs (Jun 22, 2008)

derek willis said:


> Cellulose thinners!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Hi Derek:

This one's intriguing. What are "cellulose thinners?" Is there an actual chemical name that I can get from the chemical supply houses? Remember, your nomenclature is different than ours, in spite of speaking the same language ;-)

I've read all of your articles. When are you sending more?

Ron


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## allthunbs (Jun 22, 2008)

bobbotron said:


> I usually just use mineral spirits, it gets them pretty clean, and it's not too toxic, as far as cleaners go...


Hi Bob:

This is more along the lines that I'm looking for. A solution that came out of our ancestors bag of tricks. However, I'm also looking for the thoroughness that they were striving for. For example, "do you add soap" to the mineral spirits or something like that. Have you seen something usable at Canadian Tire?

Ron


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## allthunbs (Jun 22, 2008)

Hi Lee:



N'awlins77 said:


> WD-40 or equivalent, hasn't failed me yet!


I always have WD-40 on hand. But it never seemed to me to be a cleaner. I always use it as a lubricant for steel wool or coarse cloth.

Does the cleaner elements in the oil dissipate over time or do you just use the spray can?

Thanks Lee.

Ron


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## allthunbs (Jun 22, 2008)

Hi Warren:



papawd said:


> Have used WD40, last year or so using Boshield T9 and follow that with Johnson Paste Wax


That's my combination for cleaning cast iron tables on saws etc. It never occurred to me to use it for bits and blades.

Thanks for the reply.

Ron


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## bobbotron (Jan 7, 2010)

allthunbs said:


> Hi Bob:
> 
> This is more along the lines that I'm looking for. A solution that came out of our ancestors bag of tricks. However, I'm also looking for the thoroughness that they were striving for. For example, "do you add soap" to the mineral spirits or something like that. Have you seen something usable at Canadian Tire?
> 
> Ron


Hey Allthunbs. I just use it straight, it works pretty well. I don't know about adding soap, then I'd worry about having to get the soap residue off!  I just buy the low ordor varsol at somewhere like Canadian Tire. I'd say give it a shot, it'll cost you next to nothing, and varsol/mineral spirits is generally pretty handy stuff to have around.

Perhaps if you had really gummed up bits you'd have to use something more drastic, or maybe use an old tooth brush after you've wetted the bit with MS. In a router book I had for a while, they said you could use baking powder to create a fine abrasive to clean off bits, might work. 

I'm sure those bit cleaners work quite well, but they probably have acetone or something else nasty in them, I try to minimise my use of that stuff.


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## Radical_1 (Nov 28, 2017)

*Late to the party*

I see most of these are dated 2010 or earlier but I just found this thread. I've been using dawn dishwashing detergent and a stiff bristle tooth brush or a brass brush for harder to remove pitch, scrub off the pitch, rinse and dry with a towel and then a paper towel. This is where I get a little different, years ago I found a product made by PB the same people that make PB Blaster and it's called PB Dry Lube with Teflon, $5 at Home Depot. After towel drying the router bit(s) or saw blade I let them air dry for about 15-20min and then spray them with the PB Dry Lube and let it dry(it only takes a few seconds) and then put them in their storage case and they're ready for their next use. What you'll find is the pitch takes quite a bit longer to build up on the cutting tool and therefore it doesn't need cleaned nearly as often. I now get 3 to 5X as much cutting time before having to clean them again and it seems to extend time between sharpenings also. And it works great for 100's of things like squeeky garage door rollers, hinges of any kind and a ton of other things.


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

Good tip. Welcome to the forum. We are a friendly bunch here so we don't like having to refer to someone as "N/A". What's your name or nickname?

Both CMT and Trend make good bit cleaners too and I know that the Trend isn't expensive. It also helps remove rust. There have been a number of threads started on this and quite a few are or (hopefully) were using oven cleaner which is lye. It works but is very hazardous and the non hazardous products also work so we try to convince anyone using oven cleaner to stop. I think Simple Green is another product that works but you have a good strategy in trying to prevent the buildup to start with.


