Thread: Is Timber Sap and Resin bad for my tools

blades certainly don't cut as efficiently when they're gunked up with resin. I think you're wise to clean and protect your tools.
Try cleaning the resin off with Mr. Muscle oven cleaner - quicker than metho.

Originally Posted by AlexS

Mr. Muscle oven cleaner - quicker than metho.

I am terible alleric to most cleaning chemical, and oven cleaner is like acid crossed with mustard gas to me, the fume alone will make me break out in bleading rashes, and make my lungs burn.

What about turps, would that work?

Sap and resin deposits increases friction and reduces cutting efficiency which means you have to force tools more to do the same cutting. This wears out hand tools and overheats powertools.

I use Simple Green for my TS blades - lay the blade down in a plastic flower pot drip tray - spray both sides with SG and leave to soak for 10-15 mins - wash with water. Mr Muscle works OK too. However, I find it needs a couple of goes with sheoak resin. It's also a bit messier and maybe a bit more expensive ?

Thumbs my man. I have read that Lonnie Bird - famous American woodworker detests Camelia oil, although I have not had any problems with it. I have recently obtained a blade/cutter cleaner from Carbide Tool Industries. Forget the name but they only sell one brand. I have found it to be extremely effective when when cleaning router bits and saw blades.
Les

Use fresh lemon juice to clean your hands, it dissolves it right away.

An old chippy told me this one and it works really well.

Warning though, you will find out if you have any small cuts or grazes very quickly.

Lemon juice huh?

I have some citric acid, I might just give it a shot.

Might work on the crudded up stove bits we got here too...

Originally Posted by thumbsucker

I am terible alleric to most cleaning chemical, and oven cleaner is like acid crossed with mustard gas to me, the fume alone will make me break out in bleading rashes, and make my lungs burn.

What about turps, would that work?

Mr. Muscle or Simple Green are pretty mild, but if you can't use them, turps & steel wool is OK.

Thank you for your feedback.

I will try turps next time with steel whool. turps has not given me any bad vibes yet.

The next question do you do it?

Thank you for your feedback.

I will try turps next time with steel wool. turps has not given me any bad vibes yet.

The next question is how often do you do it? Since it takes only a few hours for your tools to gum up. So do you think spending an hour cleaning your tool's every time you work in the shed, to be to excessive. Or is once a week, month, a better choice depended on use.

I think is better to clean up after every shed time because that way you its all ready for next time.

I've tried meths, turps, oven cleaner, eucalyptus oil and simple green. By far the most effective and least odourous is Simple Green. (It even comes in a Lemon Scented version.) I soak my sawblades for a couple of hours/overnight in a shallow bath (plastic bucket lid), and it turns the pitch into a residues that comes off with a few swipes of a toothbrush. I also soak router bits, drill bits, etc, in it to achieve sparkly newness

My interval between sawblade cleanings is about a year, but it would depend a lot on the type of wood you're cutting.

Wouldn't steel wool dull the blades?

I forgot to mention that I am Neanderthal - that the gunk is mostly from the body of my planes, spokeshave, and handsaws. Generally water does not o with such tools.

Just thought I'd post that I just finished cleaning the filthiest gummed up chain from a chainsaw that I have ever seen using Simple Green. The chain was completely black , baked on resin that had been sitting on the chain for about 10 years when I last got it back from BIL and I threw it in the junk box. I was cleaning up and almost just threw the chain out. Anyway, 2 soaks x 2 hours with a vigorous scrubing using a nylon brih and it looks nice and shiny and it looks like it has plenty of metal left on the teeth.

Where do you buy Simple Green?

I found this - Simple Green website but no AUS info

I tried my locals Bunnings about a year ago, and they'd never heard of it. Then I saw it there a couple of weeks ago. I think Bunnings in the eastern states have been carrying it for a while.