Cleaning rusty blades

[reswire]

After years of buying blades and sending them out to resharpen, I finally bought my own sharpener and setter.  The excitement of the moment caused me to rummage through my barn and dig out old, rusty blades.  Most, if not all of them was red/orange in color, definitely something that a resharp service would toss in the recycle bin.  My son was with me, and he suggested using muriatic acid to remove the rust, and then oiling to try to save the blade.  Today I brushed the MA on a few blades, and was surprised at the speed and ease that the rust came off.  The blades are no longer the shiny color they once were, but I'm after saving a few dollars, not looking at pretty blades!  
If anyone is interested in trying this, I'd suggest doing it outside, upwind, and wearing a respirator and rubber gloves.  It really wasn't that bad, and cleaned the blades very quickly.  Has anyone else tried this before?  I'm going to oil them tomorrow, and run them through the setter/sharpener.  I'll let you know how it turns out when I'm done.  Just thought I'd mention this if anyone has some old blades hanging around.....

[Chuck White]

Best way I've found is to not let them get rusty in the first place!

Soon as my blades come off the mill, I wipe them down as best I can, then invert them getting them in position for the setter!

Run them through my roller/desetter, remove sawdust/pitch, set them, sharpen them, then wipe them down with a light coat of ATF!

Even my "throw away" (cracked) blade are just as shiny as the new ones!

[Larry]

We called it pickled and oiled.  Although I've used muriatic acid I treat it with the upmost respect and won't keep it around my shop.  One small leak and it will rust every tool in your shop.  Don't forget goggles.

Safer and cheaper is electrolysis.  Washing soda, plastic tub, water, junk steel electrode, and battery charger.  Takes a little more time gathering components.  Even easier and super safe is Evapo-rust.  Cost is the highest of the three methods.

[garyfg]

put them on the mill on a junk log with a little diesel and they will clean right up

[reswire]

Best way I've found is to not let them get rusty in the first place!

Soon as my blades come off the mill, I wipe them down as best I can, then invert them getting them in position for the setter!

Run them through my roller/desetter, remove sawdust/pitch, set them, sharpen them, then wipe them down with a light coat of ATF!

Even my "throw away" (cracked) blade are just as shiny as the new ones!

I hear ya Chuck!  I never thought I'd be milling as much as I am now, I guess.   It seemed when I used to send blades out to be sharpened, I would only get 70% back, and the guy who sharpened them didn't do a very good job with the rest.  If I had thought the whole thing through, I would have bought a sharpener a long time ago! Most of these bands hadn't been touched in two plus years, just hanging on the wall as decoration.  With the joy of a new sharpener, I'll take better care of the darn things now.  My old barn/mill house was built in a valley of sorts, and the early morning fog and dew just seems to hang around the bottom.  
       My folks were tobacco farmers, and a barn was always built on high ground for good air circulation.  On the farm I own now, the owners kept the high ground for cultivation, and put their farm buildings on a down slope/bottom, not too far from the house.  My new mill shed and shop are on high ground; my hope now is for less humidity, and more sunshine...   ;D

[YellowHammer]

If I had a bunch of them, and they were not too bad, and I was running either the Cooks or CBN sharpener, (I've had both) both will take a semi rusted blade and sharpen them adequately for basic use.  Keep oil on the clamp to help them slide. Wipe them through an oily rag and sharpen and set.  After the first run, they will be shined up again and can be resharpened optimally next time around.  Or they will be trashed and throw them out.  
If they are too rusted, they will be pitted and will probably fracture when used.

I had a buddy who would literally throw his bands in a big rusty pile in the dirt for months, and complain when Resharp would reject them.

[barbender]

You can use a side grinder and wire brush, or a wire brush on a drill press too.

[Southside]

Run them through my roller/desetter

Chuck -

What do you have for a roller / de-setter?  I have not hand any luck finding one.  Thanks

[LeeB]

Run them through my roller/desetter

Chuck -

What do you have for a roller / de-setter?  I have not hand any luck finding one.  Thanks

http://forestryforum.com/board/index.php?topic=91629.msg1411170#msg1411170

[Chuck White]

Thanks for posting the pics, Lee!

The rollers/desetter doesn't remove all of the set!

I usually set my bands between .021 & .025, running the bands through the desetter, the way the rollers are set up will move the teeth back to around a .014/.015 set!

It just for the most part makes the set "even", all the way around the band, which speeds up the setting process!

[Southside]

Thanks

[pineywoods]

Coil them, place in a plastic garbage can and pour in a coupe gallons of ordinary vinegar. Wait a couple of days.  Cheap.....Cam follower rollers off a woodmizer make an excellent de-setter.