cleanning band blades before sharpening

[vfauto]

Has any one come up with a simple way of cleaning bands before putting them on a sharpener? I was thinking of something like a dual wire wheel that you run the blade threw first or even as it is going threw the sharpener.

[kelLOGg]

Easy way to clean bands in Sawmills and Milling
It is not quite like what you had in mind - but close.

[YellowHammer]

My reply doesn't exactly answer the question, but the best way to clean bandsaw blades is to use a lube that will not let pitch or sap build up on them.  I use water based oil emulsions as well as diesel, as well as other things.  I've used Simple Green as well as Purple Cleaner. 

The bands should come off the mill as clean and shiny as they went on.  When I first started sharpening, I had the same problem you do, but I experimented by wiping lots of different solvents on the pitch and found some that would dissolve it.  I then started using them in my blade lube bottle. 

 

[Peter Drouin]

I don't clean unless there real bad, A puddly knife on the back side. The blades are really forgiving, They come off most times clean. And I cut dry most of the time.

[donbj]

One thing I do if they are gummed up is fire the blade up and take a sticker and with water running hold it on the blade and it cleans it off quite easily, then remove the blade.

[kelLOGg]

YH, do your wiping solvents prevent buildup on the tips of the teeth? Sometimes I get that with WO. I was afraid that it would affect the set if I didn't remove it, so I came up with the rotary brush/drill press idea.

[YellowHammer]

Yes, for the most part the bands will have almost zero buildup.  

Any remaining comes off during the sharpening and setting process. I have modified my Cooks setter to set off the freshly ground tips to be more accurate, and even if there was buildup, it would get ground and dissolved off as part of the sharpening process with the WM CBN oil bath sharpener.  Purple cleaner works good for me, so I spike my CBN oil (mineral spirits) with it.  

It's easy to determine the correct solvent for your pitch.  When you have a minute of free time, get a band with build it and grab every kind of cleaner you have in the house, be it Pine Sol, Dawn, Diesel, Orange Cleaner, RV antifreeze, Spindle Oil, whatever.  Then put some on a rag and start rubbing it on the band.  Real quick it will very apparent what works best.  

I also installed the Lubemizer, as it will spray the oil on the band, not just drip, so the band, including the tip, gets a good even application.  

[petefrom bearswamp]

A spritz of diesel with the blade turning works for me, then off to re sharp.
Doesnt seem to affect the b57s

[SawyerTed]

+1 On cleaning on the mill before blade change.  I use a small squirt of diesel on the last cut prior to blade change.