Vino

Morning. First time Forum question. Is there a simple way for cleaning and doing lite maintainance on router bits? Thanks.

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pmspirito

There are varioius brands of spray cleaners for removing the gum and crud from saw blades that work well on router bits. Just spray it on and let it set and with a tooth brush give it a quick scrubbing. There are also lubes for the bearings. Wipe the bearing clean with a q-tip and with the bit standing up put a couple of drops on the top and let it soak in. As soon as a bit starts to dull send it out to be sharpened. The folks that make Forrest Saw Blades have a great sharpening service.

Vino

Thanks much. Someone I know recommended Oven Cleanner on my table saw blades and that worked great. I might try that as well but would try to avoid the any bits with bearings...Tks

gerrym526

I use Pro 409, the souped up version of the cleaner your wife probably uses around the house. Soak the router bit in it for a few minutes, then use an old toothbrush to scrub the pitch off. Much safer to use than oven cleaner (no fumes or rubber gloves). You can then spray on one of the commercial sawblade and router bit dry lubricants. Works well.

Glenn Greer

How often and with what lubricant do I need to maintain the ball bearings on a router bit ? Oil, grease or dry ?

Many thanks.

Hamlin

If the bearing feels "rough" or stiff to turn with your fingers then it needs to be lubed. Oil is best used but, let it soak into the bearing before using.

del schisler

i have read that oven cleaner is not good for saw blades and probly not good for bit's eather ask on wood central and you will get the info on cleaning ect. here is why Blade Care

Compared to the steel-tooth saw blades of the past, the modern carbide-tipped saw blade doesn’t take a whole lot of care, and doesn’t require sharpening very often (intervals between sharpening with carbide may be as much as 30 or 40 times greater than those with steel blades). Most saw blades will withstand an amazing amount of on-saw abuse (too fast feed, too slow feed, green wood, pressure treated wood, wood thicker than the blade is designed for, use when gummed, and on).

That said, it makes sense to take care of your saw blades, because your project results depend in large part on how well and accurately they cut. There are really very few rules.

Do not drop blades. Sounds almost simple-minded, but it is very important. Even a short drop onto a benchtop from shoulder or eye level can ruin a blade.
Keep the blades clean. Whenever build-up of resins is visible, use Simple Green or even 409 cleaner to remove build-up before it gets excessive. Do not use oven cleaner: it is said that the caustic (lye) in such cleaners might affect the brazing that holds the carbide tips in place.
When feed becomes difficult, have the blade sharpened by a professional saw sharpener.
Store blades flat on wood or cork surfaces. If blades are stacked one on another, make sure there is a piece of wood, cork, or cardboard between them. Carbide is very hard, but also very brittle and will chip if carbide hits carbide.
Protect blades from rust. This can be done with any of a dozen substances, including Top-Cote, Boeshield T-9, WD-40…even floor wax. When any such substance is used, run about a foot and a half of scrap through the blade before running project material through also a good form del schisler
http://www.woodcentral.com/newforum/msgset.shtml

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del schisler

Charles M

Well stated, del!

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Charles M
Freud America, Inc.

del schisler

i posted this before del schisler

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del schisler

bennybbc

There was a fairly long and heated thread about using oven cleaner on another forum and from what I got out of it, (from the sidelines) it's potentially a bad idea. IIRC, the oven cleaner might not have an effect on the Carbide but it can have an effect where the carbide is braised onto the router bit body. I think that Charles the Freud guy was involved in that thread so maybe he knows a lot more about it than I do. I seem to recall something about not using Simple Green too.

Bruce