Pine sap

[Redmt]

What's a good way to remove the pine sap/sawdust from a blade? I've tried diesel, gas, brake cleaner and nothing seems to soften it enough to remove it. 
Next question is lube. I've been using windshield washer fluid because it's easy and recommended for not deteriorate the belts like diesel does. My thoughts are to switch to diesel and replace the belts more often. I'd prefer twice the cost over 10 times the trouble of removing the pine sap sawdust combo from the blades.

[KenMac]

I guess I'm the first to see your post so I'll recommend that you search "blade lube" and see how many days it takes to read it all! :D I use diesel and have no issues, but my wheels don't have belts on them. Most problems arise from using too much diesel on their blades. Good luck with your search and sawmilling adventure!!

[terrifictimbersllc]

If it's already stuck on, sodium hydroxide solution like purple cleaner, find a way to soak blades or wet them down with this for a few minutes.

Yes the best move is to not let anything stick to the blade in the first place. Wetting the blade during use with a minimum of diesel sounds most effective. Personally I use John Deere cotton picker spindle cleaner AN114022 and my blades are always clean pretty much no matter what I saw.

[fluidpowerpro]

I use a mixture of dish soap and Pine Sol and it has worked well as far as keeping the blade clean while cutting. I dont think it would work very well for cleaning up after the fact though. To clean sap off of the mill after it has dried, I have used WD40.

[Redmt]

Thanks for all the replies. I should have added WD 40 as something I tried too. This stuff is like concrete. It's odd though that it is mainly on the upper side/inside of the blade.
I think I'm going to switch to diesel and see what happens there. Belts are cheaper than blades and the added work of cleaning them before sharpening.
I'm going to research sodium hydroxide and see what it's a component of or where I can get some.
Thanks again for all the replies. I'm heading out to the shop and see what else I can screw up for the day!!

[kelLOGg]

I use a diesel drip on pads that wipe both sides and I can turn the drip up if I get a stubborn deposit but I rarely ever have to do that. Show a pic of the sap on your blades.

[Redmt]

 

 

 

[Redmt]

I'm going to have to find an easier way to upload pix. I hope it came out correctly.

[ladylake]

 
 With that much sap it's going to cut crooked, diesel is not hard on belts.  Steve

[terrifictimbersllc]

I'm going to research sodium hydroxide and see what it's a component of or where I can get some.

I have a 5 gal container of Zep commercial industrial purple concentrate I think I got it home depot 10 years ago. Not saying the current product is the same. Label says it contains sodium hydroxide. Dilute with water to use.

Increasing concentration, time, and temperature make it work faster as with most chemical reactions. 

Other common products containing  sodium hydroxide are easy off oven cleaner, drano, lye. Concentrated on your skin is not good, in your eyes could blind you. wearing gloves when handling NaOH wetted blades is not a bad idea if you don't already put on gloves for handling blades this is a really good excuse to do so. :D :D

[btulloh]

Soaking those blades will loosen the sap easily. Coil and put in an appropriate container. Several good choices for a mixture.  I've never used soium hydroxide but it sounds like it works.  Calcium carbonate will work, available as coffee pot cleaner but there are much cheaper ways to buy it.  I think "washing soda" is calcium carbonate. Cheap at the grocery store. I've used a mixture of baking soda and hot water to soak the pitch off of 10" blades and it works well.  WD40 should work as a soak, but kinda pricey for the quantity needed.

Diesel drip as mentioned will keep clean blades clean. The small amount needed won't damage belts or lumber. 

I used to have blades look like yours.  Prevention is the key.  Tough stuff when it's caked on and heated from trying to saw with pitch on the blades.

[terrifictimbersllc]

Easy enough experiment to spray some oven cleaner on one of your sapped up blades to see how it works. 

[Rhodemont]

I saw mostly hardwood using a couple cups of Pinsol with water have performed well.  Occasionally I have added some dish detergent when I have had pick up on the band.  I just sawed a couple white pine.  The first was no problem.  The second had a stretch near the end that picked up sap and caused the band to dive quickly.  I sprayed a little diesel on the band which helped but each pass in the same stretch it picked up.  I finally cut the end of the log off but already had thick pick up on the band and belts which I could not get off.   Researching some old posts I saw a comment from Terrific Timbers of cleaning a band by sawing some oak.  So, I soaked the belts in Pinesol and cleaned them with Scotchbrite then I put a white oak log up, ran it dry and yes the band cleaned up. 

[randy d]

We saw a lot of White pine and all we use is a heathy dose of Pine Sol and Joy dish soap works for us.  Randy

[Redmt]

Seeing as how our nearest anything is about an hour away I started reading labels on what we have around. My wife uses a concentrate called "Awesome"  but no ingredients listed. I sprayed a little on a blade and let it set a few minutes and it softened it up enough to clean it off with a small wire brush. 
I'm going to switch to diesel for lube . 

[SawyerTed]

Denatured alcohol works well as a lube additive to cut pine sap.  It mixes with water, detergents and/or pine sol.  As long as the alcohol percentage stays below 40%, which shouldn't be a problem, it isn't flammable.  

I was experimenting with it as an additive to a water solution before I sold the LT 35. 

[Patrick NC]

I recently switched to diesel only for lube. Not a constant drip, bit just a little spray behind the movable guide when I notice a little buildup.  Blades stay as clean as new. And no surface rust like I used to get with water/ dish soap if I leave the blade on overnight. 

[Redmt]

The amount of lube has been a bit confusing also. The terminology, constant drip, slight stream, occasional drip etc. I know most of this is trial and error but some of the errors are a pain in the butt.

[jasonb]

After soaking the blades to loosen the sap, I get it the rest off with a paint scraper.  

[kelLOGg]

If I had a blade with that much pine resin on it, I would turn up the drip rate on the pads and let the blade run at idle speed between the pads until it is clean. I've never had a blade like that, but I bet it would come clean in a few minutes or less.
Occasionally, I will get deposits on the blade from sawing oak, and I do as described above and watch it disappear in well under a minute.

[KenMac]

The amount of lube has been a bit confusing also. The terminology, constant drip, slight stream, occasional drip etc. I know most of this is trial and error but some of the errors are a pain in the butt.

I agree that this is a bit confusing, and it is truly trial and error. The different makes of saws just adds to the confusion as different lube techniques are employed by each company. Those of us with Cook's saws, for instance, have felt rub blocks that deliver lube to the blade by actually rubbing the top of the blade  as it rotates. The lube is dripped onto the two felt blocks making the delivery of lube to the blade more efficient than just dripping lube onto the blade, or spraying it as the Woodmizer lubemizer does. I can lube my blades with diesel and only use about a pint or two a day. YMMV

[barbender]

If a blade makes it to my sharpener with that much buildup, I have a knotted wire wheel on my 4 ½" grinder I run around it. It's a bit of acrobatics getting a method figured out, gloves and safety glasses are required😁 IIRC, I loop the band over my shoulder, grip the band with my left hand and run the grinder with my right. I'd kinda have to demonstrate, probably better to just develop your own method.

[btulloh]

I'd make sure I knew my blood type and had my insurance cards with me if I was going to try that method barbender! lol    I'm sure a knotted wheel will clean the band, but soaking would be my first choice. (Actually my first choice is avoiding the buildup while sawing.)

[Redmt]

It doesn't have any wipers but I see some in the immediate future. I don't think that a peanut grinder and wire brush will be the answer , we're just too far from a hospital. I have thought about using soft 3" metal polishing pads in an angle die grinder.

[ladylake]

 Soak those gummed up blades in used anti freeze and wipe off with a rag. Don't let your pets get into it.   Steve