Router bit cleanup question

[LCHIEN]

That's interesting Steve - why mineral spirits for the collet? Do you get much residue on the collect?

Similar to Loring, my "cleaner" of convenience for so far has been WD40 - just enough to remove the residue & clean the bearings, but wiped down well to remove excess.

On other cleaners mentioned here - denatured alcohol, carb cleaner, kerosene - would any of these impact the color-coated surfaces of the bit?

carb cleaner might, but i would not think alcohol or kerosene would harm paint. Basically carb cleaner is designed to remove the varnish that is left behind by gasoline.

OTOH the paint on router bits serves no real purpose in my opinion, its just a marketing thing.

[Bill in Buena Park]

...OTOH the paint on router bits serves no real purpose in my opinion, its just a marketing thing.

Loring, I was thinking that the paint on bits, kinda like paint on cars, is an attempt at rust prevention, being steel under the paint - or is that really negligle in this case? Yes, makes 'em look nicer too...

[jziegler]

What does anyone do when they get light rust on their router bits? I have light rust on many of mine after a fall/winter/spring in the garage (unheated, plenty of gaps and cracks in the siding, a couple missing panes of glass).

Jim

[LCHIEN]

What does anyone do when they get light rust on their router bits? I have light rust on many of mine after a fall/winter/spring in the garage (unheated, plenty of gaps and cracks in the siding, a couple missing panes of glass).

Jim

I don't think a light coating of rust on the bit body will hurt much, as previously stated the carbide tips do the cutting and they won't rust. The steel body will rust but it doesn't contact the wood, only holds the carbide so light rust is not an issue. mainly a cosmetic issue; you can clean it off if you want. Like I said, clean off the dust prevents trapping moisture and pitch and a quick spray of WD-40 should help slow the rust. Keep them in a box with some of those silica gel packets will also keep the moisture at bay.

[RAFlorida]

jziegler, just my 2 cents worth:

When I know I'll not be using the bits for a while, (months...) I get a wrag damp with oil and rub the bits in it. When I'm ready to use that bit again I will use carb cleaner or another solvent to remove the oil film. That procedure has kept my bits from rusting; like you, my work shop dose not have humidity control other than the ol' sun. BTW, couple of times had to remove some rust from the shanks. I used steel wool and/or 600 cloth.

[Ed62]

What does anyone do when they get light rust on their router bits? I have light rust on many of mine after a fall/winter/spring in the garage (unheated, plenty of gaps and cracks in the siding, a couple missing panes of glass).

Jim

When I bought a set of router bits, they came with very light rust on them. I just used steel wool to clean them up. Then I wiped down the shanks with a rag, which had just a little oil on it.

Ed