Thread: Gunk build up on bandsaw blades.

What TPI are your blades and how thick is the timber you're using? Perhaps the blade is too fine for what you're doing and not clearing the dust properly.
I've heard that citrus-oil-based cleaning sprays are good and acetone may also work when turps doesn't.

It sounds like you are running too high a TPI.
If so the gullets will fill and then the blade will overheat and make the wood exude residual resin which will gum up the blade.

You should be able to clear the teeth by painting the blade with diesel and leaving it to soak overnight and then run it though a friable timber like some dry jars and it should clear the teeth.
The Jarrah sawdust will absorb any excess diesel from the tyres as well.

Originally Posted by elanjacobs

What TPI are your blades and how thick is the timber you're using? Perhaps the blade is too fine for what you're doing and not clearing the dust properly.
I've heard that citrus-oil-based cleaning sprays are good and acetone may also work when turps doesn't.

Hi Bob n Elan.
I use Laguna Shearforce blades. The gummed up one is a 25mm skip tooth 3 S 4 S cut. The same has happened to my big King Resaw blade. I'll try the diesel. I'll coil them up and leave in my wheelie bin for a couple of days. Most of my resawing is in Blackwood, Huon Pine, Northern Silky and various eucalypts. Thanks for suggestions.
Mike.

Green wood will gunk up a blade in no time at all and be very hard to shift. I think heat may be a factor in the gunk setting on the blade also, so sharp blade and don't force things. Diesel will be as good as anything to clean them.
Regards
John

Oven cleaner is the go.
H.

Whatever you choose to use to clean the blades, I suggest you do it when the blade is removed from the bandsaw. There is a temptation to clean the blades while fitted to the machine due to it being easy to rotate the blade but the solvent residue can affect the tyres and lead to their deterioration.

Originally Posted by skot

Whatever you choose to use to clean the blades, I suggest you do it when the blade is removed from the bandsaw. There is a temptation to clean the blades while fitted to the machine due to it being easy to rotate the blade but the solvent residue can affect the tyres and lead to their deterioration.

If your tyres are made of polyurethane here is a list of chemical resistivity of Polyurethane.
Polyurethane - Chemical Resistance

In it you will see that PU is "Vastly resistant" to Diesel which means it can be used on the blade in the BS.
It is also resistant to vegetable oils so presumably citrus oil would be OK.
You would need to check what is in the oven cleaner to determine if it could be done this way

Concur with " clear out ", I use it regularly on my table and circular saw blades. They come up a treat.

Originally Posted by Shedhand

Wondered why my blades were burning their way through stock...kerf filled with horrible waxy gunk. Anyone know of a good product to keep that buildup from happening? I tried turps. No luck.
ta in advance.

Having experienced a similar situation with resin build up on my blades, I remembered seeing a solution being available from one of our suppliers. Olson have a Saw Blade Lubricant stick that lubricates the blade thus vastly reducing the ability of the resins to build up.

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These will be in stock later this week and can be seen HERE it works on both hand and powered cutting blades. it is one of those 'a little goes a long way' products so use regularly but sparingly. The choice of blade TPI is still an important consideration.

Regards

Grahame

You can remove the build up using Mr. Muscle non-caustic oven cleaner.
Some woods just seem to put lots of gunk on your blades.

And don't forget to clean the tyres as some of the gunk will transfer to them.

I found a soluble oil /water mix, dripped onto the blade keeps the blade clean on my horizontal cut bandsaw. I tried tis initially to keep the blade cool, killed 2 birds with one stone ! I found it only needs to drip onto the blade prior to entering the green log.
Make a mess, but !
Mipela