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 NUMBER_TOKEN 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 NUMBER_TOKEN water with NUMBER_TOKEN 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
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