Question about rusty bands

[Nomad]

     I just bought another mill, and got a bunch of bands with it.  More than half are used but never sharpened.  Around 30 or so have never been used, but most of them have varying amounts of rust too.  I'm cleaning these things up with a wire wheel on a 4 1/2" grinder, and it'll take me a month of Sundays to do 'em all.  The question I've got is, is it worth it?  How do you determine if a blade is too rusty to be worth salvaging?  I never let any of my bands get like this, so I have no idea.  I don't mind spending the time and effort if it's worth it, but I'd rather not do all this if I'm pithing in the wind!  I've only cleaned a couple so far; haven't tried sharpening one yet.

     Oh yeah.  Bought another mill.  Suppose I ought to address that, too :D  Another topic.

[terrifictimbersllc]

If you have a drill press, try cleaning your blades with a wire cup pressed against the drill press table.  I pull the blades round between the cup brush and the table (I use a coarse brush and my table has a wooden cover on it).  It takes less than a minute to clean a blade this way. Maybe 30 seconds.   I mount a vacuum hose next to it. Also flip the bands inside out and pull it in the direction so the teeth don't grab.  And my wooden table has a wooden fence on it which guides the blade under the cup.  I need to put up a video.  It is so easy to clean a blade this way. 

[steve phillips]

navel gel
wd40 will remove a little
pb blast works good
with a hand wire brush after using one of these

[kelLOGg]

Put them on the mill and saw. They will come clean quickly if the rust is superficial. If not and they still cut, use them. At the very least, that is the first step in cleaning.
Bob

[LeeB]

I agree with the last post. Sharpen em and run em. If they break, they were too rusty. If not, then the will get cleaned during the milling.

[Brucer]

They'll get cleaned pretty DanGed quick on the mill .

[Chuck White]

I agree, use 'em!

[Nomad]

     Sounds a lot better than trying to clean 'em all by hand.  I'll put a quick edge on the ones that need it and give it a shot.  Worst that can happen is I break a few, right?

[customsawyer]

Now that you have it all figured out you can let us know how it works out.

[paul case]

Or ya could just ship those bands to me if they are 158'' and I will clean them up for ya and test them and ship them back to ya. I have an LT40 that will clean them up nicely. Of course they will all need sharpened then, but if ya have 2 sharpeners that wont take ya long. ;D PC

[Bandmill Bandit]

Yup! Sharpen them and use em. That is the quickest and least work way to find out which ones are good.

[jueston]

i don't own a mill, but my first thought was run them through a log with lots of lube and see how they come out. looks like lots of other people thought the same thing...

[WDH]

Yes, lots of lube and run them on the mill.  Use diesel as the lube on a crappy log and let it clean up the blade.

[Jeff]

Nomad, Mr. Tom would tell you just to saw with em, I can guarantee.

[Nomad]

     Jeff, thinking about it, I'm sure you're right.

[terrifictimbersllc]

Swap the diesel lube for Blue Creeper! 8)

[slider]

nomad i'm in the same boat,let a bunch of bands lay around too long.I cut off a 2 ft section of a 55 gal drum and pored in old diesel ,used hydraulic oil and what ever i could find.now i soak about 4 at a time for a few days .cleaned up 10 on saturday .the stuff comes off quiet well ,just nasty.i use a grinder with wire brush.about 25 left bet you  i will take better care of my bands next time.i could just stick them on the mill and clean them but i don't want all that rust wearing out my guides.  al