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## hawkeye10 (Jul 28, 2015)

Hey welcome to the forum, it's a great place to hang out and learn. I read the other post and WD40 was brought up several times as being a lubricant. WD40 isn't a lubricant. What WD40 does well is displace water. I use to use laundry liquid detergent and it worked great but it had to soak for a while to get blades clean. So I bought a can of CMT. I spray it on and let it set for about 10 minutes and rinse it off with hot water and let it dry. It will dry quick because the metal is so hot. I like it.


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

Cherryville Chuck said:


> Good tip. Welcome to the forum. We are a friendly bunch here so we don't like having to refer to someone as "N/A". What's your name or nickname?
> 
> Both CMT and Trend make good bit cleaners too and I know that the Trend isn't expensive. It also helps remove rust. There have been a number of threads started on this and quite a few are or (hopefully) were using oven cleaner which is lye. It works but is very hazardous and the non hazardous products also work so we try to convince anyone using oven cleaner to stop. I think Simple Green is another product that works but you have a good strategy in trying to prevent the buildup to start with.


RE THE 'SIMPLE GREEN'-----
Charles; there was a discussion about SIMPLE GREEN here a couple of years ago. The manufacturer of Simple Green doesn't recommend _soaking any carbide _in it. It chemically changes the Hydrogen in the compound. They make a product called Precision Aircraft Cleaner which they strongly suggest is a far better choice. UPDATE: looks like they've changed the name slightly...
EXTREME SIMPLE GREEN AIRCRAFT CLEANER from Aircraft Spruce


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## BrianS (Nov 7, 2004)

Radical_1 said:


> I see most of these are dated 2010 or earlier but I just found this thread. I've been using dawn dishwashing detergent and a stiff bristle tooth brush or a brass brush for harder to remove pitch, scrub off the pitch, rinse and dry with a towel and then a paper towel. This is where I get a little different, years ago I found a product made by PB the same people that make PB Blaster and it's called PB Dry Lube with Teflon, $5 at Home Depot. After towel drying the router bit(s) or saw blade I let them air dry for about 15-20min and then spray them with the PB Dry Lube and let it dry(it only takes a few seconds) and then put them in their storage case and they're ready for their next use. What you'll find is the pitch takes quite a bit longer to build up on the cutting tool and therefore it doesn't need cleaned nearly as often. I now get 3 to 5X as much cutting time before having to clean them again and it seems to extend time between sharpenings also. And it works great for 100's of things like squeeky garage door rollers, hinges of any kind and a ton of other things.


Hi, and welcome to our little corner of the 'net. Thanks for your suggestion, anything that makes a longer time between cleaning I'm all over. 

Take the time to drop into the introductions area and "introduce" yourself. And, maybe fill out your profile... pretty friendly bunch here, most are on a first name basis.


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## tomp913 (Mar 7, 2014)

Here's the review of various blade cleaners from Issue 96 of ShopNotes, the table shows the cleaners that were tested. It's a few years old (Nov/Dec 2007), wonder if the Extreme Simple Green is the same product that @DaninVan referenced. I've been using the Rockler product, and it seems to work about as they tested. Bought the concentrate and thinned with water, store the mix in a 1 gallon glass bottle that held (I think) something like Cranberry Juice at one time. Haven't used it that much, but I notice that it's getting a little cloudy, wonder if running it through a Mr. Coffee filter when I pour it back in the bottle would help.


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

Hey, Tom; yes, that's the one.
Simple Green Extreme Aircraft Precision Cleaner | Canada [en] Industrial
Environmentally safe as well!


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## N'awlins77 (Feb 25, 2011)

I use to just use WD40, until I was introduced to Trend's Tool and Bit Cleaner. It works really well. I even did a review on it here, a few years ago. 

http://www.routerforums.com/tools-woodworking/41781-product-review-trends-tool-bit-cleaner.html


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