Clean Your Woodworking Blades and Bits to Keep Them in Good Shape

If you take care of your woodworking blades and bits, they'll take care of you. Set up a cleaning station that makes it easy to remove and contain dirt, rust and resin from your blades and bits.

Table saw and mitre saw blades, as well as router bits, require maintenance to perform at their peak. Over time, resin will build up on these, and if you're working with your saw outdoors, it can be even more prone to accumulating rust. What you think is a dull blade might just be a dirty one.

In the above video, The Wood Whisperer shows us his cleaning station that makes it easy to clean multiple blades at a time.

First, soak your blade or bit for five minutes in a cleaning solution like Rockler's Pitch and Resin Remover. You can also use Simple Green or generic oven cleaner, although their effectiveness is debatable. Then wipe off the gunk using an old toothbrush or scotch brite pad. Take care to wipe in the direction of the blades.

When you're done, rinse your blade with water to remove the cleaner then use a blow dryer to ensure your blade is bone dry. Before storing your blade it's recommended to apply a dry lubricant like BladeCote to prolong the life of your blade. Check out the video for a full walkthrough.

How to Clean Blades and Bits | The Wood Whisperer

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