Woodcraft blade cleaning advice

[Ed62]

I stopped at the local Woodcraft this morning. One of the guys working there wanted to shoot the bull for a while. The topic of blade cleaning came up. He told me that WD-40 does a good job of cleaning blades. Has anyone tried it? Any reason not to try it?

Ed

[LCHIEN]

i don't think it will hurt it any but it won't do much to dissolve pitch which is the major contaminant that needs to be cleaned from blades.

[Knottscott]

I've tried it and it does work ....it's got a kerosene-like solvent in it. I prefer degreaser sprays like 409, Totally Awesome, or Simple Green...Goo Gone is great too.

[Ed62]

I had my doubts about it's effectivness, but I'll give it a try. I have about a half gallon of Simple Green, and that's what I've been using, diluted. But Simple Green is not totally compatible with carbide, according to the Simple Green site. Even so, I haven't seen anything to indicate the carbide had been affected by it. Thanks for the posts.

Ed

[Slik Geek]

The actual ingredients in WD-40 aren't known to me, just what is shown on the MSDS, which lists primarily aliphatic hydrocarbons. That is good because it looks like it is the aromatic hydrocarbons (in petroleum based products) that cause problems with cobalt corrosion.

Thus, from a carbide attack standpoint, an uniformed guess is that WD-40 should not pose a serious threat to the carbide integrity.

Is there any concern (or experimental evidence) that the silicone residue on the blade may cause finishing problems in the wood??

[LinuxRandal]

I've tried it and it does work ....it's got a kerosene-like solvent in it. I prefer degreaser sprays like 409, Totally Awesome, or Simple Green...Goo Gone is great too.

It was either Forrest or Freud (I am pretty sure Charles McCracken?), that an employee recommended using Kerosene as a blade cleaner. WD40 is Kerosene like, but compare the price of one to the other, and find out which is cheaper.

[Knottscott]

Wikipedia shows this for the components of WD-40:

Main ingredients, from the material safety data sheet, are:

• 50%: Stoddard solvent (mineral spirits, somewhat similar to, but not the same as, kerosene)
• 25%: Liquefied petroleum gas (presumably as a propellant, carbon dioxide is used now to reduce considerable flammability)
• 15+%: Mineral oil (light lubricating oil)
• 10-%: Inert ingredients

It's handy stuff to have around even if you don't like it for cleaning blades.

[Black wallnut]

The actual ingredients in WD-40 aren't known to me, just what is shown on the MSDS, which lists primarily aliphatic hydrocarbons. That is good because it looks like it is the aromatic hydrocarbons (in petroleum based products) that cause problems with cobalt corrosion.

Thus, from a carbide attack standpoint, an uniformed guess is that WD-40 should not pose a serious threat to the carbide integrity.

Is there any concern (or experimental evidence) that the silicone residue on the blade may cause finishing problems in the wood??

One thing is certain WD-40 does not contain silicone! Not quite the same thing but I use paste wax on the top of my saw, it does wear off but no finish problem. I also use 3 in 1 oil to lubricate my burnishing rod while burnishing my card scraper and use just a rag to wipe the oil away leaving a very light coat and this also does not give any finishing problems. I wouls hazard a guess that using WD-40 to clean a saw blade will also not cause any finishing problems.

[rnelson0]

Try some water mixed with Bar Keeper's Friend. I swear, that will take care of anything. If you scratch your toilet, it will cover the scratches. It got the rust off my table saw's top. It cleans the nastiest pots and pans with a washcloth, no scrub brush. For a little extra power, mix it with some WD-40 instead of water. It'll clean that saw blade and have it looking better than the day you got it.

I have no idea what's in it, but it's marked as environmental friendly, non-caustic, etc. Lowes/HD will carry it for about $5/bottle or you can make a trip to Linen's N Things and get it for only $2.

[annunaki]

re: Barkeeper's Friend

Did you use the liquid or powder?
I see Amazon has several and at different prices.

[rnelson0]

Did you use the liquid or powder?
I see Amazon has several and at different prices.

I have the powder, that's what was in the linens 'n things where we bought it. Haven't tried the liquid. When I used the powder it came out almost like a paste as opposed to a dishsoap consistency, if that helps. You wipe it on, let it soak for a minute or two only, then scrub it off.