how often do you clean your table saw blades this has to be one of the most neglected maintenance tasks in many shops and that's unfortunate because a dirty saw blade can cut like a dull saw blade i've actually seen some people replace blades because they thought they were worn out when they only needed a little cleaning in fact i'd suggest that the next time you're in your shop you should clean your blade and see what a difference it makes but first let me show you how i do it because i have a couple tips that will make this easier so you'll stop neglecting it first get yourself a 5 gallon bucket lid this makes an excellent tray for cleaning blades for four reasons first it's cheap you may already have one second it's dished out with a rim around the perimeter this will hold in the liquid and keep the mess off your bench third it is just the right size for a saw blade and the fourth reason i like it is because the center of the lid is usually the low point and some even have a little dimple in the center this makes it so much easier to put the blade in and then take it out again using that center hole which is way better than having to get your fingers underneath the sharp and slippery edges from your cleaner speaking of cleaner there are all sorts of suggestions out there as to what makes the best blade cleaner i've heard everything from oven cleaner to kerosene i strongly caution against using oven cleaner because it can be harmful for your blade or strong solvents that produce dangerous fumes personally i see no reason to use a harsh chemical at all because there are plenty of safe non-toxic options i recommend something that's safe enough that you can rinse it down the drain when you're done and that won't harm your skin because it's just an unnecessary risk to yourself and your environment and if you have to put on gloves or do some special disposal afterwards this is going to become more of a chore and you're not going to do it as often as you should this tutorial is all about making this fast and easy so you won't cut with a dull blade so to that end i recommend a proper bit and blade cleaner like this stuff i've used this for years the reason i like this particular cleaner is because it's non-toxic it's non-abrasive you can get it on your skin you can rinse it down the drain and unlike other safe products this stuff works well and it works fast plus it's pretty cheap as far as commercial blade cleaners go i use it on my rudder bits too seriously you should try it i'll link to it below the video if you're not into a specialty blade cleaner there are some household products you might use instead simple green cleaner does a decent job some citrus based cleaners may get the job done as well you might also mix 50 water with 50 liquid laundry detergent like tide these household options may not work as fast as a commercial cleaner but they can be safe and reasonably effective now you do not have to submerge the blade in the cleaner just spray each tooth then flip it over and spray the other side let it sit for a couple minutes not so long that it dries out again but long enough to loosen the gunk up on the teeth so you can kind of remove most of it with your fingers then use a stiff nylon brush you could also use brass but don't use steel bristles on the carbide teeth give each tooth a quick scrub with the brush on the sides and on the faces between the teeth it shouldn't take much work if you're using an effective cleaner then wipe the blade off rinse your lid out and you're back to work now how often should you clean your blade well you should do it the next time you go out to your saw because you need to feel how a clean blade cuts you're probably not used to it if it's been a while and you may be surprised at the difference but once you start to get the feel for how a blade should cut you can then pay attention to how that cut changes over time as it becomes a little bit harder to push wood through the cut or if you start getting more burn marks on the wood you know it's time to clean the blade again if after several cleanings you aren't getting the same performance that you used to then it might be time to just send the blade out for sharpening that's assuming you use a high quality blade that's worth sharpening if you need a good mail order sharpening service i'll link to the one i use below this video seriously go clean your blade see you next time ridge carbide is the best cup secret in woodworking i kid you not their saw blades are second to none both in quality and performance and they're less expensive than the other ultra premium brands do yourself a favor use the link and the discount code below this video you will never go back to cheapblades again
