Degrading carbon and bronze welding on carbon blades

[jbander]

I belong to a commercial and private woodworking forum and we have a running question for years about what to use to clean pitch and deposit of of the 10" saw blades for table saws and carbon bits for routers. Two of the most common products to use is oven cleaner and simple green which is a enviornmentally(?) friendly cleaner. we have been told by some that they both can degrade both the carbon itself and the bronze welding holding the carbon. . Can you ad to this discussion. Just for a point of interest, coffee is being tried with some results.

 

[blacksmith37]

Generally organic solvents don't touch steel, braze metal or tungston carbide : acetone, trichlore, alcohol etc. The caustic oven cleaner likely won't hurt (short exposure) , but I would stay with organics.

 

[EdStainless]

Simple Green and Disolv-It are both organic based solvents (citris based). They will not attack the metals or the braze alloys.
They will cut the pitch and tar from cutting wood.

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[jbander]

Here is the conflict, Simple Green is one product that is claimed by one of the saw companies to be bad on the bronze welding. So is oven cleaner. but what will work, that isn't a problem is the question. There is a abundents of ideas out there and much of it is in conflict but if you say liquid green, then it will be liquid green for me. Thats why I came here.

 

[EdStainless]

Soaking them for long time in water can lead to corrosion of the braze joints. Using a good solvent can shorten the cleaning time.

I would rather use one of the d-limonene based solvents. Soak, brush, and then wash with a Simple Green type cleaner and dry.

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